Energise, Excite

It's terrible isn't it? I haven't posted anything for over a month!

I'm currently in England with family and itching to bake something. Before I left Singapore I did a load of baking: cookies, cakes & such. Just didn't take photos. Silly really.
But I'll be back soon and, oh boy, do I have tonnes to do. Fun fun fun!
Anyway, thought I'd just share somethings with you while I'm here.
In England grocery shopping is sheer bliss. Good food is in abundance. Great variety of bread, vegetables, meats & so much more. And it's all so affordable! Of course if you were to constantly be converting the pounds to dollars then you'd never buy a crumb. Anyway, that's beside the point.

While grocery shopping this week I received a Waitrose Magazine from my grandmother. It did come free but I was thoroughly pleased to be given it anyhow! In the magazine there was an article of '101 best cooking tips of all time'.
I've read some tips before and I've gone through all these 101. I shall just share a few with you that I think are helpful for the everyday baker/cook.

1. "I'm still amazed when I meet people who have cooked a whole dinner without tasting it. It's madness, and anyway, tasting is half the fun!" Thomasina Miers
2. "Invest in a pressure cooker for cooking cheaper cuts of meat to perfection." Joss Herd
3. "Soak garlic cloves (skin-on) in cold water for an hour, so you don't get smelly hands." Bubker Belkhit
4. "Think about balance. Savory dishes often benefit from a pinch of sugar. Conversely, sweet recipes will sing that little bit more if you add a tiny amount of salt - especially where chocolate cake is involved." Alice Hart
5. "Freeze food wherever possible in thin, flat shapes, so that it thaws quicker. Spoon sauces into zip-lock bags, then freeze in a flat, square shape. It also makes it easier to stack food in your freezer." Alison Oakervee
6. "Blot meat & fish dry before frying. Excess moisture will stop it from developing a caramelised crust in a hot pan." Daniel Tapper
7. "Chocolate rapidly absorbs strong odours and flavours, so keep it in an airtight container away from other foods." Silvana Franco
8. "If you don't use raising agents (baking powder and bicarbonate of soda) regularly, check they are still active, as they do have a shelflife. Put a teaspoonful in a bowl of warm water; if it fizzes, it's active, if not, it's time to buy more." Amy Callin
9. "To make a cake a tiny bit creamier, replace a couple of tablespoons of flour with custard powder." Katie Marshall
10. "Make sure your cake ingredients are at room temperature. The mixture will be less likely to curdle and will give it a better rise." Eric Lanlard 
11. "Always leave meringues in the oven for half an hour after baking, with the oven turned off. This gives them that lovely chewiness." Lisa Faulkner
12. "Rub salt into sliced raw onions for salads. It sweetens, softens and mellows their flavour." Rebecca Seal
13. "Veg that grows below the ground should be put into cold water, then brought to a simmer to cook. Plunge anything grown above ground straight into boiling water." Allegra McEvery
14. "Freeze onions for 5 minutes before chopping - no more watering eyes!" Raymond Blanc
15. "While blanching greens, a pinch of bicarbonate of soda in the water keeps the colour vibrant." Vivek Singh
16. "No one wants to bite into a whole clove or cardamom pod, so when cooking, make sure you count them in and out of the dish. Alternatively, wrap them in a muslin pouch and fish out before serving." Dhruv Baker
17. "Cold, cold, cold. Pastry has only one secret and that is it (once you've overcome your fear of making it). Cold hands, cold butter and keep your pastry as chilled as workably possible. After that, you need a hot oven." Tamasin Day-Lewis
18. "Roll out pastry between sheets of parchment; dusting with flour dries pastry out and can make it crack." Eleni Tzirki

The said article

Yummy eh?

 

Cheers!

Amy. :)