I’m cooking a soup which got me thinking about the quirky but practical little things I do and I’ll share them with you.
Onion. I hate when all the little foliage shit from the root gets on my chopping board so I place a piece of paper towel on my board, I cut the onion in half on the paper towel, peel it leaving the bits on the paper towel, move my 2 clean pieces of onion to the non paper towel covered board and chop it up. Discard the waste. I don’t use my fingers to peel the onion I basically whittle it off with my knife.
Eggs. When I peel them I lay paper towel down in the sink and all the shell goes on the there and then I discard.
Garlic. When you use garlic cut the clove in half and you’ll find a green shoot in there, discard it. It’s bitter and it’s the difference between a good garlic sauce and a shit one.
Maybe you could share some of your tips.
Have a ripper fucking day everybody and don’t forget it’s NATIONAL WINE AND CHEESE DAY TODAY
It used to be but I don’t think it is now. I try and use fresh as much as I can but if the one in the tube is aussie made then I’ll buy that one from now on. I’ve only ever used the lemongrass and the basil in the tube.
My mum brought me up with the habit of always laying out a piece of newspaper or other unneeded paper (eg paper bag torn flat) on the bench before food prep. You’d pile all the trimmings, peelings etc on that as you go (e.g. peeling the onion or taking out the root over the paper, or doing it on the chopping board then immediately sweeping the bits onto the paper without necessarily having to lift the whole board). Then at the end you just package up the waste paper and put the whole lot directly into the bin/compost. Uses up waste paper, doesn’t take up chopping board space, self contained, doesn’t require an open bin (and all the smells associated with it).
My mum would quiver at how I cut onions now, but I picked this up from a housemate: I cut the onion in half, skin on, and then peel it and remove the root. It is 500000% easier than peeling a whole, intact onion.
I also use my knife to peel the onion especially as I grew up with shitty onions where the top half of a layer would be papery and the other half fleshy, so I’d use the knife to score off the papery bit and discard it.
Thank you for your tips - I did not know that about the green part of garlic and will definitely chuck that out next time I come across them!
Ooh, I could never do that. I don’t like the bits of root hanging on. I just use a clamp like hand position to lock the onion in place and do my best. Usually the onion behaves. At least they’re not slippery like tomatoes.
Fully endorse the paper tray/wrap trick. Do something similar myself. I have an old crappy colander in the 2nd kitchen sink, lined with a piece of paper towel. All peelings go in there, plus tea leaves tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells (crushed) cooked & raw bones etc. If it was once alive, it goes into the colander. Once a day the contents are wrapped up and taken out to the compost heap and buried in the top layer. Top layer of compost heap is mostly grass clippings, which are very effective at removing smell. When compost is turned (after mowing), all the paper packages get broken up and mixed in and a new hat of clippings goes on top. The worms love it.
I don’t peel garlic much - just smash it flattish with the flat of my heavy kitchen knife, then slip off the skins and chop/pound it smaller. Only peel garlic if I’m using the whole cloves, and do this by snapping off the dry lid where the garlic meets the bulb, then pulling off a strip of peel from there and the rest of the clove is easy from then on with a thumbnail.
Also fully endorse washing knife in hot water, then drying immediately and putting it away in a wooden knife block. I also sharpen it with a steel immediately before food prep, and get it professionally sharpened when the steel isn’t enough. Sharp knives are safer than blunt ones. Especially if slicing tomatoes or anything slippery.
Capsicums, I hold the fruit upright with the stalk end on top, and slice off the cheeks all around, then toss the stalk, middle and base into the colander in one piece. Most of the seeds stick to the middle section and any on the cheeks can be rinsed off or ticked off with the end of the knife into the colander. If roasting caps, I will cut around the stalk, twist and remove the middle bit that way.
I don’t peel spuds usually. Not even for mashed potato. Pumpkin is easily peeled once cooked - raw is another matter. Just steam pieces for 10 mins then the hard skin slips off easily.
