Tomatoes trick

If tomato became exasperation vegetable, keeps always tomato in plastic bag and refrigerator. Tomato is vegetable is having color red orange who have a real antioxidant matter required by body. Tomato can come up in various foods and light food. Follows the trick:

• Crosscut and circular iris as complement of salad and sandwich

• Braises and breaks so frond as soup, adds crosscut bean and toast cutting

• Mix tomato which has in blender with form of chopping up, adds flavor। Take bath above burning fish or steam chicken

• Very beautiful cherry tomato become decoration of vegetable which has in flavours.

Get your knives out

Knives are the utensils used most often in any kitchen. Make sure they are good ones. Try and collect a number of sizes and shapes, matching the tool to the requirement.

• Buy more than one: a good range of knives should include at least three types, a large (20-25cm/8-10 in blade), medium (10-12cm/4-5in) and small (5-8cm/2-3in). These are BLADE sizes, not including the handles. They should be of a substantial weight in your hand and of the best quality you can afford. Go to a shop that allows you to handle them before you buy. A large-bladed knife, say 20cm/8in, will allow you to line up your carrots, celery and courgettes and slice three or four in one go. It's also helpful to have a lighter, medium-size, serrated knife, excellent for cutting fruit and deseeding peppers and chillies. The large, flat side of a Chinese cleaver is also great for crushing garlic.
• Sharpening: it's true what they say about a dull knife being more dangerous than a sharp one. They best way to keep them sharp is to use a sharpening steel - a round, rough and pointed tool usually made of high-carbon or diamond steel. Draw the knife blade across it, applying slight pressure at a 20-30 degree angle. This does not actually sharpen a knife - it simply KEEPS the blade razor-sharp. If your knives become dull, they must be sharpened on a whetstone. You can have this done professionally at smart kitchen shops, but a better tip is to ask your local butcher. Most use a service that will come round once a week to sharpen all of their knives. It's cheaper and should only take a day or two.

Storing: the worst place to store knives is in a drawer where the blades constantly crash into other utensils - this causes them to go dull or even become chipped. It's also dangerous fishing around with your hands trying to pull them out. Wooden blocks are good if you have room on your counter top, or use a magnetic metal strip screwed to the wall. Try and mount it right above the surface you do most of your chopping on - you'll be amazed how efficiently it allows you to work.

Crush garlic like they do on TV

Take a whole, unpeeled clove of garlic and lay it on a cutting board. Take a broad-bladed knife or cleaver, lay it sideways on the clove and pound it once with your fist. The skin will easily pull away. Continue chopping or crushing as needed.

NB: garlic gives out more or less of its flavour depending on what you do to it. Crushing it releases most of its 'garlicky effect', chopping it slightly less; slicing it less still, and leaving it whole the least of all.

Don't waste eggs

Did you know you can freeze leftover egg whites and yolks? Place a small plastic sandwich bag in a cup and break the whites into it. Tie securely and freeze until needed for meringues (their best use.) If you forget how many you have, each white is about an ounce (or 25-30g) and can be measured using a baster. For yolks, stir in a little sugar or salt, for sweet or savoury uses, then freeze in a small tub. They tend to go a bit rubbery when defrosted and the salt or sugar helps combat this.

Microwave magic

We all use the microwave to reheat leftovers, warm baby's milk or freshen up leftover coffee. But there are other quick jobs that aren't really cooking, just speedy shortcuts:

• If you forget to take the butter out of the fridge to soften for baking give it a quick blast (not too long or it will melt).
• Instead of using a bain-marie for melting chocolate, break it in pieces and put in a glass bowl. Again, give it just a short zap to start the melting process.
• Give honey a quick blast to make it easier to measure in a tablespoon.
• If you don't want to heat the grill for a bacon sandwich, lay the rashers on a plate, cover with a piece of kitchen paper and microwave for several minutes (depending on the power level) till done.

You can also toast nuts and seeds in the microwave instead of in a conventional oven, where it's so easy to burn them. Cook until they just begin to turn colour and give off a toasted aroma. Allow to cool before tasting for doneness.

