Martha A. Cheves's Blog, page 51

I Didn't Know That - Crab Meat

Lump or backfin - large, whole lumps of meat from the body of the crab.  This is usually the most expensive meat and is often used in salads and special dishes.Flake (regular) - all meat from the body portion of the crab except lump.Claws- all meat form the claw appendages.Crab claws - claws of the crab with the shell partially removed.  These are most often used as appetizers.Pasteurized crabmeat - canned lump crabmeat, which is found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket.  It will keep for about 6 months, unopened, in the refrigerator.  Once opened, the crabmeat will stay fresh 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
And then there are 'live crab' and here is how you handle cooking and cleaning them.  The live crab are put into a pot of boiling water and cooked 8-10 minutes, depending on the size.  The shells will turn a bright orange color when done.  Drain in let cool enough to handle. 
Leaving the legs on, break the claws from the crabs at the body.  All meat in the claws is edible, dark but tasty.  Crack claws with a hammer, nutcracker or better yet, a store-bought claw cracker.  To clean the body of the crab, the secret is a sharp knife.  Remove the shell by holding the crab firmly underneath and pull up on one of the points of the shell.  You will then see the fat and gills.  Scrape away the yellowish fat form the middle cavity.  The fat is edible, but too oily for most.   Scrape away the feathery gray gills.  Cut off the walking legs well into the body.  There is very little meat where the legs join the body.  On large crabs, save the legs since there is good meat in them.
With the cavity up, slice through the sides horizontally.  Lay knife blade flat in cavity and then cut off..  This is really easy to cut and leaves the body of the crab exposed for easy picking with the point of your knife or fingers.

This method of crab-picking came from an old cookbook that had been separated from its cover, not allowing me to even know its name, and really in pretty bad condition.  But to me, it's condition has nothing to do with the wonderful recipes and tips that I found among its pages.  

Red Velvet Woopies

Want a delicious and very simple cookie for Valentine's Day?  Try these Red Velvet Woopies.

I Didn't Know That - Burns

Another need to know home remedy.

First-Degree Burn Remedy - Best

The best home ready for a first-degree burn, which is the least dangerous and only burn you should treat without a doctor, is to immediately bathe the affected area with cold - not ice cold - water.  Then cover the burn with loose gauze and take an over-the-counter pain reliever, like aspirin or ibuprofin, according to the Mayo Clinic.
First-Degree Burn Remedy - Worse

Never put ice or butter on a burn.  Ice can further damage already sensitive skin tissue, and the grease found in butter prevents heat from leaving the skin, which can cause more damage, according to the Dermatology Clinic at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science.
·          

'Crab' Cakes

Want a simple dish that is tasty yet can be made up within no time?  Well, if you like Crab Cakes, you might want to give this recipe a try.  It is so good, simple and inexpensive.  Let me know what you think.

I Didn't Know That - Basil

Basil:  This herb brings its minty, clove like aroma to sauces, salads, and of course, pesto.  Cinnamon, lemon, and anise basil have the basil flavor, plus the flavor for which they are named. 
If you use fresh basil, it can be kept by wrapping it in a paper towel, putting it inside a plastic bag and then into the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  Or you can store it with the stems down in a glass of water with a plastic over the leaves for about a week with regular water changing.  Dried basis will store up to 6 months in a cook dark place.
Need to substitute?  1 tsp. of dried basis - 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh summer savory.  Or you can substitute 1 tsp. of dried basis with 1/2 tsp. marjoram, oregano, thyme or tarragon.
Basil Corn

Cook 3 1/2 cups corn kernels, 1/3 cup chopped shallots, and 1 Tbsp. butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.  Add 1 tsp. minced garlic and cook 1 minute longer.  Transfer to a serving bowl and stir in 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

I Didn't Know That - Slicing, Dicing, Etc.

When a recipe calls for mince, dice, chop, slice, cube or Julienne do you know what it actually means?  In the past I've just sort of guessed but no more.  I now know the difference.

Chop means to cut the food with a knife or food processor into fine, medium or course irregular pieces.
Cube means to cut the food into uniform pieces, usually 1/2" on all sides.
Dice means to cut the food into uniform pieces, usually 1/8 to 1/4" on all sides.
Julienne means to cut food into thin match like sticks about 2" long.  For easier cutting, first cut food into slices and then cut them lengthwise into strips 1/8 to 1/4" wide.
Mince means to chop a food into tiny irregular pieces.
and
Slice means to cut the food into flat, thin pieces.  But if it says to Bias-slice that means a food is cut crosswise at a 45 degree angle.

Now I cut my foods up the way they were meant to be and after doing my knife research, I'm using the correct knife, I hope.

I Didn't Know That - Heartburn

For years we have listened to our parents, grandparents and friends as they give us remedies using items we normally keep in our kitchen to solve many of our annoying problems such as heartburn.  I've been told all my life to drink milk when I have heartburn.  And all my life I've drank milk with no relief.  Guess what.  That is the wrong thing to do.  Check out this remedy.
Heartburn Remedy—BestBeat the burn with apple cider vinegar. It may seem counter-intuitive, but if we have too little acid in the stomach, the food digests too slowly, according to Kathy Gruver, PhD, LMT, and Reiki Master. “It sits in the stomach. Then we lay down to go to sleep or bend over, and the food gets burped up. By adding acid in the form of vinegar, we can help the digestive process,” she said.
Heartburn Remedy—Worst
While drinking milk soothes the stomach and temporarily combats heartburn, milk fat may actually stimulate acid production and cause a rebound effect later, according to the University of Nevada School of Medicine.