There’s a wonderful product in jars that is a 50/50 mixture of minced garlic and minced ginger - I use this for curries to combine the fried spices into a curry paste - bloody wonderful stuff and I strongly recommend it. When I see it at Aldi or Colesworth I stock up. Can be used to make a nice variation on garlic bread too.
Definitely heartily endorse the garlic/ginger minced paste - I used to pooh-pooh it but honestly has made a world of difference in convenience with south Asian food and even the occasional stir fry - without as much of a compromise in flavour as I used to think. Regularly affordable at your local Indian grocer.
With capsicums I normally slice off the top and then pull out the core of seeds from the rest of it using my hand, then cut it in half and use a knife to tick off the remaining seeds/pith. I used to loathe getting capsicum seeds all over my cutting board.
Same with you re garlic peeling and spuds. Half the deliciousness of spuds is in the skin, not to mention so many of the nutrients.
Punch a hole in the “blunter” end of the egg before you boil it. Can just use a tack to do it. The water gets in between the shell and the white and makes peeling so much easier.
Onions, I peel by hand (it’s meditative for me, even if impractical lol), I pull off the dangly root bits, chop the top off and then chop in half. Can slice and dice from the halves, and then discard the root. I like leaving it on as it keeps the onion together when dicing heh
If you are sensitive to onion (as in you get tear-gassed), I found wrapping a wet facewasher or teatowel around your mouth and nose helps heaps.
Never knew the garlic thing! Will try it next time!
I use a small knife to chop out the stem of a capsicum, then pull it out. I then fill up the capsicum with water and wash out the seeds, then chop up. I just hate the seeds sticking everywhere.
Home pizza (pita bread/pizza base), I keep the cheese and heavier ingredients mostly at the edges, with a little bit in near the centre - this ensures the cheese browns and the middle is cooked without being soggy.
If you have good chef knives (i have one lol), wash and dry it immediately after use - keeps it from getting weird and rusty.
I love this. I don’t get teary until maybe after the second onion but if I do I run my hands under the cold water and that stops me from tearing up. I hate peeling them because I once copped a hard bit under the nail and jesus fucking Christ that onion got thrown so basically I use my knife to scrap the peel off.
Isn’t that wasteful? Every extra paper towel you use has an environmental impact. Even if they’re recycled, there’s still a substantial energy and water cost.
It’s one piece of paper towel I use for all my peelings and I generally flick all the peelings into the bin, give it a wash under the sink and use it to wipe my bench down then my bin or the floor then I throw it out. I just wasn’t going to go into detail. I don’t call that wasteful. I call that resourceful.
There is also a substantial energy and water cost in washing out reuseable cloths. I believe which is better is not clearcut as there are lots of variables, but if you rinse out a cloth in hot water it uses more energy & water than a piece of paper towel embodies.
Whenever you have to crack an egg, whether it’s boiled or not. Always crack it on a flat service. At least with raw eggs if you crack it on an edge it’ll concave in and you’ll get more shell pieces that way.
Onions, you shouldn’t cut the base if you don’t want to cry. But don’t cut off the base if you’re dicing onions, because it’s easier that way.
I’m cooking a soup which got me thinking about the quirky but practical little things I do and I’ll share them with you.
Onion. I hate when all the little foliage shit from the root gets on my chopping board so I place a piece of paper towel on my board, I cut the onion in half on the paper towel, peel it leaving the bits on the paper towel, move my 2 clean pieces of onion to the non paper towel covered board and chop it up. Discard the waste. I don’t use my fingers to peel the onion I basically whittle it off with my knife.
Eggs. When I peel them I lay paper towel down in the sink and all the shell goes on the there and then I discard.
Garlic. When you use garlic cut the clove in half and you’ll find a green shoot in there, discard it. It’s bitter and it’s the difference between a good garlic sauce and a shit one.
