Scenario #1: My boiled eggs are difficult to peel
Solution: add vinegar
You probably already know that adding a dash of vinegar to egg poaching water helps coagulate the white. But did you know that adding a dash of vinegar to the water when boiling eggs helps the shell peel off more easily? Say goodbye to piles of tiny egg shell shards.
Scenario #2: I need to cut dough into specific shapes
Solution: use a pizza cutter
A pizza blade can be wheeled through a sheet of pastry or bread dough with ease, saving you the expense of buying shaped cutters, or having to fiddle around, twizzling the point of a knife into strange angles.
Scenario #3: My herbs are about to go off
Solution: freeze them
‘Hard’ herbs like rosemary and thyme can be frozen whole. When you come to use them, they’ll naturally crumble into pieces, bypassing the mezzaluna completely.
Scenario #4: My sugar has clumped in the packet
Solution: undo the damage with a slice of bread
If your brown sugar has clumped into pieces, place a piece of soft white bread in the packet and the sugar will break back down into sandy granules in a few hours. To stop it happening again, make sure the storage space is nice and dry.
Scenario #5: My lemons aren’t yielding enough juice
Solution: microwave them
Save yourself the disappointment of an un-squeezy lemon by microwaving it whole for around 20-30 seconds on high. It’s just enough time to release the juices, but be careful not to go overboard and dry the flesh out.
Scenario #6: I’ve run out of bread
Solution: make instant flatbread
If you have plain flour in the cupboard, you always have bread on hand. Just take one mug of plain flour combined with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil per person, then slowly add cold water until it’s a soft, smooth dough which leaves the bowl clean. Divide the dough into balls, roll out to a 2mm thickness then dry fry in a non-stick pan. They’ll only take a few moments and are ready when both sides have golden brown patches all over.
Scenario #7: I have a rind of Parmesan I don’t want to waste
Solution: use it as seasoning
While the hard rind of cheese such parmesan, pecorino and Grana Padano is difficult to grate, it’s a shame to waste such an expensive byproduct. But there’s no need to. Add the rind whole when you’re sweating onions in the first stage of making a risotto or sauce. It will impart lots of its flavour but save you taking to it with a chainsaw. Don’t forget to remove it before serving though
Scenario #8: I’m finding it hard to peel shallots
Solution: boil the kettle
Dinky shallots can be a pain to peel, but cover them in boiling water and the skin loosens, making the process far quicker.Make this shallot Tartin recipe for a stunning vegetarian main.
Scenario #9: I need breadcrumbs but don’t have a food processor
Solution: get the grater out
Make your own dried breadcrumbs by grating stale bread on the coarse side of a grater, then spread the crumbs in a thin layer over a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes at 140C, giving them a good shake halfway through. The golden, crispy crumbs will last in a sealed container for up to two weeks.
Scenario #10: I need a marinade for meat with only half-an-hour to cook
Solution: reach for the wine
If you need your meat injected with a short, sharp burst of flavour, choose marinade ingredients wisely. Red wine quickly penetrates meat, giving it a deep colour, while citrus zest and juice tenderises it rapidly.
Scenario #11: I’m having a party and don’t have fridge space for drinks
Not enough space for your party loot? Save space for food by putting drinks into big tubs, buckets and bowls filled with salted ice water – the salt will cause the temperature to drop, giving you icy cold drinks in seconds.
Scenario #12: I want to liven up supermarket pastry
Solution: customise with storecupboard ingredients
Spruce up a shop-bought block of shortcrust by popping it into a food processor with a flavouring like herbs, vanilla, cheese, cocoa powder, honey or spice. All great additons to give your pastry an edge.
Scenario #13: I need to line a springform cake tin with no fuss
Solution: clamp it
Bypass pencil outlines and fiddly scissors when lining a springform cake tin (that’s one with a clippable ring and removeable base). Lay the parchment onto the flat base of the tin, then press down and clamp the ring into place on top of it, leaving the edges around the outside to easily tear off.