Making Crumbs

I always keep a supply of bread crumbs in the pantry.  Anything from Italian seasoned to Panko to plain.  I also keep graham cracker crumbs on hand.  But there are times I want something different.  I like to change my sweet crumbs from graham to maybe a cookie.  And as I've found, there are very few variations of cookie crumbs on the market.  Solution - make your own but how many cookies do you need to make a cup?

To make 1 cup of cracker or cookie crumbs you'll need 28 saltine crackers, 14 graham cracker squares, 22 vanilla wafers, 19 chocolate wafers, 15 gingersnaps, or 24 rich, round crackers.  Now, I like to play around with so this may still not be enough cookie/cracker counts for me so here is what I'm.  I have a small notebook that I call "My Crumb Calculator."  In this little book I add more cookie/cracker counts as I come up with them.  

Making your crumbs is really easy.  You simply process them to a fine consistency in a blender or food processor.  Or you can place them in a heavy plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.  If you use this method, leave one end of the bag open a little so the air can escape during the rolling.  To create your own count of the number of cookies/crackers needed for a cup, put 4 or 5 in your blender or bag, crush them and place them in a measuring cup.  Don't forget to write down the number needed to make your cup as well as the type of cookie/cracker used.  If you're using those small cheese cracker squares or even the fish shape, instead of counting them, start by pouring them into a measuring cup before crushing.  After crushing pour into a measuring cup to see how much this created.  Just remember, if 1 cup uncrushed created 3/4 cup of crushed, try crushing just 1/2 cup to see if that won't complete your 1 cup of crushed.

This is not only a fun way to add new tastes to old dishes, it's also economical.

I Didn't Know That - Knives

When I got married and started a kitchen I had no idea as to what to look for when buying knives.  After many years in the kitchen I still don't.  I either received a nice set of knives as a Christmas or Birthday gift or just picked up one here and there if I felt the need.  I do know what a paring knife is but as for some of the others I simply guess.  Call me a dumb blond but that has been my life with knives.
Now at 64 I've decided it's about time that I learn what some of these knives are really supposed to be used for.  To do this, I went searching and this is what I found.
The Bread Knife has an 8" blade that is serrated which allows you to easily cut through breads, bagels, tomatoes, cakes and other foods with tough exteriors and soft interiors.  (Didn't know about the tomatoes and cakes.  I've always used mine for bread only.)
The Chef's or Cook's Knife also has an 8" blade.  It's used to chop, dice and mince foods with the wedge-shape blade.  (This one I've seldom used because it's so big.  Guess I'll give it a try now that I really know what it's used for.)
The Paring Knife has a 3 or 4" blade.  This knife is comfortable to handle when peeling and cutting fruits and vegetables or other small items.  (This one I use constantly.  I actually use it in place of just about all of the other knives.)
The Utility Knife has a 6" blade that is thin making it easy to smoothly slice sandwiches and other soft foods such as fruit and cheese.  (Yep, you got it.  I've been using my Paring Knife for these tasks.)
The Carving Knife/Slicer has a 10" blade that is long and thin making it easy to slice cooked meats.  (Got this one right.  I actually use my Carving Knife to carve turkey, ham, etc.)
There are many more knives in various shapes and sizes but these are supposed to be the essential knives for all kitchens.

I Didn't Know That - Storing Beans and Grains

I keep a lot of rice and beans on hand in my pantry but I've never been quite sure how long they will keep.  I know that most have a sell by date but that doesn't mean they have to be eaten by that date so again I went searching for answers.

Dry beans are easy to keep and can be stored at room temperature up to 1 year or even longer in the freezer.  Whole grains have a shorter storage life because they contain an oil-rich germ that can become rancid.  Whole grains should always be purchased in smaller quantities and kept in tightly covered containers.

Here are a few guidelines for grains:

Pearl and Scotch barley can be stored up to 1 year in a cool, dry place (other forms of barley up to 9 months).
Buckwheat kept in a cool, dry place can be stored up to 3 months.  In the refrigerator 6 months and in the freezer for 1 year.
Bulgur stores up to 6 months in a cool, dry place or indefinitely in the freezer.
Cornmeal can store up to 6 months in a cool, dry place or up to 1 year in the refrigerator or freezer.
Oats should be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months or in the freezer for a year.
Rye Berries will keep up to 5 months in the refrigerator or freezer.
White and Wild Rice stores indefinitely in a cool, dry place.  But Brown Rice will only store up to 6 months under the same conditions.
Whole or Cracked Wheat can be kept up to 6 months in a cool, dry place or up to 1 year in the freezer.
Wheat Bran will store up to 1 month in a cool, dry place, up to 3 months in the refrigerator or up to 1 year in the freezer.  But Wheat Germ will only store up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

I sometimes buy bulk at my nearby health food store and in doing so I usually pay just a bit more because what I'm buying is organic and fresh.  The information above has helped me save money by knowing how to store my rice, beans and grains properly.