Tip - How to Roast Garlic

To roast garlic, this one's for you Tim, you take a whole head and cut the top off of it.



Place the garlic on foil cut side up.

Drizzle oil over the garlic.

Tip - How to Cut an Onion

This is the quickest way that I have found to dice an onion. It also causes the least amount of tears.



I call the top of the onion the half that the stem grew up from. The bottom is where the roots grow out.

1. Peel the onion.

2. Cut the onion straight through the top and bottom. You should have half of the root on each side.

3. Place the onion in the freezer. If you're only using half of the onion for your recipe, store half in the fridge for a later use.

4. After a few minutes, take half of the onion out of the freezer.

5. Place it flat side down on a cutting board.

6. With a sharp knife, cut the top tip off of the onion.

7. Hold your knife parallel to the cutting board.

8. Slice horizontally through the onion from the top towards the roots, but not through them.

Tip - How to Peel and Seed a Tomato

If you cook tomatoes in a sauce with their skins on, the skin will just slip off as it cooks. You end up with tough ribbons of skin. If you peel and seed the tomato first, you'll have a smoother, more elegant sauce.



This is what you'll need:

Tomatoes
Pot of boiling water
Slotted Spoon
Ice bath (a bowl of ice water)
Pairing knife (optional)

Tip - How to Clean Clams

When buying clams, be sure that they are still alive. They should be tightly closed. If you have one that is open, tap it. If it's alive, it will respond to you.

Never eat or prepare dead shellfish! Also, open the package that they come in to allow them to breath till you're ready to clean them.

When cooking with clams, you want to take care in cleaning them. Their shells have lots of grooves good for holding dirt. This dirt will loosen up while the clams cook and will end up in your broth or sauce. No one wants to eat dirt!

1. Place the clams in a bowl.

2. Fill the bowl with cool water.



3. Let this sit for 10-20 minutes. This will help to clean some of the saltwater from inside the clams.

4. Remove the clams from the water. (Do not pour them out, use your hands to lift them out.)

5. Take one at a time and scrub it under running water.



6. Rinse it off and pat dry.

Once all the clams are clean, they are ready to cook.


Clams in White Wine Sauce

Other mollusks, such as mussels should be cleaned the same way. Mussels have something that's commonly called it's beard. You'll see a bunch of fibers hanging out of the shell, that is the beard. To remove this, use a towel to hold it firmly with your fingers. Then, tug the fibers out and toward the hinge. This should remove it without killing the mussel.

Tip - How to Cut Corn Off the Cob

I love to use fresh corn cut off the cob. When it's in season, it's so sweet and crisp. The kernels are great raw in salads. You can also use them in puddings, soups, breads, or try it on your next pizza.

First, remove the husk and silk from the corn. If the silk sticks to the kernels, gently wipe them off with a clean cloth. Then, cut the tip off the ear so that you have a flat surface. This will make the cob more steady on the board. (I skip this step.)



Hold the stem end of the cob and place the cut tip end down on a large cutting board. Place a sharp chefs knife (or any sharp, large bladed knife) at the top of the corn. Run the blade straight down, towards the board. Turn the cob and repeat, cutting the next rows till all the kernels are removed.



Save the cob - I like to throw a de-kerneled cob or two in my stock when I'm making one.



If you're into gadgets, there's something called a corn zipper that you might be interested in. It comes in many different styles, some look like corn and others look like knifes, mine smiles at me. A zipper can be safer and more precise than a knife, but also more time consuming.



I think you'll enjoy finding new ways to use corn. Cut some off the cob and throw it in something unexpected today!


Corn and Heirloom Tomatoes on Puffed Pastry


Christine and I made these treats.


Corn Pudding with Pomegranate and Caramelized Onion Relish

Tip - How to Clean Leeks

Leeks and other veggies that grow in layers close to the ground can hold a lot of dirt.



This dirt can be hard to completely remove. Following these simple steps will ensure that your leeks will be grit free.

1. Slice the leeks and place in a bowl.

2. Run cold water over the leeks till the bowl is full.

3. Use your fingers or a fork to separate the pieces. This should loosen the dirt.

4. Let the water sit still for a minute so that the dirt settles to the bottom.

5. Lift the leeks out of the water and place on a plate.

6. Empty water and rinse out the bowl.

7. Place the leeks back in the bowl and repeat the above steps. Do this till the water is clean after step five.


This is Tony cleaning leeks for me. Thanks Tony!

This also works for cleaning rice. Look for small stones and bad rice in step three. Clean till the water is clear after step five.