caramelizing onions, just for the record

this is the first step in about half the things i make, so i thought i'd go over it once. i know people who've thought 'caramelizing onions' meant adding sugar, but that's not the case. it just means heating the onions over low heat till translucent. the process brings out the sugar within the onion, taking away the bitterness (and resultant onion breath). if you take the onions all the way to browned--keep stirring!--you'll be surprised how sweet an onion can be. smells great, too.

making ribbons out of carrot sticks

carrots have a great sweet flavor. they're super cheap and they pop with color. i've never been a big fan of the texture, however... too woody when raw in a salad, whether in chunks or julienned. too mushy when cooked, as in a soup.
i solved my texture problem with this technique, and this is how i always prepare carrots now.
after peeling off the outer layer, which i discard, i just keep on peeling. when i get to the core of the carrot, when it gets difficult to peel, i just eat it right there as a snack.
tossed into a salad raw, or cooked into a warm dish, or even as a layer in a sandwich--it works!

effective storage and use of twist-ties

with more and more stores in lincoln offering selections of bulk dried goods, here's how to make twist-ties work for you.
first, storage. i was visiting a friend when i noticed a jar of twist-ties in her kitchen... it was an emptied jar of marmite, with a well-designed label that she liked, and so she put it to practical use while enjoying it on her counter. using an old jelly jar that appeals to you works just the same. it's much handier than fishing around for them in a drawer.
when you buy something in bulk, you need to label your purchase clearly with the plu for the cashier's sake...but go ahead and also list, for your own benefit (whether on the twist-tie or a label on the bag itself), the date of purchase and the price, and yes, what it is. of course you'll be able to identify your purchase later, but better safe than a show-off.

hard-boiled egg tips and basic recipe

now matter what your standard practice for preparing hard-boiled eggs--if you're boiling up several, this tip will come in handy. use a pasta pot with a built-in strainer, and put the eggs in that strainer; of course, making sure there's more than enough water in the stock pot to cover the eggs.
that way, when they eggs are done, you can lift them out all at once, and shock them under cold running water, easily maintaining consistency of doneness one egg to next.
the two things that most affect ease of peeling are: age of eggs (too fresh won't work; but unless the chickens are in your backyard, don't worry), and overcooking. you need to stop the cooking as soon as the egg is done.

to make it quick, if you don't already have a favorite way in mind, here's one: eggs in enough cold water to cover with an egg's worth of room on top, onto stove, medium heat. once the water boils, cover and remove from heat. after ten minutes, remove and shock with cold water.

which came first: the mushroom or the egg?

no matter how deep a sale i can find on sliced mushrooms, i never buy them. generally, they look awful and not fresh at all.
i understand the impulse to buy them--because of the structure of mushrooms, they can be difficult to cut into uniform pieces...and pieces uniform of size result in pieces uniform of texture when cooked, which is extremely important.
the day i first cut a mushroom with a hard-boiled-egg-slicer remains a banner day in my culinary existence.

gingerly and with respect

i can't think of another ingredient that can be so good or so bad, depending upon preparation, than fresh ginger root. here's my advice.
use a peeler to remove enough skin to expose the part that you want to use in the recipe. then use a grater to pulverize the peeled section of the root. you cannot, no matter how good you think your knife skills are, render the ginger edible with a blade. no one wants to feel a woody chunk between their teeth when trying to enjoy a dish.

brussels sprouts

showing up in stores again at a reasonable price. i prepare them for cooking by cutting off any remaining stalk and removing any discolored outer leaves. then i cut an x into the base, which might or might not help them heat more evenly. after that, i soak for a few minutes in cold water to dislodge any buried grit, and rinse, and commence to cooking.

leeks onto the web

two pieces of advice about leeks: buy leeks that are uniformly cylindrical through the white part...if they bulge at the end, they're old and will be tough. and, don't bother trying to get all the dirt out before you chop them up. slice them up however you want and then rinse. worlds easier.
these leeks went into a pan with grated ginger, toasted sesame oil, and freshly ground pepper. i kept this over low heat for about ten minutes. then when i put the tuna on (see below), i covered the leeks and removed from the heat. served the tuna on a bed of leeks and rice. big hit all around.