I am a sucker for a kitchen shortcut, so when some genius on TikTok – which I try to ignore, because screen addiction and all that – came up with the ice cube rice reheating trick (see below if you, like I, have been living in a bubble), I was immediately hooked, and of course went hunting for more – both in the depths of my brain and by pestering my colleagues.
You might know all of these tricks — and if that’s the case, there are recipes that put each one to work, so hey, get to it! — but maybe you only know a few. And if you have things to add to the list, please do so in the comments and/or email us (members@bittmanproject.com)! We’d love to keep the list growing.
Put your ice cube trays and muffin tins to work
Recipes usually call for tomato paste in tablespoon quantities. Freeze tablespoons of it in ice cube trays, then transfer them to an airtight container and return to the freezer. Take this method and run with it — stock, pesto, sauces, wine for cooking. Note that most standard ice cube compartments hold 2 tablespoons. (So about one cup per 8 cubes.) And/or: Freeze in one cup portions using a muffin tin.
- Chicken stock
- Vegetable stock
- Herb Stock
- Mushroom Stock
- Prosciutto-Parmesan Stock
- Pesto
- Fast Tomato Sauce
Stale bread should never be tossed
Don’t toss stale bread. Use it to make bread crumbs—just throw chunks into the food processor and run it until you’re happy with the size. Toast them in the oven with a little olive oil. (Or dry.) Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- No-Knead Bread
- Fresh Bread Crumbs
- Rancho Meladuco’s Roasted Broccoli with Lemony Tahini, Bacon Bread Crumbs, and Medjool Dates
- Skillet Chicken Parm with Spicy Bread Crumbs
- Crumby Fruitcake Cookies
Cold butter can easily be made room temp
To soften cold or frozen sticks of butter quickly, cut it into pieces (or grate it) before letting it sit at room temp. If you’re really in a rush, microwave those bits on the lowest setting for a few seconds.
- Take room temp butter, fork-mash a super fresh date into it (preferably Rancho Meladuco!), add cinnamon and salt, and spread it on hot crusty toast.
- Dandelion Chocolate’s Maybe the Very Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
The freezer is your friend
Freezing any meat for 15 to 30 minutes makes it easier to slice thinly. (Or into chunks.)
Freeze semisoft cheeses (for at least 20 minutes) before grating them; this will ease the process.
Ensure perfectly seasoned meatballs, meatloaf, and (homemade) sausage
Taste meatballs, meatloaf, and (homemade) sausage beforehand. Cook a small piece of the mixture in a pan and try it; season to taste before you cook the entirety of it.
How to wrangle the oily goodness of natural peanut butter
Before opening it, store natural peanut butter upside down; this reduces the amount of stirring you’ll have to do.
- Rice Noodles and Bean Sprouts with Peanut Dressing
- Peanut Soup with Chicken and Collards
- Vegan PB&J Bars
Make your salads in advance
Vegetables in a salad will stay fresh with a damp paper towel draped over the bowl, so you can make your salads up to 12 hours in advance.
Less arduous herb chopping, right this way
Use a pizza wheel to chop herbs.
- Chickpea Tabbouleh
- No-Salt Lemon-Chili Spaghetti with Tuna and Tons of Herbs
- Herbed Goat Cheese
- Pocketful of Shortcake
- Crinkly Cherry Tomatoes with Toasted Noodles
Don’t be a high maintenance ginger prepper
Don’t bother peeling ginger. Just grate, chop, or slice it, unpeeled. If the skin is thick or gnarly in places, trim or use a small spoon to scrape off what you don’t want.
- Ginger-Scallion Sauce
- Poached Pears with Star Anise and Ginger Crème Anglaise
- Miso-Carrot Sauce with Ginger
Astonishingly perfect reheated rice
To reheat rice, place a single ice cube on top of a serving or two and microwave for one minute. Discard the cube. Enjoy perfect rice.
Parchment paper doesn’t have to be so frustrating
To uncurl parchment paper: Crumple it up first, then flatten into your baking sheet.
Wow, a way to peel eggs that actually works
Peel eggs with a spoon (thank you, Holly <3): Drop eggs, right from the fridge, into boiling water. Keep them in there for seven minutes, then plunge them into an ice bath. Take a cooled egg out of the water; tap it with the bottom of a big-ish spoon to crack it. Gently push the spoon underneath the egg shell so it cups the egg; using the spoon, turn and unpeel the egg slowly and carefully. The shell should come off in one (or a few) big pieces.
A faster way to soup
When making a puréed vegetable soup, grate the vegetables so they become tender as quickly as possible. After all, it makes no difference what they look like in the beginning.
Another way to use your broiler
Use the broiler as a roasting alternative — Mark calls this “long-distance broiling.” Put the rack farther away from the heat—about 6 inches—so that food cooks more slowly. This is best for thicker pieces of meat or vegetables that take longer to cook. If you put them too close to the heat, they’ll burn on the outside before cooking through in the middle. While it’s obviously not as fast as regular broiling, it’s a wonderful and quicker alternative to roasting.
- Cabbage Slaw with Crisp Tofu and Peanut-Lime Dressing
- Broiled Cheese
- Fish Steaks with Salsa Verde
Perfectly seared roasted vegetables
Put a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan with a little oil in the oven as it heats. When you add whatever you’re roasting to the pan, you’ll immediately get the sizzle and sear that you’re looking for on the bottom.
We want your favorite tips and tricks, so please, remember to weigh in!
1 Comment