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Salads Flavor Favorites
Refrigerator and Freezer, Approximate Storage Times
Breads, pastries and cakes can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, for up to one year, depending on the type.
Unbaked breads and rolls can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks and in the freezer up to 1 month, longer time inactivates the yeast.
Cinnamon rolls that have been partially baked, baked quick breads unbaked fruit pies and unfrosted baked cakes can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Baked muffins, cookies, angel food cakes and fruit cakes can be stored in the freezer from 6 to 12 months and still have good flavor when they are thawed out.
Dairy products require different freezer times; Butter and margarine can be stored up to one year in the freezer, but only 3 months in the refrigerator.
It is not recommended that you freeze buttermilk, heavy or whipping cream, milks or commercial or homemade dips.
Cottage, cream cheese and ricotta cheese can be frozen up to a month but should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 weeks. Natural, aged cheeses and pasteurized process cheeses can be frozen up to 8 months.
However, freezing changes the texture of soft cheeses and they become crumbly.
Eggs still in the shell should not be frozen, to freeze fresh yolks and whites for up to 12 months break shells and stir until well blended, adding a small amount of salt or sugar improves storage quality.
Most fresh fruits, except citrus fruits can be frozen up to a year, it is not recommended that you freeze avocados.
Opened canned fruit can only be frozen for 1-2 months.
The majority of fruits should not be kept in the refrigerator for more than 3 weeks.
Beef roasts and steaks can be frozen up to 12 months, veal or pork roasts and lam and veal chops should not be frozen longer than 9 months. Meats should not be kept in the refrigerator longer than 5 days.
See Also:
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Outdoor Cooking
The Cost of Coffee
Efficiency will save you lots of time in the kitchen, to accomplish this, learn to do more than one thing at a time. Increased preparation time before cooking is another way to become a faster cook.
Read your recipe before starting, this will save you many headaches, like getting a dish ready and finding out you need bat wings and you dont have any! Just kidding, I dont stock bat wings in my kitchen either, but you get the idea.
Get everything you will need together, follow the order they are used in the recipe, this allows you to be sure that you have everything you will need. Once you are sure you have everything, measure out the ingredients according to the recipe.
Organize all of your ingredients on one side of the work area, as you use something, move it to the other side, lessens confusion as to whether you used it or not.
Use the cutting board for all of your non-meat items first, this avoids cross contamination. If you have to prepare the meat first, wash the cutting board thoroughly before using it for any other food items.
Keeping a sink of hot soapy water will help cleanup later on, just drop used utensils in the water and allow them to soak.
Sometimes it is better to use your hands to mix something than it is to use a utensil; it also saves time washing up later. I for one loved making mud pies when I was a child, the only difference is the mud is now hamburger and the crushed leaves are now herbs.
Salads are always mixed more evenly if they are tossed with your hands. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly, inexpensive plastic gloves will help if you didnt like playing in the mud!
Coat measuring cups, spoons and molds with non-stick spray before putting anything sticky in them, the ingredients will slide right out. To prevent having to clean a burned on, sticky mess from your boiler pan, line the pan with foil and spray the rack with non-stick spray.
Re-sealable plastic is great for marinating and coating foods with flour or cornmeal.
Planning in advance can save you a lot of time in the kitchen opening up your evenings to spend more time with your family. |
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Pastas
Regardless of the meal, fine dining, family dinner or anything in-between, there is pasta to fit the bill. How many foods do you know of that go with almost any type of meat, seafood and vegetable?
The braver cooks can make their own pasta, from simple egg noodles to spinach pasta and herb pasta, it isnt really as difficult as you think, and that taste treat is well worth the work. You can cut and shape them by hand or purchase a pasta machine.
Shaping pasta is interesting; to make lasagna cut the dough into strips about 2 ½ inches wide, and then cut to preferred length. Farfel are 2 x 1 inch rectangles with the centers pinched creating little bow ties.
Tripoli are one inch circles with the centers pinched to fashion butterfly designs. To make linguine or fettuccine loosely roll the dough up like a jelly roll, cut 1/8 inch slices for linguine or ¼ inch slices for fettuccine, gently shaking the strands separates the noodles.
Homemade pasta can be stored in an airtight refrigerated container for up to 3 days. To freeze the pasta for up to 8 months, dry it for at least 1 hour, seal in a seal-a-meal or similar moisture and air proof bag and freeze.
If you arent into making your own you can buy any type you want in a super market near you.
A large saucepan or Dutch oven with lots of water is necessary to cook pasta, (about 3 quarts of water for 4 to 8 ounces of pasta).
Bring the water to a boil over high heat, adding a teaspoon of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil helps keep the pasta from sticking to itself.
Once the water boils, add the pasta slowly so the water continues to boil. Long pasta like spaghetti should be held by one end and placed in the water, as it softens, curve it around the pan and down into the water.
Reduce heat slightly and boil uncovered for the amount of time on the package, stirring occasionally.
When it is close to the end of the cooking time, check for doneness frequently. A little note for dieters, the longer pasta is cooked, the fewer calories it has.
Related Topics: Microwaving Meats,
The Basics of Spices, Say Hello to Jell-O
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