Freeze ahead

Did you know you can freeze milk, bread, butter, cream, coconut milk, leftover cooked rice and cooked dried (not fresh) pasta? You'll need to divide them into the portion sizes you will want to use.

• Pour cream and coconut milk into ice cube trays, then transfer to a bag when frozen to save space.
• If a lot of your dishes begin with chopped onions and garlic fried in oil until soft, make a big batch and freeze individual portions for future meals. They won't freeze solid because of the oil, so they are ready to use almost immediately.
• Freeze chopped fresh herbs in bags or covered with a splash of water in ice cube trays.
• Freeze extra chopped chillies, lemon grass and lime leaves (all used in Thai dishes.)

Peel fresh ginger and freeze in a bag - it keeps indefinitely and is easier to grate from frozen.

Get organized

· When you first walk into the kitchen, preheat the oven or grill to get it up to temperature while you prepare other things.

· Get water on for pasta and rice or boil the kettle for even quicker cooking.

· Pull the ingredients out of the fridge and cupboard instead of going for them one at a time.

· If chopping vegetables, use a small bowl for the trimmings and other waste - it can go straight into the bin or compost heap all at once.

Make size matter

The smaller the item, the faster it will cook.

• If boiling or steaming veg, spread them out in a shallow layer in a larger pan instead of piling them up in a smaller one.

Make burgers or chicken breasts similar sizes and thickness by patting them with your hands or flattening with a rolling pin so they grill or fry quicker and at the same rate.

Keep it simple

This applies especially with entertaining. Think quality not quantity.

• A two-course meal is perfectly acceptable, especially if it means you spend more time outside the kitchen than in.
• Buy a few really good quality ingredients (fresh fish, free-range chicken, finer cuts of meat, fresh-as-possible veg) and prepare them simply.
• Serve a couple of good cheeses with fresh fruit instead of a complicated dessert.
• Don't set yourself up for disappointment by serving fussy, un-tried dishes to guests. Save the experimentation for family.

Above all, don't stress. At the end of the day, it's not brain surgery, only dinner.

How to choose the right oil

Olive oil (extra virgin, virgin or pure?), vegetable oil, butter, lard...the choices of fat for cooking or dressing are almost endless. The Cooking Coach profiles the main varieties and explains which are best for the job in hand

Oils
The best oils for cooking and frying are those that have a high smoking point – that is, they can be heated to high temperatures before burning. Corn, grapeseed, groundnut (or peanut), rapeseed and sunflower oils are all good for cooking and frying.

Oils such as walnut, hazelnut, sesame, pumpkinseed, almond and macadamia nut are not so suitable for cooking and are best reserved for flavouring foods such as salads and stir-fries. Olive oil is good for either purpose, depending on the dish.

Olive oils can come labelled as extra virgin, fine virgin, ordinary virgin and plain or pure olive oils. The surge in popularity of olive oil in Britain over the last 10 years has meant that some oils are treated almost like fine wine, and with a price to match. Extra virgin is the best and is the first cold pressing of high-quality olives. Although expensive, a little goes a long way. It's also a necessary ingredient in many dishes of the Mediterranean and can be used as a salad dressing or for dipping crusty bread.

Fine virgin and ordinary virgin oils follow in quality, respectively, and plain or pure olive oil is a blend of refined and virgin oils. At a lower cost, these can be used for frying without breaking the bank.

Solid fats
Butter is the preferred fat for baking as it adds the most flavour. It's not ideal, but can be used for frying - although it will burn at a lower temperature than most oils. To prevent this, you can add regular butter to oil for frying as this gives you the flavour benefit of butter and the higher temperature range of oil.

Clarified butter is butter that has had the water, milk solids and salt removed, leaving pure butterfat. It's best for shallow frying and sauteing.

