Preparing Avocado

Hold avocado flat on cutting board; slice with sharp knife around center, (not through pit).

Twist off the top; it should separate easily.

Hold the avocado firmly in one hand, and strike the pit with chefs knife; it should stick firmly in the pit. Twist slightly and pull up to remove pit.

Ripe Juicy Tomatoes

To ensure the best taste, texture and flavor of your tomatoes you need to ensure that they are stored correctly.

Storing tomatoes at room temperature, never in the fridge. Cold temperatures cause the flesh of the tomato to become mealy and lose flavor.

Wraping veggies

Do not wrap foods containing natural acids, such as, tomatoes, onions,
lemons etc. in aluminum foil.

A chemical reaction caused by the combination of acid
and the foil can affect the taste of the food.

When in doubt, use plastic wrap instead.

Shelf life of berries

Raspberries and Blackberries will last 2-3 days in the refrigerator if stored properly.

Blueberries are somewhat sturdier and will last 3-5 days stored in the refrigerator.

Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce

Stir fried eggplant in a savory blackbean and garlic sauce.

1/3 cup dried black beans
2 cups vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon malt vinegar
1 Tablespoon dry sherry
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 red chili pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 inch fresh ginger, chopped
2 whole eggplants
2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 green onions, sliced diagonally
4 whole radishes, shredded

Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain and place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water, bring to a boil and boil rapidly uncovered for 10 minutes. Drain. Return the beans to the saucepan with the stock and bring to a boil.

Blend together the vinegar, sherry, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, chili and ginger in a small bowl. Add to the beans, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until the beans and tender and the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally.

Cut the eggplants into chunks and place in a colander. Sprinkle with the salt and leave to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse well to remove the salt and dry on paper towels.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the eggplant and garlic. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes until the eggplant has started to brown.

Add the sauce to the eggplant with spring onions. Heat thoroughly and garnish with radish shreds.

Storing Whole Garlic

Store whole garlic bulbs in a cool dark place with good air circulation. They should last about 2 months.

Juicy Lemons

To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room
temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before
squeezing.

Preparing Eggplant

To ensure that your eggplant is not bitter try this simple process.

Slice or cut eggplant according to recipes directions.
Place the pieces in a colander or on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels.

Sprinkle table salt on the eggplant pieces; let sit for 30 minutes. This "sweats" out the bitter juices.

Rinse with cold water and pat dry. Proceed as recipe directs.

Ripening Melons

Melons are best left to ripen at room temperature. Place them
uncovered and out of the sunlight until slightly soft and fragrant.

Creamed Lemon Spinach

Even spinach haters should be encouraged to give this a try ~ it´s delicious.

2 bacon slices
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup milk
1 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook bacon slices in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels and drain. Crumble bacon and reserve.

Add onion and garlic to bacon drippings in skillet and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 6 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Increase heat to high and whisk until sauce thickens and boils, about 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to low. Add chopped spinach, lemon juice and lemon peel to skillet and stir until heated through. Stir in Parmesan cheese and reserved bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Quick Ripen: Avocado

Avocados are normally picked while they are still hard to prevent bruising while being transported.

To speed up the ripening process place the avocado in a
paper bag with a tomato. Leave the sealed bag in a warm place; the avocado should ripen in a day or two.

Rust proof lettuce

If you wash your lettuce leaves and then store them in
the fridge, they are likely to "rust"

To prevent this from happening, wrap the dried leaves in
paper towelling which will soak up any additional moisture
and stop the rusting.

Storing Apples

To keep apples at their most flavorful and crispest, store them in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator away from other fruit and vegetables.

No more tears

To cut down on tears when slicing onions, run the onion
under cold water or place in the freezer for 10 minutes
before chopping.

Preparing Strawberries

Wash the berries and gently dry them before removing the hull.

That keeps water from getting inside, diluting the flavour and
softening the flesh.

Keep Cabbage Red

To keep red cabbage from turning blue or gray once it´s cooked, add some acid to the recipe.

Lemon juice, vinegar, or wine will all work. Select the type that best suits the recipe you are using.

Celery for Crudite

When serving celery on a crudite platter I recommend peeling off the stringy exterior.

Just peel as you would a carrot and you´ll have much more tender and tasty celery.

Only do this 1 day ahead as the celery will brown after about 24 hours.

Broccoli, Mac & Cheese

Add coarsely chopped broccoli stems and small pieces of green
tops to partly cooked elbow macaroni in cheese sauce. Pour into a
casserole, top with grated cheese and crumbled saltines, dot with butter,
and bake.

This is a good way to get kids to eat their greens, too!

Tender Corn

To avoid making fresh corn tough during cooking, never add salt to the cooking water.