Recipes by Category

“There is no such thing as baking an apple pie from scratch unless you first create the universe.”

Carl Sagan

I have long since made peace with not making everything from scratch. I am willing to use prepared foods when the difference in taste is not appreciated. So I usually use prepared pie crusts since no one notices when I make the crusts myself. Below are some other shortcuts, tips, and musings that I generally follow in my cooking:

1. Whenever the recipe calls for 1 clove of garlic, I put in 2-4. I also used refrigerated minced garlic and dry garlic powder liberally.
2. I really like sweet onions such as Maui, Walla Walla, or Visalia. Regular yellow onions are too strong to use in salads, but they are fine after sautéing. Red onions make the color interesting, but the sweet onions are ideal for everything. And similar to tip #1, whenever a recipe calls for 1 medium onion, I use at least 1 large onion.
3. I like Morton’s Nature’s Seasonings as an all purpose seasoning for eggs and pasta or any time you don’t want specific seasonings. It’s hard to find in grocery stores on the East Coast, so pick up a jar next time you are in California.
4. I use only unsalted butter and Fleischmann’s unsalted margarine. In cookies, the choice of butter, margarine, or Crisco makes all the difference. Margarine and Crisco tend to make the cookies softer and chewier; butter gives a more delicate flavor.
5. For most cookies, you should take them out of the oven when the center is still soft. They will continue to cook a little on the baking sheet. Once you overcook them, they never get soft. Underdone cookies stay soft. Many cookie recipes call for cooling on the pan for 5 minutes, and then a rack, but I just put them right on the counter. Make sure you leave them out until they are completely cool. If you put them in a container when they are warm (Bobby likes to clean the counter) they mush together.
6. Whenever a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, I double it and add cloves and nutmeg as well.
7. For bread crumbs, I prefer to use Progresso’s Italian flavor. I like the consistency and the taste since they are pre-seasoned.
8. I use canola oil for most generic cooking, browning, and in any baking recipes that call for oil (such as carrot kugel). I use extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings, and sautéing more delicate items where you can taste the difference (such as sautéing onions for tomato sauce). Peanut oil is good for Chinese cooking. I generally use a mix of margarine and olive oil for sautéing meats (such as chicken cordon bleu or veal cutlets).