This Week for Dinner – Weekly Meal Plans, Dinner Ideas, Recipes and More!: Kitchen Tips

Category: Kitchen Tips

Wednesday, September 1

The Trick to Margherita Pizza

My favorite margherita pizza is from Bertucci’s, an Italian restaurant chain in the Northeast that also happens to have the best dinner rolls around. Mmmm…I need a roll. But I digress…for the last 11 years or so I’ve been trying to replicate their margherita pizza. I’ve come to terms with the fact I never will, but I did discover a little trick recently that got me closer!

Whenever I made margherita pizza (which is essentially just tomatoes and/or tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh basil), the basil never tasted like it does at Bertucci’s. I tried putting the fresh basil on top of the cheese, under the cheese, chopped, not chopped…but that flavor I love just wasn’t coming through.

Of course we went to dinner at Bertucci’s this last trip out East. When they brought my beautiful margherita out, the realization hit me like a pizza pie to the face! They add the basil AFTER the pizza comes out of the oven. That is why it always tasted so differently!

So there you have it folks. Throw your basil on AFTER you’ve cooked your pizza. It makes all the difference in terms of flavor. Mmmmmm….

Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:59 pm 13 Comments
Categories: main dishes
Monday, August 30

Freezer Jam ROCKS
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again…freezer jam is the best, for two important reasons:
- It tastes amazing, fresh, delicious, wonderful…did I mention fresh and amazing?
- It’s so easy to make. I mean EASY. And it’s easy to store, too. No canning necessary, just pop in a tupperware or jar or whatever you have and stick it in the freezer.
If you haven’t made freezer jam before, please give it a try! There are all kinds of yummy fruits just begging to be preserved this time of year, so go ahead and make their dreams come true.

A few quick tips:
- I don’t have a recipe to share because I just follow the directions inside the pectin box and everything comes out just lovely.
- Follow the directions to a T! One time I put the fruit in a food processor instead of mashing with a potato masher like the directions said – the jam barely gelled. Another time I put the wrong amount of fruit in (apparently because I can’t read) and it didn’t gel at all. Just do what the instructions say and everything will work. Promise!
- To figure out how much fruit you need, buy the pectin, open the package and look at the instructions for freezer jam. Do that ahead of time so you get the right amount of fruit. You can generally find pectin in the baking aisle at the grocery store – go with the powdered pectin, I’ve had better results.
- Even though freezer jam is fast and easy to make, if you DO end up having fruit you want to make jam out of and just don’t have time, mash or chop the fruit up as per the directions, put in a ziploc bag and freeze the fruit…then make the jam later when you get a free minute. I’ve done this several times, with good results. That way you can take advantage of the in-season fruits, even if you’re not ready to make your jam.
- If you really want to know everything I have ever said about freezer jam in addition to this post, click here.
My favorite flavor by a long shot is RASPBERRY. But peach is pretty amazing. Who am I kidding, the strawberry is pretty darn good, too. Happy jamming!
Posted by Jane Maynard at 9:42 am 24 Comments
Categories: fab faves
Friday, August 13

I’m in love with my dish soap
I know, I know…how can someone be in love with dish soap? Here’s how:
- I finally bought myself an olive oil dispenser to put my dish soap in. I’ve been wanting to get one of these for years and finally thought about it while I was simultaneously standing in a store that sold them. I was honestly giddy on Tuesday when I came home with this dispenser. I know, this isn’t an original idea, but that doesn’t make it any less awesome. And I LOVE the dispenser that I found. Isn’t it beautiful? (I’m also kind of loving this orange ceramic one as well. I’m committed, but maybe one of you can buy it in my honor? P.S. I got mine at Kohl’s in case you’re wondering.)
- I love Costco’s Kirkland brand environmentally-friendly liquid dish soap. It’s clear, it has a nice light scent and it cuts through grease. I normally love Method for environmentally-friendly products, but their dish soap wasn’t powerful enough for me. I was so happy to discover that the Kirkland version works fantabulously.
Now you can see why I’m in love, right? My soap is pretty, it works great on grease, and is nice to the environment to boot. Too bad it doesn’t make me want to do dishes more. I guess I can’t expect my soap to work miracles on top of all the other great things it’s doing!
Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:47 am 17 Comments
Categories: the goods
Tuesday, July 13

Instant Yeast, the new love of my life
When I went to my pastry chef friend Faye’s bread making class (which I still need to write about – I’m such a slacker!), she used instant yeast and said it’s the only kind she uses. Since I do anything Faye tells me to do (at least with baking!), I hopped on over to Smart & Final and grabbed a pound of Saf-Instant Yeast.

