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Cooking
Tips 4
How
to choose a pie plate
The Cookery
Cottage recommends glass plates. The crusts brown better on
the bottom and can be monitored more easily. Buy standard-sized
plates (8", 9", or 10") if you're plateless--
deep-dish and other specialty plates can be added to the collection
when you're ready to branch out. Most recipes call for standard
sizes so you won't have to finagle the recipe.
How
to use cold to create flaky pastry
Cold,
cold, cold --the pastry, the marble slab (if you're lucky
enough to own one), the water in the recipe. Cold fat congeals!
Rumor has it some chefs even chill the flour, but be mindful
that condensation can create lumps.
Should
I use my Cuisinart to make a pie crust?
It's
tempting to use a food processor to fling together a crust.
In this foodies editor's experience, it is impossible to do
so and create a pastry as flaky as one made by hand. Despite
that caveat, an acceptable crust can still be made, so, if
time is short, pull out the trusty Cuisinart. Chill the bowl
and blade. Feather that pulse button! Inspect the texture
of the dough carefully during pauses. As soon as the dough
begins to form a ball, remove it from the machine.
How
to use up pastry scraps
Butter
scraps, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake like cookies.
The chef deserves a snack!
On
freezing pastry dough
Pie crust
dough freezes better in a ball than rolled-out dough. A ball
takes up little room in the freezer and it won't be broken
when you shove in another half gallon of ice cream. Wrap the
dough tightly in plastic wrap. Thaw at room temperature, in
the plastic to prevent it from drying out, until only slightly
chilled. Proceed with your pie.
Buying
and Storing Tomatoes
As long
as they are kept at room temperature, tomatoes picked at the
mature green stage will finish ripening in supermarkets and
after you purchase them. Within a few days, they will soften
slightly, turn red and—most important of all—develop
their full flavor and aroma.
To avoid
interrupting this process, place the tomatoes on a counter
or in a shallow bowl at room temperature until they are ready
to eat.
DON'T
REFRIGERATE THEM.
When tomatoes
are chilled below 55° F, the ripening comes to a halt
and the flavor never develops.
To speed
up the process, keep tomatoes in a brown paper bag or closed
container to trap the ethylene gas that helps them ripen.
Adding an ethylene-emitting apple or pear to the container
can also hasten ripening. Store the tomatoes in a single layer
and with the stem ends up, to avoid bruising the delicate
"shoulders."
Once they
are fully ripened, tomatoes can be held at room temperature
or refrigerated for several days. When you’re ready to
use them, bring the tomatoes back to room temperature for
fullest flavor.
Tomato
Techniques
To
peel: Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover tomatoes;
bring to a boil. Immerse tomatoes about 30 seconds; drain
and cool. Remove stem ends and slip off skins.
To
seed: Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Gently squeeze
each half, using your fingers to remove seeds. To reserve
the juice for use in dressings, sauces or soups, seed the
tomato into a strainer held over a bowl.
Tomato
Shells: Cut a 1/2 inch slice off the stem end of each
tomato. Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp.
Roast:
Preheat oven to 450° F. Halve tomatoes crosswise. Place
halves, cut side down, on a shallow baking pan; brush with
oil. Roast until lightly browned, about 20 minutes; cool.
Remove skins and stem ends.
Slow-Cook:
Preheat oven to 300° F. Remove stem ends; slice tomatoes.
Place slices on a shallow baking pan; brush with oil. Cook
until tomatoes soften and shrink, about 45 minutes.
Tomato
Equivalents
1 small tomato = 3 to 4 ounces
1 medium tomato = 5 to 6 ounces
1 large tomato = 7 or more ounces
1 pound of tomatoes = 2 1/2 cups chopped or 1 1/2 cups pulp
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