Chelsea Kitchen - Cooking Tips - Classic Copper Cookware

OK...The first and most important tip we're going to share with you is get some good quality cookware. And if you're interested in good you might as well get the best...Copper Cookware that is.

If you're not convinced, we've reprinted an article that should change your mind. Read it, and when you're finished come back here to order some of the most important tools you will ever own for your kitchen.

The bonus is that they will last a lifetime.

The Importance of Copper Cookware for Cooking

Freezing left-over table wine for cooking with later. That extra half-glass of table wine left-over after a meal can be frozen in an ice cube tray and used later whenever a recipe calls for it. This way you'll never have to open a fresh bottle to use only a splash.

Store your Parmesian Cheese in a zip lock bag. Plastic wrap will impart an off flavor and aluminum foil won't properly protect the cheese from drying out.

Baking Soda can help sweeten over acidic tomato sauce. A small amount of baking soda (start with 1/4 tsp. per quart of sauce) added to simmering tomato sauce will help bring out the natural sweetness by reducing the acid. After adding the baking soda to the sauce it will foam slightly. Stir for another minute and re-taste.

When marinating meat place them inside a plastic bag with the marinade. Put the package in a bowl for easy handling. Drawing the plastic bag tight will cover more of the meat with the marinade, allowing you to use less. As an added benefit, items in the marinade can be easily stirred by shifting them from one side of the bag to the other without needing to grab for a serving fork.

When squeezing excess water from vegetables in a colander place a spare plastic lid over the top. The plastic is impermeable and will easily conform with the sides of the colander as you press.

I prefer to keep equipment and techniques as simple as possible. When flattening chicken breasts I place a piece of plastic wrap over the top to reduce splattering and use the heal of my hand to flatten the breasts evenly. Using the palm of my hand, rather than a mallet, allows me to feel exactly how thick the breast have become and reduce the likelihood of tearing the meat.

When cooking a large amount of bacon, or other greasy food, lay paper towels over a cardboard egg carton. Excess fat is taken far away from what you're preparing.

A garlic press is also useful for extracting fresh ginger from its pulp and making anchovy paste on the fly for Caesar salad.

For removing the last bit of fat from a stock a lettuce leaf placed briefly on the surface will attract the excess grease. Stale bread can also be used.

These are my favorite tips for my favorite food - Chocolate Chip Cookies. Midway through baking, when the cookies have risen, but have not yet set, I remove the pan from the oven and give it a good rap against the counter. This deflates the cookies slightly, making them chewier. Then, after baking, I place the warm cookies on brown paper to soak up any extra fat.