I used it for the first time this weekend for pizza dough. And I fell in love. If you are scared of using yeast, this yeast is for you! I don’t know about you, but I’m always worried that the water I dissolve active dry yeast in is too hot or too cold. Since you add instant yeast directly to the dry ingredients, your worries are over!

Here’s a little run down on how to use instant yeast.
- Use about 20% less instant yeast than the amount of active dry yeast called for in a recipe.
- Add the instant yeast directly to your dry ingredients.
- When substituting into a recipe that calls for active dry yeast, be sure to add the amount of water you would have dissolved the yeast in to your wet ingredients.
- This handy website over here gives a good description of all the different types of yeast. For instant yeast it says you only need 1 rise. The first rise is replaced with a 10 minute rest and you don’t have to punch the dough down. (P.S. That website I linked to also has a great conversion chart for the different types of yeast. Just sayin’.)
So, there you have it. I doubt I’ll ever go back to active dry yeast. As for where to buy instant yeast, my local Safeway does not carry it, but my Smart & Final does (where it’s only around $4). You can also order it on Amazon, which is just downright handy.

I’m going to make sure Faye reads this post and pipes in with any information I forgot!
Posted by Jane Maynard at 8:33 am 14 Comments
Categories: the goods
Wednesday, June 23

Cucumber Water…A Perfect Summer Drink!

I recently attended a family reunion where my cousin Jamie served cucumber water. I don’t think I actually drank any…I don’t know why…but when I threw my party a few week ago, I decided to give the cucumber water a whirl. I don’t know what my guests thought, but I loved it. It was very refreshing and a really nice beverage on a warm, summery day.

Tell me this picture doesn’t make you thirsty. I dare you.

And since I know someone is going to ask about the beverage dispenser pictured, I borrowed it from my friend Ana. She got it at Costco. It’s perfect and I’m jealous and I don’t know if they have it anymore. There are a bunch of beverage dispensers on Amazon - this one comes closest to Ana’s in shape, but this hexagonal dispenser is pretty cool, too.

Posted by Jane Maynard at 6:00 am 10 Comments
Categories: fab faves
Tuesday, June 22

Salt & Pepper

I’m feeling pretty passionate about my salt and pepper lately. So I think I need to tell you about it.

First, I’m loving kosher salt. I love the coarser texture it has versus table salt and, unlike a salt grinder, I don’t break my hand getting enough to use in recipes. I’ve been using it in almost everything I’ve been cooking lately.

Second, and you need to listen carefully, Penzey’s Freshly Ground Pepper rocks the spice world. Seriously. I haven’t used my pepper grinder since I got this stuff. Sounds crazy, right? Maybe…but the flavor is just so good.

That’s all for today. Happy seasoning!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 6:00 am 8 Comments
Categories: the goods
Thursday, May 27

French Butter Crock

Last week someone commented on here asking if I have a french butter crock (a comment which seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth, by the way), to which I answered that I had a friend who used one and always thought I might get one but never had. Literally the next day I saw a Butter Bell on sale at Sur La Table. Of course I snagged it and I love it!

French butter crocks keep butter fresh by sealing it away from oxygen. And the crock keeps butter at a perfectly spreadable consistency – not too hard, not too soft. It’s like magic. You just fill the pot about 1/3 with cold water and then invert the cup of butter into the water, changing out the water every three days or so. I plan to change out my water whenever I run the dishwasher so I don’t forget!

I have a Butter Bell brand crock. I’m very happy with it. The red color is really cute, and it comes in lots of other colors, too. Le Creuset makes butter crocks as well, and their version holds 1 1/2 sticks of butter, as opposed to mine that only holds 1 stick of butter. I also love how the Le Creuset crock looks (just like how I love how everything they make looks). I’m sure you can find other brands out there, too, if you like shopping around!

I will never go back to our old butter dish. I’m completely sold.

Posted by Jane Maynard at 11:41 am 19 Comments
Categories: the goods
Tuesday, April 6

Deciphering Egg Labels

Last week’s egg discussion was awesome! Thank you for your many wonderful and well-informed comments! Wanted to share a quick link with you today that helps with deciphering egg labels. And the I promise we’ll stop talking eggs…at least for now!