Maybe you could share some of your tips.
Have a ripper fucking day everybody and don’t forget it’s NATIONAL WINE AND CHEESE DAY TODAY
Garlic. I buy Gourmet Garden garlic in a tube. 👍
I buy it in jar. 👍
Just be careful it’s grown in Australia.
It used to be but I don’t think it is now. I try and use fresh as much as I can but if the one in the tube is aussie made then I’ll buy that one from now on. I’ve only ever used the lemongrass and the basil in the tube.
I love that lemongrass in a tube.
Tube garlic gang.🧄🧪
Quirky kitchen thing : I store tomato sauce in cupboard but BBQ sauce is in the fridge. What’s that about ? lol.
You are a rebel. Um It’s written on the bottle as to what to do with it.
Tomato sauce is made with vinegar and sugar and should be shelf stable. Even so I put mine ( home made ) in the fridge
Eggs. I peel boiled eggs in water.
Submerged or running water?
Submerged. I don’t do running water, conserving water is bred into me.
My mum brought me up with the habit of always laying out a piece of newspaper or other unneeded paper (eg paper bag torn flat) on the bench before food prep. You’d pile all the trimmings, peelings etc on that as you go (e.g. peeling the onion or taking out the root over the paper, or doing it on the chopping board then immediately sweeping the bits onto the paper without necessarily having to lift the whole board). Then at the end you just package up the waste paper and put the whole lot directly into the bin/compost. Uses up waste paper, doesn’t take up chopping board space, self contained, doesn’t require an open bin (and all the smells associated with it).
My mum would quiver at how I cut onions now, but I picked this up from a housemate: I cut the onion in half, skin on, and then peel it and remove the root. It is 500000% easier than peeling a whole, intact onion.
I also use my knife to peel the onion especially as I grew up with shitty onions where the top half of a layer would be papery and the other half fleshy, so I’d use the knife to score off the papery bit and discard it.
Thank you for your tips - I did not know that about the green part of garlic and will definitely chuck that out next time I come across them!
I leave the root on because it gives me something to hold onto while I’m dicin’ or slicin’.
Ooh, I could never do that. I don’t like the bits of root hanging on. I just use a clamp like hand position to lock the onion in place and do my best. Usually the onion behaves. At least they’re not slippery like tomatoes.
Onion can be slippery and that’s why I leave it on until last because I don’t want to lose a finger while I’m hanging on for dear life.
Fully endorse the paper tray/wrap trick. Do something similar myself. I have an old crappy colander in the 2nd kitchen sink, lined with a piece of paper towel. All peelings go in there, plus tea leaves tea bags, coffee grounds, egg shells (crushed) cooked & raw bones etc. If it was once alive, it goes into the colander. Once a day the contents are wrapped up and taken out to the compost heap and buried in the top layer. Top layer of compost heap is mostly grass clippings, which are very effective at removing smell. When compost is turned (after mowing), all the paper packages get broken up and mixed in and a new hat of clippings goes on top. The worms love it. I don’t peel garlic much - just smash it flattish with the flat of my heavy kitchen knife, then slip off the skins and chop/pound it smaller. Only peel garlic if I’m using the whole cloves, and do this by snapping off the dry lid where the garlic meets the bulb, then pulling off a strip of peel from there and the rest of the clove is easy from then on with a thumbnail.
Also fully endorse washing knife in hot water, then drying immediately and putting it away in a wooden knife block. I also sharpen it with a steel immediately before food prep, and get it professionally sharpened when the steel isn’t enough. Sharp knives are safer than blunt ones. Especially if slicing tomatoes or anything slippery.
Capsicums, I hold the fruit upright with the stalk end on top, and slice off the cheeks all around, then toss the stalk, middle and base into the colander in one piece. Most of the seeds stick to the middle section and any on the cheeks can be rinsed off or ticked off with the end of the knife into the colander. If roasting caps, I will cut around the stalk, twist and remove the middle bit that way.
