Hunger Busters/Hints & Tips

To get rid of the smell of stale smoke
in a room put out a saucer of brown vinegar

To avoid lumps when mixing
milk into canned soup use a whisk and add milk gradually

For a cheap air freshener fill a spray bottle
with water and add a few drops of your favourite essential oil

To keep mosquitoes away
at night mix ground cloves with a little water to form a paste
and leave it on a plate in the bedroom

After preparing seafood wash your hands thoroughly
with toothpaste instead of soap to get rid of the smell

An environmentally safe way
of making a stainless steel sink sparkle is to rub it all over
with half a lemon dipped in salt. It leaves a nice scent too.

HOW TO BAKE A PERFECT CHEESECAKE

Wrapping the pan with foil keeps it watertight.
If you grease the sides of the pan first, the surface will not crack when the cake
starts to shrink on cooling. (It always shrinks a little).
Chill thoroughly before unmoulding. In fact, I make my cheesecakes one day ahead of
serving and leave it in the springform till I'm ready to use it.
The water bath pan must NOT be higher than the springform pan or it will slow down baking.
Also, put no more than 1" of water in the pan.
Check oven temperature for accuracy.
When cheesecake is done, turn oven off, DO NOT OPEN DOOR, let sit for 1 hour.
Then remove, place on a rack, and let cool to room temperature (about 1 hour).
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Use 1 Tablespoon cornstarch per 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese.
Use Philadelphia brand cream cheese. It is the best and works EVERY time.
IMPORTANT: Use the egg size specified. If none is specified, use large
(not jumbo or extra-large) size.

When making an omelette, try adding some mashed
potato. It makes the omelette go further and tastes delicious.

For a tasty chicken coating,
mix a packet of French onion soup and a tablespoon of plain flour
together. It will coat 6-8 chicken pieces.

To keep tofu or beancurd fresh, change the water in
its container daily and store in the fridge.

For your next dinner party,
inject fruit (strawberries are great) with your favourite liqueur.
Vet syringes from the chemist are ideal.

Try putting lettuce leaves under fish when grilling
it. The fish wont stick to the grill, it stays moist and tastes
wonderful.

Scones will be lighter and rise
better if you use hot milk when making them.

Use evaporated
milk in mashed potatoes. They will turn out much creamier.

To quickly decorate a cake when
you don't have to time prepare icing, place a paper doily on
top of the cake and sprinkle icing sugar over it.

To give soups a creamy texture, without the fat, replace
cream with pureed cooked cauliflower or mashed potato.

For an easy appetizer, cut
the tops off a punnet of cherry tomatoes. Using a small teaspoon
scoop out the seeds, fill with crumbled feta cheese. Top with
shredded fresh basil drizzle with olive oil.

Try substituting barley or brown rice in casseroles,
soups, vegetarian dishes and salads. It's high in fibre and tastes
great.

To soften
sun-dried tomatoes, place in a microwave-proof bowl with a little
red wine. Heat on HIGH for about 30 seconds.

To get rid of the smell of stale smoke in a room put out a saucer of brown vinegar	To avoid lumps when mixing milk into canned soup use a whisk and add milk gradually	For a cheap air freshener fill a spray bottle with water and add a few drops of your favourite essential oil
To keep mosquitoes away at night mix ground cloves with a little water to form a paste and leave it on a plate in the bedroom	After preparing seafood wash your hands thoroughly with toothpaste instead of soap to get rid of the smell	An environmentally safe way of making a stainless steel sink sparkle is to rub it all over with half a lemon dipped in salt. It leaves a nice scent too.
HOW TO BAKE A PERFECT CHEESECAKE Wrapping the pan with foil keeps it watertight. If you grease the sides of the pan first, the surface will not crack when the cake starts to shrink on cooling. (It always shrinks a little). Chill thoroughly before unmoulding. In fact, I make my cheesecakes one day ahead of serving and leave it in the springform till I'm ready to use it. The water bath pan must NOT be higher than the springform pan or it will slow down baking. Also, put no more than 1" of water in the pan. Check oven temperature for accuracy. When cheesecake is done, turn oven off, DO NOT OPEN DOOR, let sit for 1 hour. Then remove, place on a rack, and let cool to room temperature (about 1 hour). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Use 1 Tablespoon cornstarch per 2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese. Use Philadelphia brand cream cheese. It is the best and works EVERY time. IMPORTANT: Use the egg size specified. If none is specified, use large (not jumbo or extra-large) size.
When making an omelette, try adding some mashed potato. It makes the omelette go further and tastes delicious.	For a tasty chicken coating, mix a packet of French onion soup and a tablespoon of plain flour together. It will coat 6-8 chicken pieces.	To keep tofu or beancurd fresh, change the water in its container daily and store in the fridge.
For your next dinner party, inject fruit (strawberries are great) with your favourite liqueur. Vet syringes from the chemist are ideal.	Try putting lettuce leaves under fish when grilling it. The fish wont stick to the grill, it stays moist and tastes wonderful.	Scones will be lighter and rise better if you use hot milk when making them.
Use evaporated milk in mashed potatoes. They will turn out much creamier.	To quickly decorate a cake when you don't have to time prepare icing, place a paper doily on top of the cake and sprinkle icing sugar over it.	To give soups a creamy texture, without the fat, replace cream with pureed cooked cauliflower or mashed potato.
For an easy appetizer, cut the tops off a punnet of cherry tomatoes. Using a small teaspoon scoop out the seeds, fill with crumbled feta cheese. Top with shredded fresh basil drizzle with olive oil.	Try substituting barley or brown rice in casseroles, soups, vegetarian dishes and salads. It's high in fibre and tastes great.	To soften sun-dried tomatoes, place in a microwave-proof bowl with a little red wine. Heat on HIGH for about 30 seconds.