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1st Lake Blog

Avoid Kitchen Mishaps with these Cooking Hacks

Cooking mistakes are bound to happen, but knowledge is power! Take a look at five methods for correcting common cooking mistakes (or avoiding them in the first place).

Five Cooking Hacks

Banana Bread Blunder

The Problem: You get a craving for banana bread, but the bananas aren’t ripe yet.

The Fix: Use your oven! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, place the bananas (peels on) on a baking sheet, and bake for about 5 minutes. Check out the full video here.

Unsavory Soup

The Problem: Your soup is bland.

The Fix: Season by “layer.” That means for chicken rice soup, for example, you’ll want to season the onions and carrots; season the rice as it’s cooking; season the chicken; and so on. Remember to taste as you go along to prevent over (or under) seasoning.

Recipe Rescue

The Problem: You thought you had all the ingredients or tools for a recipe, but you don’t.

The Fix: Always, always read the recipe all the way through in advance. You’ll get an idea of what you’ll need and can develop a game plan for perfect execution every time.

Cookie Crumbles

The Problem: Your cookies spread too thin when they bake, making them crunchy.

The Fix: Could be the butter! Butter that’s overly soft (like the kind you nuke in the microwave to soften in a hurry) creates a runny consistency that’s more like batter than dough – and shapeless, thin cookies. Instead, try not to rush the process. Let butter sit at room temperature for about 45 minutes to ensure the right consistency.

Going Green

The Problem: Your guacamole turns brown.

The Fix: Employ a two-part system to prevent your guacamole from oxidizing (aka turning brown). First, toss avocado in lemon or lime juice before you mash. Reserve the juice, then add it back in to taste. Citrus contains ascorbic acid, which delays oxidation. Second, place your guac in an air-tight container and dribble water on top to cover the guac. When you’re ready to eat, drain the water off and serve!

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