Archive for the ‘Kitchen Tips’ Category

Radical Riffs: From Produce Sack to Pot Scrubber.

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Posted 16 Dec 2010 — by chefshirle
Category Kitchen Tips, Kitchen Tricks, Organic Produce, Recycled Merchandise

It began innocently enough, I had bought a couple netted bags of brussel sprouts, then came the net bag of small red potatoes. Next thing I knew it was clementine season and those little citrus gems came in a little net bag as well. And I couldn’t or wouldn’t throw the colorful bags away. They had to be good for some reuse, right?

Well, right on I was, one night at my kitchen sink…you see, I have a metal scrubby that I happily use on my stainless steel pots and pans, but I had nothing similar to scrub up my more delicate cookware. Until I started to look at that metal puff sitting there on my soap dish. Its construction seemed simple…layers of netted metal all rolled into a neat donut. Read More

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From Grinds to Wine…Make This Cool Wine Rack!

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Posted 11 Jan 2009 — by chefshirle
Category Kitchen Tips, Kitchen Tricks, Wine

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It’s amazing how much coffee we, as in David and I, drink on a monthy basis. Especially since we were not coffee drinkers up until a few years ago. Being a bit older, choosier and more eco-conscience than say, younger java joes, we search out coffee that is made from fair-trade, shade grown and organic beans. We have become fond of a brand of coffee from Trader Joe’s that fits all those criteria in one canister…which brings me to the canister.

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Wine and Cheese?…Oh Pul-eeze! The Wine Authorities Take On Food & Wine Pairing Class

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Posted 05 Sep 2008 — by chefshirle
Category Durham NC, Kitchen Tips, Restaurant Review, Wine

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On June 26th of 2008  I was lucky enough to get a seat at the table for one of Durhams Wine Authorities Food & Wine Pairing classes. It was held at the Wine Authorities store, a locally owned shop that specializes in small vineyards that produce small quantities of very good wine at very good prices. Hosted by owners Craig Heffly and Seth Gross the event was catered by the wonderful and talented chef, Tom Ferguson, of Durham Catering Co.

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Cookbook Management-101

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Posted 01 Sep 2008 — by chefshirle
Category Cookbooks, Kitchen Tips, Kitchen Tricks

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“Hi everyone. My name is Shirle’ and I am a cookbook addict.”

If there were a Cookbook Addicts Anonymous I might have had to find a meeting because I was a true Cookbook junkie. I would join cookbook clubs, buying tons of books, with the hope that I would somehow make every dish in its pages, only to have the book sit on the coffee table, or better yet, my desk, collecting dust. This went on for a few years until one day I realized I had barely touched a recipe in any of them.

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Spices & Herbs 101

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Posted 10 Mar 2008 — by chefshirle
Category Herbs, Kitchen Tips, Spices

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Confused by coriander? Stumped by savory? What is the dif between dried and fresh in the herb world? Well, hopefully this tiny tutorial might help ease your fear of flavorful spices and herbs. It’s easy to add flavor to a recipe without adding salt or sugar, simply use herbs and spices to contribute color, savory taste and sensational aroma, without adding the fat and sodium. So let’s get spicy!

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Weird Kitchen Knowledge

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Posted 28 Dec 2007 — by chefshirle
Category Can Openers, Half Pans, Kitchen Tips

CAN YOUR CAN OPENER OPEN YOUR CAN?

Can Opener

So, I was having an issue with my can opener the other day. It was grinding along, not cutting the can as smoothly as it had when I had first purchased it. My hand was going into spasms from trying to crank the handle so hard…

Now, I cook in a lot of homes and deal with a lot of can openers , from cheap dollar store types to super high tech-cut on their own- fancy ones…

I have found that 2 things cause can openers to fail, and when these two things combine they make for a very inefficient tool…that is MOISTURE and TIME.

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