June 13, 2010
Perfect rice comes down to one thing and one thing only: The Double Water Level Factor. At least, that’s what I call it. What this means is that the amount of water should be twice as high as the rice, leveled evenly. This could work out to be 1 part rice and 2 parts water but this ratio is not entirely accurate given displacement. The best way to measure if you’ve done it right is to use the elementary ruler. Level the rice in the pot so that it is even. Insert the ruler into the rice vertically. Wherever the rice reaches on the ruler, multiply by 2 and that is where the water level must be.
Now, this method can be used for cooking rice in a rice cooker or in a pot. If you are doing this in a pot, make sure to use a small knob of butter to keep the rice from burning to the pot.
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May 22, 2010
Take heed in washing bok choy properly by soaking them for 3 minutes in cold water to allow the dirt and sand to drift and fall out to the bottom of the water. After that, rub and shake any excess grit off of the vegetables under the water, but without disturbing the bottom of the water. This keeps the initial dirt and sand at the bottom from re-entering into the crevices of the vegetables and allows you to wash the vegetables thoroughly.
Often, bok choy will appear completely unblemished and show no specks of dirt anywhere on its surface. Don’t let this fool you as it is just a facade. Shanghai bok choy is especially deceiving with its almost perfectly clean looking bright green stalks. Little do you know, bok choy can house a lot of unknowns inside the layers of leaves. Case in point, I found a boiled catepillar in the pot one time when I was blanching my bok choy. The method described above is Mom’s tried and true way. Trust me, do it this way and avoid finding the unknowns later.
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May 12, 2010
I won the bid for a set of Kitchenaid knives last year at a silent auction. Along with it came a steel and I thought, how the heck do I use that??? I ignored it for the longest time until I started to get extremely annoyed with slicing tomatoes with a dull knife.
All too proud to call Dad about this (and also thinking about the amount of time saved from being lectured on other things that parents normally lecture you about) I “you-tubed” for instructions on how to use a steel. Up came a hit for Gordon Ramsay, one of my most favourite TV chefs to watch. The video is great and gives a very clear and quick demonstration on how to use your steel, if you have one. Since finding this video, I sharpen them before I use them and after I’ve washed them. Now, they slice and dice like a dream.
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