What's Your Best Cooking "Trick"?

[Gingersnap]

For the purposes of this thread, a cooking "trick" is something you do/don't do, add, use, fake, or otherwise see as something that defies both Mom and the Cooking Channel. It makes something much better or faster or easier. It's that little thing you do to a dish that makes people wonder or it's something they never know about that short-cuts or improves a dish.

It's that little trick you might not pass along to a dinner party guest but you would tell your BFF or brother.

Just that little unconventional twist you use for a dish or a method.

What is it?

[phillygirl]

One whole carrot in the tomato sauce. It adds sweetness and tones down the acidity of the tomatoes without resorting to the Ragu method of using white sugar. And I like smooth tomato sauce, so no diced or shredded carrot for me.

[Gingersnap]

I don't even know if this qualifies for my own thread but when I make a stew that calls for carrots, I peel and trim them but leave them whole. When it's time to serve, I take them out and dice them then and return them to the stew.

They look pretty and don't dissolve into mush.

[Gingersnap]

One whole carrot in the tomato sauce. It adds sweetness and tones down the acidity of the tomatoes without resorting to the Ragu method of using white sugar. And I like smooth tomato sauce, so no diced or shredded carrot for me.

I skip the sugar and add sweet cherry tomatoes to my sauce. I grow both and add about 1/4 cherry tomatoes to 3/4 paste tomatoes.

[Djharkavy]

We cook turkey in a cooking bag and add a can of frozen orange juice and lots of veggies.

The citrus makes the meat tender and gives an excellent flavor to the veggies.

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[phillygirl]

Shepherd's Pie: I use heinz gravy rather than making my own. I doctor it all…use some tomato paste, worceshire, etc. But using jarred gravy as the starter for the sauce in it is just easy and tastes good. And if I'm in a real pinch for time I'll use the pre-made mashed potatoes…I know, I know…but it saves me a lot of time and I'm usually making the pie on a weeknight.

[Gingersnap]

Shepherd's Pie: I use heinz gravy rather than making my own. I doctor it all…use some tomato paste, worceshire, etc. But using jarred gravy as the starter for the sauce in it is just easy and tastes good. And if I'm in a real pinch for time I'll use the pre-made mashed potatoes…I know, I know…but it saves me a lot of time and I'm usually making the pie on a weeknight.

I bet everybody loves it.

I'm not above using jar gravy myself. You know how to really nudge a homemade beef soup into blue ribbon territory? A little Heinze beef gravy and a healthy shot of Maggi or Kitchen Bouquet.

Don't tell.

[Gramps]

Drive through.

[Michele]

Smoked paprika in any coating that goes on something being fried. Soy sauce rubbed on a chicken that's roasted. Both of those will give the outside of meat a beautiful brown color.

A splash of sherry in most any cream sauce or gravy. Take it off heat and stir it in. We have a crab dip for Thanksgiving that is finished with a tbs or so stirred in and it just makes everything taste so much better. I also substitute dry vermouth for white wine. I just like it better.

I use a little bit of beef base in my spaghetti sauce and meatloaf. It bumps the flavor up.

I buy lemons on sale and if I don't use them up, I squeeze the juice and freeze it. I can't tell you how many times they've saved me a trip to the market because I've needed lemon juice for a recipe.

[scott]

For the purposes of this thread, a cooking "trick" is something you do/don't do, add, use, fake, or otherwise see as something that defies both Mom and the Cooking Channel. It makes something much better or faster or easier. It's that little thing you do to a dish that makes people wonder or it's something they never know about that short-cuts or improves a dish.

It's that little trick you might not pass along to a dinner party guest but you would tell your BFF or brother.

Just that little unconventional twist you use for a dish or a method.

What is it?

I heat up baked dishes in the microwave first. It usually saves about 30-45 minutes and they are indistinguishable from the dishes baked in the oven the whole way.

[scott]

Shepherd's Pie: I use heinz gravy rather than making my own. I doctor it all…use some tomato paste, worceshire, etc. But using jarred gravy as the starter for the sauce in it is just easy and tastes good. And if I'm in a real pinch for time I'll use the pre-made mashed potatoes…I know, I know…but it saves me a lot of time and I'm usually making the pie on a weeknight.

I use 2/3 powdered potatoes to 1/3 freshly peeled and boiled potatoes. The key is to mash the fresh potatoes in the finished powdered potatoes. Save a whole lot of time and nobody knows the difference.

[scott]

I don't peel and cut mangoes and pineapples anymore. The canned ones taste the same in a sauce or smoothie.

[phillygirl]

I don't peel and cut mangoes and pineapples anymore. The canned ones taste the same in a sauce or smoothie.

I've never seen canned mangoes, but frozen fruit for a smoothie works great for me.

[Michele]

I've never seen canned mangoes, but frozen fruit for a smoothie works great for me.

I think frozen fruit is the best in smoothies...makes it more like a shake. If I use fresh fruit (right now were overrun with peaches from our tree so that's what I've been using), I put some crushed ice in to make the smoothie thicker.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

You all already know mine: start with Jiffy corn muffin mix. I've done corn pudding and corn fritters. Next I'm going to try it for arepas.