Ever wonder what all those different labels on eggs mean? You know, “cage free,” “fertile” and the like? Click here for a description of each label. My friend Nikki shared the link with me a few years ago and I found it very useful. I did post the link in the comments on the previous egg post, but wanted to highlight it quickly in case you missed it.

Be sure to bop in here tomorrow…I have an AMAZING cake recipe for you. In fact, I’m going to go eat some right now to get me geared up for writing the post. Oh the things I do for you. Really, it’s rough.

Posted by Jane Maynard at 4:04 pm 7 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips
Tuesday, March 30

Egg facts that will blow your mind!

Did you know that fresh eggs (and I mean fresh-from-the-bird fresh) don’t need to be refrigerated? Does that not blow your mind? When eggs are laid they have a bloom, or a coating, on the shell that protects the chick inside from bacteria. The eggs we buy in the store are all super duper washed, which gives them their various grades…but that washing makes it so eggs must be refrigerated. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. Just interesting. Okay, I’ll admit it – this is pretty much completely un-useful information. But I still like it. And I actually do have a few friends who have chickens and this info does apply to them. But they already know it, so, yeah, I’m not really helping anyone here.

My pastry chef friend Faye has been the source of my recent egg enlightenment. Here’s another quick fact from Faye, which actually is a little more useful. Faye told me that if you wash your eggs with mild soap and water before cracking them, then the chance of salmonella contamination pretty much goes away. (Disclaimer: There is still a chance there could be salmonella on the inside of the egg, but it’s very slight…it almost always comes from the outside of the shell.)

So what does this slightly helpful information mean? It means for those of us who insist on eating raw eggs (hello cookie dough, cake batter, chocolate mousse…all foods I just can’t give up!), if you wash your eggs with soap and water before cracking them open, then you’re pretty much good to go. No guarantees though, people. If you get sick, no blaming me. But, I will be taking the risk myself.

Posted by Jane Maynard at 1:57 pm 25 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips
Thursday, March 18

Lovin’ My Magnetic Knife Holder

I’m loving my latest kitchen space saver discovery, which has actually been sitting in my drawer for over 10 years…until now. When Nate and I got married, his grandparents gave us a magnetic knife holder. For a while we didn’t have knives that needed holding, and then once I had knives, I used a drawer. Now that we’re in a kitchen with no drawers, the magnetic knife holder is a necessity. And you know what? I should have hung it up years ago – I love it!

My knives are super handy and accessible now, I can see exactly which knife I am choosing, and they are safely out of the reach of my children. If you have a LOT of knives or a block set, then you may not need this. But, even then, this holder is a nice space saver and keeps your most frequently used knives at your fingertips.

There are quite a few different styles and sizes of holders out there. Click here for my simple, straightforward model (which is also very affordable). This stainless steel holder is nice and sleek, and I love this bamboo holder.

{Thanks, Grammy, for getting us this great gadget so long ago!}

Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:31 pm 17 Comments
Categories: the goods
Thursday, March 4

Small kitchens and the joys of organization!

The kitchen is unpacked. {A sigh of relief from the starving Maynard children.} Seriously, what a chore! But it’s done done done. We actually ate dinner as a family around the table last night…granted, dinner was a frozen veggie lasagna, but it’s a step in the right direction!

Today’s post is all about small kitchen spaces. I know I’m not the only one out there with a small kitchen, and mine isn’t even that bad (anyone from Manhattan out there?).

I have to say, now that I have a smaller kitchen space, I’m more organized than I’ve ever been! Without the luxury of space, I’ve really had to think about what I need and use regularly, and the best way to organize and store it. I’m especially proud of this cupboard. Who needs drawers? Not me!

In addition to buying a few organizing bins as well as uniform tupperware that fit inside one another neatly, we also purchased doors for a small bookcase we have and stuck that against the wall near the kitchen table to serve as a mini pantry. After everything was unpacked and put away, I actually had space left over! In fact, my KitchenAid is going to take a permanent spot on the counter. Yea!

