If you add 1 1/2 teaspoon of butter to a cooking pasta or soup it will not boil over.
Pasta will not get sticky if you place it in a warm colander then into a warm dish. The cold colander causes the starch to get sticky.
To prevent sticky pasta, save 1/3 cup of the pasta water prior to draining the pasta in the colander. Pour the pasta water into the pasta when tossing with olive oil or your favorite sauce. The pasta water will bind the sauce ingredients and prevent stickiness.
For fluffier, whiter rice, add one teaspoon of lemon juice per liter (quart) of water. To add extra flavor and nutrition to rice, cook it in liquid reserved from cooking.
Keep smaller bottles to store leftover wine. The less space between the wine and the cork, the longer it will retain its freshness.
To keep cheese longer from forming mold, store cheese in a sealed container with two lumps of sugar.
Cooking Wine
Prevent cooking wine from going sour by adding a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the bottle.
Use lettuce leaves to remove fat from soups or stews. Place a few in the pot, the fat will cling to them, then just remove them.
When barbecuing with wood skewers, be sure to soak the skewers in water for 1-hour prior to threading and barbecuing. This will avoid burning your skewers on the grill.
Recommended thawing instructions:
Place frozen Contessa Shrimp into a strainer or colander and cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Put drip pan underneath and refrigerate overnight (approximately 12 hours). Rinse under cold running water for 10 seconds and let drain for 2 minutes.
Cooking instructions for uncooked shrimp:
Completely submerge frozen Contessa Shrimp into a bowl of cold water for approximately 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a colander or strainer. Rinse under cold running water for 5 seconds and let drain for 2 minutes.
After you cook in a wok, wipe the inner surface with vegetable oil to retard any rust forming. The keys to delicious stir-frying are high temperature, short cooking time, and small pieces of food. Many home chefs mistakenly cook large portions, so the wok steams the food instead of frying it. Try using a larger wok ‚ about 20 inches in diameter. Small woks simply boil food. If your wok is small, cook smaller portions.
For larger size shrimp, it is proper to take at least two bites with one piece of shrimp. Do not eat the shrimp in one whole bite. On your second bite squeeze the tail gently to remove the meat from the tail. You may dip shrimp in the sauce between each bite as long as it is your own sauce dish. Do not dip into a serving dish—instead scoop some sauce onto your plate and dip. Deposit shrimp shells/tails in a communal dish or on the side of your plate.
If you are starved before a function, eat a snack before you attend so you do not appear to be starving.
Never be late to a dining function. If you are, always call and inform your host or hostess the approximate time you will arrive.
Place your napkin on your lap “after” the host or hostess has done so. When leaving the table for a moment, excuse yourself politely, place your napkin unfolded to the right of your plate.
Drinks should not be carried to the dinner table when dinner is announced. Do not drink more than you can handle. If you do not drink alcohol, ask for a nonalcoholic beverage.
Toasts may be proposed by anyone, at any time during dinner. Usually the person delivering the toast stands. The person being toasted picks up a wine glass and gestures and waits until everyone has sipped to the toast. Do not sip from your glass if you are the one being toasted. Cheers, everyone!