How to Prepare Tomatoes

I’ll leads you step-by-step through skinning, deseeding and slicing tomatoes

Skinning tomatoes
Tomato salads, smooth sauces and dishes such as stews and chillies usually benefit from having the tomato skin removed first. There are two methods:

Scorch method: Pierce the tomato on a long-handled fork and hold it over the flame of your gas stove. As you turn the tomato in the flame, the skin blisters away from the flesh. Allow the tomatoes to cool before picking off the skin.

Immersion method: The other method involves immersing the fruit in hot water:

1. With a small knife, slice an X in the skin at the base of the fruit, taking care not to cut the flesh.
2. Put the tomatoes in a large bowl and place it in the sink. Boil the kettle and pour the boiling water over the tomatoes to cover. How long you leave them in the hot water will depend on how ripe they are – the riper they are, the less time they will need, only about 10-20 seconds. If they're firm and less ripe, they'll need longer, possibly up to one minute.
3. When the corners of the X-marked skin start to come away from the flesh, tip the water out of the bowl and immediately fill with cold running water. If the tomatoes are left too long in the hot water, they tend to cook or stew, which makes the flesh soft and squishy. This isn't a problem if you're going to cook them anyway, but makes them messy and unattractive for slicing and serving raw.

When cool enough to handle, use a small-bladed knife and gently peel the skin away from the flesh. It should come away easily, leaving the flesh intact. If not, return to the bowl and pour over a little more hot water.

How to Bake Blind

‘Baking blind’ means cooking a pastry case without any filling. By baking the pastry before adding the contents, you're guaranteed a crisp, non-soggy pie case

How many times has your home-made quiche or tart fallen apart because of a soggy pie case? The simple way to avoid this common problem is blind baking: fully pre-bake the pastry then cook the pie or tart again with the filling in place.

1. Make the pastry (or use ready-made) and line a tin, glass or ceramic pastry or pie dish. The pastry should then rest in the fridge while you preheat the oven. Most pastries should cook at a fairly high temperature, usually 190–200C/375–400F/gas mark 6–7.
2. Place on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to remove from the oven when hot) and tear off a sheet of baking parchment or greaseproof paper. Lay it in the pastry case so it comes up the sides a bit. Tip in some ceramic baking beans (these are made especially for this purpose and can be bought in kitchen shops) or just use some dried beans or rice. The idea is to weigh the paper and pastry down to prevent it from rising up during baking.
3. Some cooks like to prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork before baking blind, but I find this unnecessary. Besides, any holes in your pastry can allow a liquid filling to seep out before it sets.
4. Make sure the oven is up to the correct temperature before baking the pastry. If not, it tends to ‘melt’ and slide down the sides of the dish before setting.
5. Most pastries will cook in about 9–12 minutes. Pastry with sugar in it will cook very quickly and can burn easily, so watch it carefully. When the case is a sandy colour, remove it from the oven and gently lift off the paper and baking beans. Place back in the oven for another 2–3 minutes to finish. A good way to tell if a shortcrust pastry case is done is to rub gently with your third finger then rub against your thumb. It should feel slightly gritty, like fine sand. The case is now ready for filling.

Cook’s tip: Always keep the off-cuts of raw pastry and use it to patch any small cracks or holes that may develop during baking. Likewise, you can paint the base with egg white and pop it back in the oven for a minute or two. This also helps seal the case and prepare if for the filling.

How to Chop Onions

It may sound simple but it's surprising how much of a meal some people make of chopping onions. Read this and (don't) weep

• There is no reason to peel a whole onion unless you are cutting it into rings or hollowing it out to stuff it.
• Lay it on its side and cut the pointed top end off first. This gives it a flat surface to stand it on while you cut it in half through the root end.
• Peel the skin back towards the root, leaving it attached to make a 'handle' to hold on to while chopping.
• Make straight, vertical cuts through the onion, taking the tip of the knife just to the root. Turn it sideways and cut in the other direction to produce a fine chop. The distance between cuts will determine how fine a dice you make.
• To slice an onion, make the vertical cuts with the blade parallel to the root. This will give you a half-moon shaped slice.

More detail…?

