Fan Tips

Here are some tips sent in from fans through the years. What are your best kitchen tips?

Children who help prepare meals are more likely to eat them – Lucy Ann Stoop

When using a cutting board on a counter, place a damp towel underneath to prevent sliding – June Sweeney

Fresh eggs will sink in cold water. Bad eggs will float. Don’t eat floating eggs! – Jennifer Dunham

Food always tastes better when made by a friend – Cathi Gommeringer

Toss a clove or two of garlic in with the potatoes while they boil, then just mash along with the “taters”. It mellows the garlic and makes for kicking garlic mashed potatoes! – Peter Gobel

Soup or stew too salty? Peel and chunk a potato. Add to pot. Let simmer. Remove potato when soft. Potato will absorb excess salt – Michelle Bardarson

I use my garlic press on slices of ginger. I love ginger and my husband hates the pulp so this solved our ginger clash! – Karen Glass

Use the KISS method. (Keep it simple, silly.) – Michael Smith

To get rid of smelly garlic and onions on your hands, wash underneath the tap with a stainless steel spoon! - Karen Archambault

Everyone is born able to cook it and it’s up to you if you want to be good at it. It’s true the best way to a man’s heart, and good friends, is in the cooking and with James it’s all possible!!!!!! – Michelle Johnson

Use tongs not a barbecue fork for turning steaks. The fork pokes holes in the meat draining the flavourful juices – Scott Wallace

I love garlic, but when I’m entertaining I don’t want that heavy garlic smell on my hands after chopping.  Try rubbing your hands on your stainless steel sink or any stainless steel cookware.  It greatly reduces the aroma on your hands – Walter Mycroft

A small amount of cooking oil in one’s measuring cup will prevent molasses from sticking – Linda E. Darwent

KEEP IT SIMPLE!  I love to entertain and I always keep it simple.  My friends have a great time and I did very little work. (e.g. meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, good wine, candles and laughter.)    - Carolyn Wilman

To speed up cooking your potatoes, slice them in strips instead of squares – Elaine Lysons

Good Friends are the best accent to any meal – Loretta Grimmer

Add a dash of curry powder to your chicken or turkey gravy to make it irresisitably yummy! – Ramona Iwanika

A one and a half inch New York loin strip cooked, sliced diagonally and shared tastes better than a three quarter inch one each. – Pat Walter

I learned that when sauteeing you can substitute one tablespoon of water for the oil.  If you continue to add a tablespoon of water at a time, as needed, it reduces the amount of fat intake. – Diane Woods

The easiest way to peel ginger is with the head of a teaspoon – Andrew Tainton

If you run out of an ingredient ask your neighbour.  You might make a friend – Brad Hillgartner

Never store cut citrus fruits with unopened ones.  They will rot very quickly – Jennifer Harris

Be adaptable with everything in you do in the kitchen.  No shallots? Use onions.  No garlic? Use garlic powder.  No cookie cutter? Use a Kool-Aid lid.  No roller?  Use a…  Use whatever is around!! – Keith Freeman

I buy a block of cheese and grate it all, package individually and freeze.  When I need it, I just take one out for my recipe! Saves money and time – Francine Ritchie

Always try making a recipe once before you serve it someone you’re really trying to impress! – Brenda Boyko

If you like all the ingredients going into the pot, you’re bound to like what comes out! – Kent Sheridan

If you use a knife block, put your knives in upside down.  This keeps the blade from being dulled from pulling it out and putting it in. – Paul Coffey

Never cook bacon while in the nude. – Matt MacDonald

To liven up a bowl of good old oatmeal porridge, try adding some fresh apple chunks as the porridge is cooking.  Great flavour – Joe Fafard

Recipes are just the “blue-print” to cooking, so don’t be scared to experiment – James Steele

Hard boiled eggs:  Set eggs in cool water in a pot, bring to the boil then turn off heat and wait 15 min.  They won’t be green – Sue Bereziuk

To have golden pancakes, add a little sugar to the mix – Louise Cook

Try a recipe more than once. It’s often the second or third time through that you master the recipe – Charlotte Chao

My two sons get to choose what they want to eat for their birthday dinner and I have kept a record of that since they were toddlers. Now they each have their own cookbook with recipes for their favourite foods – Leslie Caccamo

To poach delicious eggs, add one tablespoon vinegar, dash of salt per egg to poaching water. Cover. Bring to boil. Remove soft eggs. Boil longer for hard – Frances Evelyn Johnson

For those people who have had a heart attack and of course are not allowed butter and milk on their mashed potatoes, try cooking sweet potato or squash with your regular potatoes and mashing them together.  They add the moisture and flavour that you lose by not using fats – Carol Behan

Before adding dried herbs to any recipe, rub them between your palms or crush them using a mortar and to intensify their flavour – Tanya Gillert

The quickest way to zip up rice is to cook with broth, lemon juice, half salad dressing and half water, or can of soup (plus water) – Christl McCracken