Cooking Tips, Tricks, Tools and Advice

DISCLAIMER: Please note – the following are simply personal opinions and should not ever be taken to replace proper medical advice from a trained and qualified professional.  Use all the following at your own risk.  Please exercise due caution when using any sharp objects or machinery.

How to peel ginger the fast and easy way

Rather than use a knife or potato peeler, use a tablespoon to scrape the skin away from the ginger.

How to peel and mince a clove of garlic in less than 30 seconds

Place the clove on a cutting board, place the thick end of a large knife (near the handle) or a jar or mug on top, and smash it.  Remove skin and chop.  (please don’t hurt yourself).

How to crack an egg with one hand

This takes a little bit of practice but once you get it, it’s like riding a bike:

Hold the egg in the palm of your hand with the small end between your thumb and index finger.  Crack it firmly at its midpoint on the rim of a bowl and pull the small end away from the bulbous end with your thumb and forefinger.

Dry herbs vs. Fresh herbs

It is preferable to use dried herbs early in the cooking stage, and fresh herbs nearer to completion.  Dry herbs will reconstitute and infuse their flavor by way of longer cooking times, whereas fresh herbs will preserve their texture and aroma through shorter cooking times.

Sea salt vs. Regular Iodized table salt

Sea salt is extracted by process of evaporation whereas as table salt is mined from a mineral deposit.

Table salt typically contains anti-caking agents added iodine – which though part of healthy thyroid function, can also be found in seafood, dairy products and other processed foods.

Sea salt does not typically contain any of these added elements.  It also has a slightly different mineral composition but there is no evidence to suggest that one is safer or necessarily healthier than the other.  Sea salt has a subtler taste and is recommended by George Ohsawa, founder of macrobioticism, and is therefore my preferred choice.