To chop an onion, you'll need a cutting board and a chef's knife about 6 to 8 inches long. Do not be afraid of big knives. A large knife is safer than a small knife. When the blade of a knife is longer than the diameter of an onion, it will be able to cut the onion completely in half. Why cut an onion in half? Because it is round and rolls all over the place -- and this isn't safe.

Halve the onion by cutting it through its "poles," meaning from the root (the hairy end) through the opposite end. (The onion also has an "equator" around the fullest part of its middle.)

Place one of the halves on your cutting board, flat side down. Notice that this piece will not roll.

Peel off the papery skin down to the first white layer. You are now ready to slice.

With your dominant hand holding the knife, use your other hand to steady the onion. Situate this hand (let's say it's your left hand) so your left pinkie rests near the root. Curl the fingertips under just enough to allow the naturally-formed flat section of fingers -- between the first and second knuckles -- to literally touch flush with the knife's blade. Holding a piece of onion with your fingertips will seem awkward, but you'll fall in love with the idea that it's a lot less awkward than cutting off a finger. Spend five minutes moving the knife up and down as it rests on this flat section of the fingers.

Now, position the blade so the point is aimed at the onion's root as it rests between the knuckles of your other hand. Slice down, going to, but not through, the hairy end. Keeping the root intact helps the slippery layers of onion stay intact, too. Continue making cuts all the way across the onion piece.

Next, turn over the knife blade so it's parallel with your countertop. Place your left palm on the onion, wrist over the root, and hold the onion steady, keeping fingertips up. Draw the knife through the onion in horizontal cuts. About three cross-cuts work well. You'll be able to see that your knifework has formed a grid.

Finally, return the knife to its original slicing position and go back to the top of the onion. Slice down, through the grid -- and look! -- chopped onions will be falling on the cutting board on the other side of the knife.

When you get down to the root and the piece is too small to hold steady, stop. It's OK when you first begin to chop onions to toss this little piece down the disposal. Take the second half, and repeat the process.

The better you get at chopping onions, the quicker you'll get it over with, and move along to more delicious ends. Even very pungent onions will have little effect on you, because you'll be finished chopping before the first teardrop falls.

How to Prepare and Eat Artichokes

Globe artichokes are usually eaten as a starter with a small bowl of lemon butter or hollandaise sauce as an accompaniment – if you can work out how to prepare them, that is

This cultivated member of the thistle family is a delicious treat – especially as an aphrodisiac – although you may need to have the patience of a saint to get to grips with the fleshy bracts (leaves). When preparing and cooking artichokes, always use stainless steel knives, scissors and saucepans. Carbon knife blades and aluminium or iron pans will cause them to discolour.

Preparation: Cut off the stem to make a flat base and remove any tough outer leaves. Position the artichokes snugly in one layer in a suitable saucepan or steamer. Sprinkle over some salt and lemon juice. If boiling, pour in enough water to come halfway up the artichokes. Likewise, make sure there is enough water in the base of the steamer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer or steam for 40–45 minutes.

Artichokes are done when a leaf pulls easily out of the centre and the base is soft when pricked with a knife or skewer. Drain and leave upside down in a colander for five minutes.

To serve: The artichoke can simply be placed on a plate as is. For a neater presentation, push back the outer leaves and pull out the centre cluster of purple-coloured leaves. Beneath that you will find the 'choke', an inedible stringy substance that should be carefully scooped out with a spoon to reveal the prize – the dense, meaty bottom of the artichoke.

To eat: Pull the leaves off one at a time and dip the base of the leaf in the butter or sauce. Drag it between your teeth, eating only the thick base of the leaf. There should be a 'discard' bowl provided for the uneaten leaves. When you come to the central group of small, purple leaves, as described above, scoop away the choke and eat the base with a fork, dipping it in the sauce or butter.

Cook's tip: Season the cooking water with chopped shallots, garlic, herbs or peppercorns for added flavours. Butter or hollandaise sauce is the traditional accompaniment but you can also serve artichokes with a flavoured mayonnaise, a yoghurt dip or herbed vinaigrette.

