Quick Fixes for Cooking Mistakes
Quick Fixes for Cooking Mistakes
by Kat Kinsman
High prices haven't stopped at the gas pump; they've been passed along to grocery aisles. We're sharing our tips for fixing common kitchen mishaps, and salvaging past-prime produce so you can make the most of what's already in your fridge. Waste not, want not.
Coffee
Coffee a bit bitter, but you don't want to toss out the whole pot? Add a pinch of salt to balance it. If you find that the fault is in the coffee you bought, rather than than from over-brewing, add a clean, dry eggshell to the grounds for a so-called "cowboy coffee."
Make perfect coffee every time.
Mushy Pasta
All chefs muck up and overcook pasta every once in a while. It's not the end of the world; just give the noodles a solid sauté in olive oil or butter. Then sprinkle them with grated Parmesan cheese, or deglaze the still-hot pan with a touch of white wine and splash of cream and reduce it to a luscious sauce.
Browse our pasta recipes
Stale Bread
Restore life to stale bread by slipping it into a 325 oven in a lightly dampened paper bag. When the bag is dry, your bread will have regained its former softness. Stale bread is a natural fit for breadcrumbs, croutons, crostini, bread pudding, and a sumptuous Italian tomato salad called panzanella.
Eggs
If you can't recall when you bought that carton of eggs and want to make sure they're still fresh, place them gently into a bowl of water. Rotten eggs will float, and the fresh ones will stay fully submerged. The fresher they are, the more quickly they will sink.
Tired of battered-up hard-boiled eggs? A pinhole in the tip of the egg will keep the shell from cracking due to trapped air.
Learn how to cook eggs.
Lumpy Mashed Potatoes
Some folks like lumpy spuds, but for those who don't, if the taters are already made, give them a good re-smashing with a ricer, rather than with an electric mixer. The mixer may take out the lumps, but it can also result in a gluey consistency.
To get the potatoes off to a smooth start the next time, don't toss them into boiling water since the outer parts will cook much faster then the insides. Put them into cold water, so all regions heat evenly.
Try our favorite mashed potato recipes.
Popcorn Won't Pop
The kernels may have dried out, and they need some moisture to pop. Soak them in water for about five minutes, drain and pat them dry and try again. If that doesn't work, place them in a container in the freezer overnight and go for a re-pop the next day.
Try our snack food quiz.
Overbaked Cookies
Cookies a bit crispier than you'd like? Pop them into a plastic bag or plastic container, along with a few apple slices or a slice of bread wrapped in a paper towel. They should soften within 24 hours. Five seconds in a microwave can also work wonders.
Browse cookie recipes
Crumbled Cake
If your freshly-baked cake crumbles evenly, you're in luck. The halves can likely be "glued" back together with a swipe of frosting. If the damage is more severe, slice it into segments, douse lightly with your favorite liqueur, and layer in a stemmed glass with whipped cream and sliced fruit for a simple, sophisticated trifle.
Burned Cake
Evenly remove the burned top or sides by holding a serrated knife in place while rotating plated layers, or scrape off individual scorched patches with a small grater. Fan away any loose crumbs, and then frost extra thickly to hide any surface unevenness.
Underdone Cake
If it's too late to slide it back into the oven, scoop out the gooey middle and fill the hole with fruit, ice cream or whipped cream.
Browse cake recipes
Torn Pie Crust
Even veteran piemakers have cruddy crust days. If your pastry tears, roll a patch of dough to the same thickness and flatten the edges. Brush some lightly beaten egg white on the contact points and lightly press it onto the main shell. The whites will act as an adhesive so filling won't seep out. If the rip is in the top, mask it by brushing the surface with cold water and sprinkling it with large-grained sugar before baking.
Sprinkle extra crust scraps with cinnamon and sugar and bake them on a cookie sheet for a sweet treat while you're waiting for the pie to cool.
Browse pie recipes
Recent Comments
redhatbelleza 10:27:20 PM Nov 24 2009
Sorry for the blank... it was suppose to say, clean the coffee pot.. that helps the taste too!
redhatbelleza 10:26:19 PM Nov 24 2009
Oh cleaning the coffee pot ! lol that helps the taste too ! lol
redhatbelleza 10:25:46 PM Nov 24 2009
I am not a coffee drinker.. so I don't know a "good from a bad" cup.. it smells great.. tastes terrible to me! lolBut......... I doubt a pinch of salt would hurt it.. as many has said.. common sense here! lol.....a pinch of salt in cooked oats.. works great too ! So why not coffee. And like anything, its the flavor you have gotten use to that tastes so wonderful to YOU. Its an individuals "taste" so to speak.. that makes your coffee so good to you!
mums3721 01:10:10 PM Oct 18 2009
When you add a very timy pinch of salt to either the pot or the cup, you will NOT taste the salt. It does however, bring a mildness to the coffee eliminating some of the bitterness of a poor quality of coffee. Works the same way as a pinch of baking soda does to a pot of tea.If you have not tried the salt trick, why are you condeming it?
firstcav191 12:00:29 PM Oct 18 2009
Always fresh and inexpensive when compared to many is 7-11 coffee. It may not have the status of Starbucks, but try it and see for yourself.Od Bless The USA
kidpokerchat 11:56:50 AM Oct 18 2009
I have often used the "pinch of salt" trick at cafes where the coffee is WAY to strong or bitter. Works well regardless of what some of you think.
colucci1 11:31:04 AM Oct 18 2009
You people are commenting on something you have no knowledge of. The pinch of salt in the coffee is an old housewives trick used for years to save a badly brewed coffee. Again it is a PINCH of salt in the POT after brewing and Then you flavor the coffee in your normal way.You can also do this to an individual cup of coffee but again its a few grains, less than a pinch.The eggshell in the coffee grounds is used prior to brewing if the coffee is used is is not of a high quality. These are household tips and hints used by housewives so that foods would not be wasted. It was not as uncommon for housewives to employ such hints as part of their household routine and as a means to maintain a household budget as well as to be frugal and not wasteful.There were many housekeeping manuals that contained these hints and tips as well as other for the maintenance and upkeep of a well mainted household. There are even modern versions of these housekeeping books widely available today at your loc
furishock 10:58:11 AM Oct 18 2009
Um salt in coffee...right I think you don't know what you talking about. people may vary on what they like in their coffee but uh hate to burst ur bubble but coffee is uber good when it has cream and sugar and yea and flavored coffee is yummaful. But seriously! SALT in COFFEE that just ruins coffee, coffee is bitter in the first place. But if you want to buy coffee starbucks is what i'm talking about!!! :p
pacrowderholyoke 10:17:27 AM Oct 18 2009
The first thing you do is scrub out the pot with baking soda and rinse well. Alot of times it is the acid in the coffee that clings to the pot if it isn't thoroughly washed frequently. Just rinsing it out doesn't cut it.