Scenario #14: I want to make an easy rainbow cake
Solution: ditch the liquid food colouring
We love a stripy rainbow cake, but it’s perhaps one for an experienced baker to take on. If you want your sponge to sing with Technicolor joy but need an easier route to success, pick up a tub of multi-coloured hundreds and thousands. Mix some through your sponge batter (not too many) and when you cut a slice of your finished cake, you’ll have beautiful polka dots.
Scenario #15: I can’t peel a kiwi properly
Solution: scoop out the flesh
To peel a kiwi, just chop off the top and bottom, then push a dessertspoon in between the fruit and the skin. Turn the kiwi until all the skin falls off the back of the spoon.
Scenario #16: I don’t want my avocado to go brown
Solution: twist it
When you cut the avocado in half, twist into two pieces, then use a spoon to scoop out the flesh from the side without the stone for immediate use. Return the empty skin to the other half, which still contains the stone, using the skin to cover it over. Keeping the stone in and covering with the skin helps retain colour and freshness until the following day.
Scenario #17: I want perfect fried eggs
Solution: steam them
Achieve the perfect set white and runny yolk with a few splashes of water. Fry the eggs in a non-stick pan and when the whites are almost cooked, put a few drops of water into the pan, quickly cover it with a lid and turn the heat down low, or off completely, and leave for a minute or two to finish cooking. The effect will be a perfect semi-poach
Scenario #18: I can’t keep my pot of herbs alive
Solution: get snipping
As soon as you buy herb plants from the supermarket or greengrocer, remove the plastic wrapping and trim the top leaves quickly to use in your cooking. By trimming off the top leaves first you’ll help the plant shoot out from lower down the stem making it stronger. Water every other day or according to the instructions on the pack.
Scenario #19: I need brown rice to cook quickly
Solution: soak it
Nutty brown rice can take a long time to cook until tender, so speed up the process by soaking it in water overnight, as you would hard pulses like lentils. It’ll cook far quicker as a result.
Scenario #20: Garlic cloves are tricky to peel
Solution: don’t bother
Garlic cloves are one of the trickiest items to prepare, and if you find it frustrating, invest in a sturdy garlic press, and voilà – the whole clove can be passed through it with the skin intact. It may take a bit of pushing, but once through, the flesh is passed through the holes while the skin is left in the press to be easily removed.
Scenario #21: I need to ramp up the flavour of my dish
Solution: branch out beyond salt and pepper
Don’t just stick with salt and pepper, experiment with other storecupboard seasonings. Try sprinkling a crushed chicken stock cube over a whole chicken before roasting, or add a splash of soy sauce or wine to boost the flavour of your gravy.
Scenario #22: My bag of salad leaves is about to go out of date
Solution: cook them
Plastic bags of washed and ready-to-eat salad leaves are really convenient but don’t seem to last very long at all, even in the fridge. If you find yourself with leftover leaves, that are starting to lose their crispness, ensure they don’t go to waste. Instead, pop them in a pan with a little olive oil or butter, garlic and seasoning and wilt down as you would for spinach. This works particularly well with leaves like watercress and rocket.
Scenario #23: I’m entertaining and need a quick starter
Solution: spice up shop-bought dips
Stir a few extra ingredients through your favourite shop-bought hummus and everyone will think you’ve made it yourself. Add a dash of lemon juice, chopped fresh coriander, some ground cumin, smoked paprika or a smidge of harissa paste to give it a kick. Alternatively add a few whole chickpeas and a drizzle of olive oil to make it look homemade.
Scenario #24: I only need a tiny squeeze of citrus, not the whole fruit
Solution: spike it
Don’t cut a whole orange, lime or lemon and risk the rest going to waste for the sake of one small squeeze of juice. Use a skewer to pierce it to release a few drops without having to break the fruit open.