Today it’s all about small kitchens and organizing our kitchen wares. Even with the large kitchen I had before, I certainly wasn’t organizing it as well as I could have been. We could all do with a few good tips! So, bring it on, folks…give us your best advice for organizing kitchen ‘stuff’ and/or tips for working in a tiny kitchen. Can’t wait to hear your great ideas!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 2:00 pm 29 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips
Thursday, January 21

Kitchen Tip: Adjust-A-Cup

When I was making our peanut butter playdough this week and happily using my Adjust-A-Cup, I realized I’ve never written about it. So here we are. I love it. Especially for sticky things that are so hard to get out of a regular measuring cup, like PEANUT BUTTER. It works like a charm.

I know the Adjust-A-Cup is nothing new, but it took me years to finally get one, so I’m excited about it just the same. And if you haven’t gotten one yet, hop to it! (I like the 2-cup version, but they have a 1-cup and a mini as well.)

Happy Measuring!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 9:03 am 13 Comments
Categories: the goods
Wednesday, January 13

Kitchen Tip: Freezing Wine

I love today’s Kitchen Tip. This one is thanks to my friend Nikki, who shared the Pasta Primarvera with us.

Nate and I don’t drink, but I do cook with wine when a recipe calls for it. There’s a problem with this combination – whenever I use wine for a recipe, I have tons leftover that invariably goes to waste. Even if you do drink wine, I’m sure there are times leftover wine goes bad sitting in your fridge.

Guess what? You can freeze wine and cook with it later! How great is that? My technique is to measure 1 cup of wine into small ziploc bags and then lay them flat in the freezer. Ice cube trays can work, too.

And because I’m proving to be a real Mark Bittman groupie, check out this great article about freezing foods. This is where Nikki found the wine tip. I actually had read the article but totally missed the wine. Thanks once again, Nikki!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 5:40 pm 13 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips
Friday, January 1

Tomatoes don’t like refrigerators, so keep them separated

The other night Nate told me that I forgot to put the tomatoes in the fridge. To which I replied, “Don’t you read my blog? They shouldn’t go in the fridge!” But then I realized, I have only alluded to this tomato info once in a post about ripening avocados. So…I think a post on refrigerating tomatoes is in order!

One day while selecting tomatoes at the grocery store, I noticed a little sign hanging above the tomatoes. It said that tomatoes should never be refrigerated and (here’s where my memory gets fuzzy) there was something about the colder temperature affecting the sugars of the tomato, which changes the texture and makes them mushy and/or mealy.

I’ve done a little research and can’t find any good resources with information on this topic, in fact a lot of the information is conflicting. Often people say you shouldn’t refrigerate tomatoes because it reduces flavor. I actually don’t think this is the issue. The sign I read at the store didn’t say anything about flavor, but specifically talked about texture. Perhaps it’s a combo of both, who knows? Any tomato scientists out there?

Regardless, don’t put them in the fridge. They are affected and are much better stored at room temperature. Also, putting tomatoes in the fridge will stop the ripening process (as with most fruits and vegetables), and most tomatoes I’ve purchased could always use a little more ripening.

That all said, once I cut into a tomato, I do refrigerate any leftovers. But I make an effort to only cut as many as I need and keep my tomatoes at room temperature for as long as possible.

If you want to read a few articles on the topic, click this link or this link.

If you do put your tomatoes in the fridge, I’m certain it won’t be the end of the world as we know it. But if you want your tomatoes to taste their best, keep them on the counter.

All this tomato talk (which, by the way, was much longer than I was planning on!) is making me happy we’re having tomato soup tonight! (And, yes, I’ll share that recipe with you later.)

Posted by Jane Maynard at 5:04 pm 9 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips
Friday, December 18

Birthday Cake Success!
Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while may remember my annual stresses over birthday cakes. Last year I begged you all for birthday cake tips, and then I chickened out and made a layer cake that was cute and tasty, but not very adventurous. Our little Anna likes Spiderman a lot. It’s pretty cute. I decided that I would make her a Spiderman cake this year. Thankfully his head is a simple oval, so this was a good cake for me to get my feet wet with.

Do you mind if I brag a bit? I love her cake! I’m so happy with how it came out. YEA!!!!!