How to Prepare Garlic

You've seen the TV chefs do it: they peel a clove of garlic in seconds with just one slap of their hand. The Cooking Coach explains how

To peel: Take a whole, unpeeled clove of garlic and lay it on a cutting board. Take a broad-bladed knife or cleaver, lay it sideways on the clove and pound it once with your fist. The skin will easily pull away. Continue chopping or crushing as needed.

To crush: Garlic gives out more or less of its flavour depending on what you do to it. Crushing it releases most of its ‘garlicky effect’, chopping it slightly less; slicing it less still, and leaving it whole the least of all.

You can use a garlic press to crush the cloves, although some chefs feel that the chemical reaction between the garlic and the metal press produces a bitter taste. To avoid this, either crush the clove on a chopping board beneath the blade of a large knife, or pulverise it with a pestle and mortar.

Cook’s tip: Don't forget that garlic burns easily, producing a very bitter flavour that taints every other ingredient. Always cook it gently.

How to Store Spices

Have the contents of your spice rack reached their sell-by dates? I offers some hot tips on keeping things fresh

Spices should be stored in a jar (preferably of tinted glass) with an air-tight lid. Keep the jars in a closed cupboard well out of sunlight and away from direct heat. Spice racks mounted on kitchen walls are usually the worst place to keep your spices as sunlight drains them of colour and flavour.

Also, check the sell-by dates. Even though it may give a year, most spices are best used with three to four months. If possible, buy spices in small quantities more often, rather than buying in bulk. It may also help to buy spices whole and grind them as and when you need them. Use a pestle and mortar or a coffee grinder, washing well after each use.

Cook’s tip: Always buy whole peppercorns and use freshly ground. Small tubs of ground pepper quickly lose their flavour.

How to Prepare Prawns

From the Great British prawn cocktail to the trendy curries of Thailand, prawns are a popular ingredient that, if prepared correctly, prove to be very versatile

All the prawns available for sale in Britain have been frozen, unless bought straight off a fishing boat. They may be cooked then frozen or frozen raw and the shells may be stripped off or left on.

When raw, prawns have a grey, translucent appearance. Cooked ones are pink and opaque. They can be bought in all stages of preparation, but bear in mind that those with the shells left on will have better flavour than those bought already shelled.

Peeling: To peel raw or cooked prawns, start by pulling off the head and rinsing. Then peel away the shell from the thick end, working down to the tail. The very end of the tail can be left on for appearance.

De-veining: If the prawns are large, it's a good idea to de-vein - that is, remove the intestinal vein that runs down the back. Using a sharp knife, make a slit down the middle of the outside curve and pull out the dark coloured vein. Rinse under cold water. This may not be necessary with smaller prawns and is a matter of personal preference.

Cooking: Like all fish and shellfish, prawns only need a short cooking time. If the prawns are already cooked, they need simply to be heated through before serving. If cooking raw prawns, they are done when they turn pink and opaque.

Cook's tip: If shelling the prawns yourself, keep the shells and make a stock by covering them with water and simmering for about 30 minutes. Strain, discard the shells and keep the stock for soups and sauces. Alternatively, wash the shells, fry them in butter or oil for 10 minutes, then strain off. Discard the shells and use the prawn-flavoured fat for frying other seafood or adding to pasta dishes.

How to bake the perfect sponge

Can't get a rise out of your cake? I comes to the rescue with a foolproof checklist and five delicious recipes

Baking cakes is something our grandmothers always seem to be so good at. Yet, no matter how many of us are riding the wave of modern cooking trends, we usually just can't be bothered with baking. What a shame. There's nothing quite like the aroma of a just-out-of-the-oven Victoria sponge; a simple thing to conjure up childhood days.

