Martha A. Cheves's Blog, page 126

More Cooking Tips

A tsp. or 2 of vinegar can help keep eggs from cracking while boiling.   

Add 1/4 tsp. Soda to Cranberries while cooking them and they will not require as much sugar. 
 
Add 1/4 tsp. of baking powder per quart of potatoes while mashing them and they will be fluffy, smooth, and more tasty.
   
Add about 7 drops of lemon juice to 2 cups of whipping cream.  It will make the cream beat up firm in about half the time.   

Adding a pinch of sugar to the water when boiling corn on the cob helps b...

Apple Walnut Squares

[image error]
This dish was sent to me by Lillian, my co-author for my cookbook Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts.  Its simple to make, with a delicate taste of apple and cinnamon.  You have to love it.

Lillian - This was given to me by a friend from a 1976 cookbook that she had. This looks as though it would be very moist and is so simple to put together. Changes may be to use English walnuts or pecans instead of black walnuts, add a bit of coconut, use apple pie spices instead of just the cinnam...

Kitchen Cleaning Tips

If you use baking soda to keep your refrigerator smelling fresh, instead of throwing it in the trash when replaced, pour it down the kitchen drain along with 1 cup of white vinegar for a fresh smelling and clear flowing drain.  Lemon juice will clean your brass when you add a little salt.  Rub it on, rinse and dry.  You can also clean your counters with a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar.   Freshen and deodorize your garbage disposal by running citrus peels through it.

Coconut Pecan Delight - Pulled

[image error] This dessert is perfect for the holidays and can be changed by eliminate some of the pecans and by not toasting the coconut. You can sprinkle the coconut on after adding the whipped topping and sprinkle with red and green M&Ms or red and green maraschino cherries. This can also be done for other holidays using different colors of M&Ms i.e. pastel candies for Easter, red for Valentine Day, etc.

This is a beautiful dessert that takes no time to make but.... it's been pulled and moved to the...

Canned Food Safety

Did you know that canned foods can start breaking down after a year of storage.  They sometimes lose their color, flavor, texture and nutritive value.  They should be stored at temperatures around 70 degrees and o higher than 95 degrees, which means… don't store them in cabinets next to or above the stove or oven.  Also, pay attention to the conditions of the cans.  If the can is bulging at all, throw the can away.  This means the food inside may be spoiled.  If the can has rust, pitch...

Simple Substitutions

SUBSTITUTIONS:

1 tablespoon cornstarch  = 2 tablespoons flour.
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cake flour = 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.
1 cup whole milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water.
1 cup sour milk = 1 cup  milk with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice added or use 1 cup
     buttermilk.
1 cup sour cream,commercial  = 1/3 cup butter and 2/3 cup milk in any recipe calling for
     sour milk.    
1 cup honey...

Pastrami Rolls

[image error]
cream cheese
sour cream
mayonnaise
green onion
horseradish
salt and pepper to taste
tortillas
pastrami
cheese

Simple to make and oh so good.  Great for parties!  View the recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet

Almond Toffee Candy - Pulled

This is the quickest, simplest candy recipes ever. You can change the nuts, change the flavor of the chips, add a few dried crancherries or even sprinkle a little coconut in. If you use block chocolate instead of chips I recommend using 6-8 squares. As you can see from the picture, my favorite is white chocolate. I'm not a regular chocolate fan.  This is a simple one but it's been pulled and added to the manuscript file for Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts.

Cake Tips

Frost the cake, sides first and top last for easier frosting. 

Decorate the top of the cake with nuts, coconut, cherries, or other fruits to make it festive.

For the family who has members who don't care for frosting, frost half of the cake and leave
   one half unfrosted to serve with fruits or ice cream.

Cut the cake with a sharp knife that has been dipped in hot water and then dried.  This will give even, attractive slices.

Keep the cake covered in a cake saver or with foil to keep moist.

Oatmeal Bars

[image error]
This recipe was sent to me by Lillian.  I used the variation for the Oatmeal-Date Chews and also added my favorite addition... coconut.  They are simple to make and turned out delicious.  I would make one other change when making these again.  I will decrease the dates to 1/2 cup instead of the full cup.  With the full cup they come our a little on the sweet side.  The coconut I used is dried, shaved with no sugar added.  

 View the full recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet