Ten Hacks to Make Cooking Easy
Episode #9 of the course How to outsource your diet by Liam Smith
Hello!
We’re nearing the end, can you believe it?
Over the last eight days, you’ve learned how to outsource your diet with the help of a virtual assistant—that means no more meal planning, last-minute recipe searching, or supermarket lines.
But let’s not stop there. Today, you’ll learn ten hacks to make your food preparation and cooking feel like a cake walk.
Cooking Hack #1: Easy-peel garlic. Place the garlic clove(s) in a decent-sized jar with a lid. Shake vigorously for around 20 seconds. Take the garlic out of the jar, and the skin should slide straight off. No more garlic hands!
Cooking Hack #2: Faster chopping (with the right knife). Make food prep easy by using a sharp 20-25 cm (8-10 in.) chef’s knife. Form a claw with your non-chopping hand by tucking your fingers in to save them from being chopped.
Cooking Hack #3: Low-fat stocks and sauces. Remove excess fat from stocks and sauces by running a few ice cubes along the surface of the liquid. The ice will solidify the fat and make it easier to skim off with a spoon.
Cooking Hack #4: Juicier citrus fruit. To get more juice from your lemons, limes, and other citrus fruit, pop them in the microwave for 15 seconds. Roll on a hard surface, then squeeze the juice out.
Cooking Hack #5: Tear-free onions. Prevent onion-induced weeping by freezing onions before chopping. This hack works best if you’re planning to cook the onions, as raw pieces will be a bit soggy when they thaw.
Cooking Hack #6: Skinless potatoes (without a peeler). Boil unpeeled potatoes and then run under cold water. The skin should slide straight off (make sure they’ve cooled down before you handle).
Cooking Hack #7: Easy-peel ginger. Ditch the peeler and opt for a teaspoon instead. Simply use the tip of the spoon to scrape off the peel. Once it’s peeled, you can put it in the freezer for later use.
Cooking Hack #8: Riper avocados. Keep your avocado from browning by squeezing a little lemon or lime juice over it. The citric acid will help slow the browning process for at least a day.
Cooking Hack #9: No-stress hard-boiled eggs. On a flat surface, spin an egg on its side for a few seconds. Gently stop with your finger and then let go again. The egg will keep spinning if it is still raw, as the liquid inside is still moving.
Cooking Hack #10: Perfectly sliced meat. Cut against the grain for tender, melt-in-the-mouth meat. To make it easier to slice, partially freeze the meat before cutting.
There you have it, ten hacks to make your food preparation, cooking, and storage easy. Time for you to put them to the test.
Tomorrow, it’s your final lesson! We’re going to look back at everything you’ve learned so far and recap the most important points—don’t miss it!
Speak soon,
Liam
Recommended reading
A Review of the Best Chef Knives in 2018
Recommended book
Healing With Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition by Paul Pitchford
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