Before you Start: Tips and Trouble Shooting

• Make sure your oven temperature is correct and has had time to fully preheat. It's a good idea to invest in a separate oven thermometer - the dials aren't always that accurate.
• Prepare the tin by coating with a thin layer of oil and lining the base with a circle of greaseproof paper or baking parchment. This stops the cake from sticking on the sides and bottom.
• If using butter or margarine, it should be soft but not melted or oily. The eggs should also be at room temperature, and not straight out of the fridge, if possible. Beat them lightly in a small bowl before adding them gradually to the cake mixture.
• If the mixture begins to curdle while adding the eggs, add a teaspoon of the flour - a curdled mixture will still taste fine, just be slightly denser than one that hasn't.
• The mixture should be of 'dropping consistency' which means it will fall reluctantly off a spoon when given a light jerk. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water, milk or lemon juice, whichever is appropriate.
• Be gentle - the idea is to keep air bubbles inside the cake, so use a light hand when folding and spooning into the tin. Try not to open and shut the oven door too much as a rush of cold air can inhibit the rising process.
• If the cake is rising unevenly, it means one side of your oven is hotter than the other. Simply give it a half turn, making sure the tin is in the centre of the rack.
• If the top of the cake is browning too fast, lay a piece of tin foil over the top and double check your temperature.
• To check for doneness, lightly press the top - it should spring back. Or insert a skewer or cocktail stick in the centre - it should come out clean. Also, the cake will continue cooking in the tin for a few minutes after it comes out of the oven.
• When cool enough to handle, turn the cake out upside down, peel off the paper and turn right side up onto a rack. This allows steam to escape and the cake to cool quickly.

And don't forget - even if your effort doesn't look like it came out of a packet (so much the better), it's going to taste great ...

How to cook a whole salmon

A whole poached or roasted salmon is a classic for entertaining - keep it simple for maximum elegance

Poaching
The best-known method for cooking a whole salmon has always been to poach it. And that works very well, provided you have a fish kettle and, preferably, a gas cooker with large burners.

• To emphasise the flavour of your salmon, make a court-bouillon by gently boiling water, vinegar, bay leaves, a sliced onion, a peeled and sliced carrot, black peppercorns, a large bunch of parsley and some salt. The amount should half-fill the fish kettle. Allow the liquid to go cold, then place the fish in the court-bouillon, bring back to the boil and poach gently for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the kettle from the heat and allow the fish to continue cooking as the liquid cools. If poaching in a hot court-bouillon, allow about 6 minutes for every 450g fish. Remove immediately from the liquid when the fish is cooked and allow to cool completely.

Roasting
Alternatively, if you don't have a fish kettle, you can oven-roast your salmon in foil to equally tasty effect.

• Place the cleaned salmon on a piece of foil large enough to encase the whole fish. Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 and place sliced lemon, oranges and onion in the cavity of the fish. Tuck in a handful of fresh herbs (use chervil, dill, parsley or tarragon).
• Bring the foil up around the fish and pour in a glass of white wine. Season with salt and pepper and tightly secure the foil to form a seal. Carefully lift onto a large baking sheet.
• The baking time can be determined by measuring the widest part of the 'neck' of the fish. Bake for 5 minutes per 2.5cm. When done, loosen the foil and allow to cool completely.

When I blind-bake sweet pastry, it always shrinks and the sides fall down. What am I doing wrong?

If your pastry is always shrinking, you’re probably over-working it. Gluten, the protein found in flour, becomes stretchy when handled (like when you knead bread) and then shrinks back when cooked).

This is a particular problem with sweet pastry because it tends to fall apart more easily than savoury shortcrust pastry (because of the sugar) and requires more handling to roll it out and line the tin.

Here are some tips that may help:

• Make sure your ingredients and equipment (including your hands) are as cold as possible
• Work quickly but efficiently, trying to handle the pastry as little as possible
• Avoid stretching it while lining the tin by making sure it is rolled out to a large enough shape
• Most importantly, allow the pastry to rest, both before and after rolling it out

Roll the pastry between two pieces of cling film; this is particularly helpful if the pastry is too soft and crumbly. With practice you can use the cling film to lift the pastry into place in the tin, then remove the film and carefully press into place.