I will say this. I didn’t cheat at all in the process.
- I used cake strips, of course.
- I froze the cakes before assembling and frosting.
- I made the frosting from scratch, so I could make a ton for not much money and have plenty to work with.
- I used wax paper to keep the cake platter clean.
- I applied a crumb coat of frosting first before doing a top layer of frosting.
- I used tons of food coloring to get the color of icing I wanted.
- I practiced decorating with frosting before attacking the cake itself. (This was big for me, I hate “wasting” time practicing!)
All of this meant it took longer to make, but it was well worth the effort. Thank you for indulging me and letting me show off the cake! Maybe next year I’ll try a more interesting shape. Or maybe I should just stick with things at are oval-shaped.
Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:17 pm 19 Comments
Categories: kids
Friday, December 11

Vanilla Bean

Today I cut open my very first vanilla beans! (Sidenote: I’m almost ashamed to admit this. Seems like something I should have done before, right? Sometimes this blog feels more like confession than a food blog!)

I can’t tell you exactly what I am using this vanilla for (you’ll find out next week!), but I can share the vanilla itself with you today.

The point of this post is that using vanilla beans is EASY. I don’t know what I was expecting. I guess I thought the beans would be harder to cut through, and that the seeds might be tricky to get out. I was happy to discover that using fresh vanilla beans is a simple and painless process – just slice down one side (it cuts easily) and scrape out the seeds. And it sure smells good while you’re doing it! So, if you are scared like I was…don’t be!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 4:23 pm 7 Comments
Categories: the goods
Wednesday, November 18

Kitchen Tip: Longer Lasting Fresh Garlic

Recently Nate’s lab at Stanford went on a team building trip with Parties That Cook. They went on a special tour of the Ferry Building, including a behind the scenes look at Acme Bread. The day ended with a cooking class and then they got to eat all the amazing food they cooked. I was SO jealous all day, knowing what Nate was up to without me! He did bring home some yummy goodies to try to make me feel better. It kind of worked. He also came home with a great kitchen tip!

The chef who taught the cooking class said that he breaks up his garlic bulbs as soon as he buys them. It helps the garlic keep fresh longer by airing it out and reducing the chance of moisture getting between the cloves. Basically, it will take longer for the cloves to turn green (green cloves = bitter garlic).

I’m really excited about this tip…I HATE cracking open garlic cloves only to find they’ve turned green. Hopefully that will happen less often now!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 12:05 pm 8 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips
Wednesday, September 16

Guest Post on Make and Takes: Fun with Edible Nasturtiums

Don’t miss my guest post over on Make and Takes today: Fun with Edible Nasturtiums

Big thanks to my dear friend Christy who gave me the idea in the first place! Hope you can grow nasturtiums in your new home state of South Dakota, Christy!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 3:17 pm 3 Comments
Categories: guest blogging
Tuesday, September 15

Random Tip: Getting Ball Point Pen Out of Clothes

I have to share this tip because I love it. It has absolutely nothing to do with food or cooking, so it doesn’t really classify as a Kitchen Tip…but I’m sharing it anyway! Have you ever gotten pen on your clothes? Yeah, me too. A friend of mine shared the best tip with me years ago that has worked every time since…HAIRSPRAY. Before you wash the garment, soak the pen stain in hairspray for a while (sometimes I repeat this step). I swear it works. It’s like MAGIC.

I took this picture right after I sprayed hairspray onto the pen marks…yeah, this is Anna’s brand new, adorable outfit that she attacked with a pen. You can see how the ink started to fade out immediately.

I will tell you, the trick did not work once…but the ink was from a bright red, non-ballpoint pen, so I think the ink is different. Too bad, because it was another cute outfit of Anna’s destroyed by none other than Anna herself. Kids!

Posted by Jane Maynard at 6:00 am 11 Comments
Categories: Kitchen Tips
Thursday, August 27

Handy Kitchen Tool: Magnetic Clips

I spotted these magnetic clips at Bed, Bath and Beyond last year and thought they might come in handy, so I grabbed a pack. I soon discovered that not only are they handy, they are indispensable!

I bought another pack last week to add to my collection. If 7 clips are good, 14 is GREAT! You simply don’t realize how often you need a clip in the kitchen until you have an abundance lying around waiting to be used. And not only have I discovered the handiness of clips in general, but being able to “store” them on my fridge means they’re always right at my fingertips and not lost in a drawer somewhere.

Someone is bound to ask about the ‘Fun Recipes for You and Child’ paper hanging from the black clip. So, I’ve typed them up for you! Click more to read the recipe for Playdough, Flubber and Koolaid Playdough.

(more…)

Posted by Jane Maynard at 10:53 am 2 Comments
Categories: the goods