Trade Secrets from the Kitchen

Kitchen Trade Secrets

All of us have wanted to maximize the time we spend in the kitchen. We'll share a few of these "Kitchen Trade Secrets" here in the Recipes blog once a month. If you have tricks and timesavers you'd like to share, e-mail recipes@suite101.com and we'll share them here. Please include you full name, city and state with your submissions.

Prepared Poached Eggs

Planning a large breakfast party? You can easily avoid the last-minute frenzy by preparing your poached eggs ahead of time. This time-saving trick is frequently used by restaurant chefs who usually prepare dozens of poached eggs in advance of their breakfasts or brunches. When poaching the eggs, cook them until they're slightly underdone, then transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water with a slotted spoon. Cool the eggs in the ice bath. (The eggs can keep this way for up to 2 hours before you plan to serve them.) Then, when you're ready to serve the eggs, transfer the eggs to a pan of gently simmering water, and cook until the egg whites have set, and the eggs are hot, about 2-3 minutes.

Slicing a Cheesecake

Serving crumb-free slices of cheesecake can be a feat in itself. When slicing any cake or pie, you'll get the cleanest slices by wiping off the blade of your knife with a clean kitchen towel. before you make every slice. This is especially useful when trying to slice something as dense as a cheesecake. You can also try running your knife under hot water, drying it with a towel and then making the slice. The warmth of the blade should help the knife ease into the cake, yielding a perfect slice. Our Key Lime Pie also provides you with a great excuse to try out this technique.