Apple and Pear Coring
Cut the fruit in half from top to bottom. Use a melon baller or a metal ½ teaspoon to carve out the core.
Avocado pitting and slicing
Start by slicing around the pit and through both ends with a knife. Twist the avocado to separate the two halves. Squeeze the side that has the pit in it and take out the pit. Slice the meat of the avocado, but not through the skin. Loosen the meat of the fruit with a spoon or a spatula. Pop the meat out.
Storing Bacon
Roll up the slices of bacon and put them in a Ziploc bag to store in the freezer. Take out as many slices as you need and defrost.
Whipped Cream
Chill the bowl and the beater for 15 minutes in the freezer before whipping. If your freezer is not large enough for the bowl, fill the bowl with ice cubes and cold water and put the bowl in the refrigerator. When ready, thoroughly dry the bowl and beater and whip the cream. Cream is whipped properly when (for soft peaks) peaks droop slightly from the end of the beater. For stiff peaks – when cream clings to the ends of the beaters and holds its shape.
Peeling Garlic
Cover the garlic clove with the concave side of a wooden spoon and press down hard. The cup of the spoon prevents the clove from shooting out from under it. OR…Whack the clove with the bottom of a can.
Cleaning a Garlic Press
Use an old toothbrush to get in the holes.
Lasagna
Make smaller batches by using mini loaf pans. The noodle is just the right size for the pan. You can freeze them and take out what you need to cook for a meal.
Cutting Peppers
Cut out around the top of the pepper. Take off the top and pull out the seeds. Slice the pepper in half and cut to desired size. You can also use the pepper as a container for dips when you cut it this way.
Pizza
Whenever you are cooking something that would make a good pizza topping, reserve some in a Ziploc or plastic container. Label it and freeze it. Take out what you have a taste for when making a pizza.
Roll out and sauce the pizza on parchment paper. Slide it onto the cookie sheet or pizza pan to cook. When finished, it will slide right out of the oven.
Spaghetti
To break long pasta strands neatly, roll up a bundle of spaghetti in a kitchen towel that overlaps the pasta by 3-4 inches at both ends. Holding both ends firmly, center the bundle over the edge of a counter or table. Push down with both hands to break the pasta in the middle. Hold the bundle over the pot of boiling water. Release the bottom of the towel and allow the pasta to slide neatly into the pot.
Soup
Freezing soup for individual-sized portions is easy. Line a coffee mug with a quart size zipper-lock bag. Fill the bag almost to the top with room temperature soup and seal it. Place the bags flat in a large shallow roasting pan. Once the stock is frozen, the pan can be removed and the bags placed wherever there is room in the freezer.
Biscotti
Bake the dough in a log as usual and then cut into slices. Place the slices on a wire cooling rack set on a cookie sheet and bake again. The rack elevates the slices, allowing air to circulate around them and dries both sides at once.