I don’t peel spuds usually. Not even for mashed potato. Pumpkin is easily peeled once cooked - raw is another matter. Just steam pieces for 10 mins then the hard skin slips off easily.
There’s a wonderful product in jars that is a 50/50 mixture of minced garlic and minced ginger - I use this for curries to combine the fried spices into a curry paste - bloody wonderful stuff and I strongly recommend it. When I see it at Aldi or Colesworth I stock up. Can be used to make a nice variation on garlic bread too.
Definitely heartily endorse the garlic/ginger minced paste - I used to pooh-pooh it but honestly has made a world of difference in convenience with south Asian food and even the occasional stir fry - without as much of a compromise in flavour as I used to think. Regularly affordable at your local Indian grocer.
With capsicums I normally slice off the top and then pull out the core of seeds from the rest of it using my hand, then cut it in half and use a knife to tick off the remaining seeds/pith. I used to loathe getting capsicum seeds all over my cutting board.
Same with you re garlic peeling and spuds. Half the deliciousness of spuds is in the skin, not to mention so many of the nutrients.
I assume most people know this; to prevent a pot from boiling over, put a wooden spoon across the top. No more messy stoves!!
What I do is if my pot lid is doing a little dance I move the lid off a little and that stops it from boiling over.
Punch a hole in the “blunter” end of the egg before you boil it. Can just use a tack to do it. The water gets in between the shell and the white and makes peeling so much easier.
Onions, I peel by hand (it’s meditative for me, even if impractical lol), I pull off the dangly root bits, chop the top off and then chop in half. Can slice and dice from the halves, and then discard the root. I like leaving it on as it keeps the onion together when dicing heh
If you are sensitive to onion (as in you get tear-gassed), I found wrapping a wet facewasher or teatowel around your mouth and nose helps heaps.
Never knew the garlic thing! Will try it next time!
I use a small knife to chop out the stem of a capsicum, then pull it out. I then fill up the capsicum with water and wash out the seeds, then chop up. I just hate the seeds sticking everywhere.
Home pizza (pita bread/pizza base), I keep the cheese and heavier ingredients mostly at the edges, with a little bit in near the centre - this ensures the cheese browns and the middle is cooked without being soggy.
If you have good chef knives (i have one lol), wash and dry it immediately after use - keeps it from getting weird and rusty.
that’s all I can think of atm
I love this. I don’t get teary until maybe after the second onion but if I do I run my hands under the cold water and that stops me from tearing up. I hate peeling them because I once copped a hard bit under the nail and jesus fucking Christ that onion got thrown so basically I use my knife to scrap the peel off.
Das a cool lil pizza hack.
I cut the ends off onion (without cutting in half first) and spend 5 minutes trying to peel it in one clean piece.
5% of the time it works 100% of the time.
My mother could testify to your statistics except she refuses to admit that it’s the clearly inferior way of peeling an oñon
Isn’t that wasteful? Every extra paper towel you use has an environmental impact. Even if they’re recycled, there’s still a substantial energy and water cost.
It’s one piece of paper towel I use for all my peelings and I generally flick all the peelings into the bin, give it a wash under the sink and use it to wipe my bench down then my bin or the floor then I throw it out. I just wasn’t going to go into detail. I don’t call that wasteful. I call that resourceful.
There is also a substantial energy and water cost in washing out reuseable cloths. I believe which is better is not clearcut as there are lots of variables, but if you rinse out a cloth in hot water it uses more energy & water than a piece of paper towel embodies.
Whenever you have to crack an egg, whether it’s boiled or not. Always crack it on a flat service. At least with raw eggs if you crack it on an edge it’ll concave in and you’ll get more shell pieces that way.
Onions, you shouldn’t cut the base if you don’t want to cry. But don’t cut off the base if you’re dicing onions, because it’s easier that way.