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Using vinegar for cleaning When using vinegar for cleaning, use any kind of vinegar except cider vinegar. Cider vinegar will stain porous material.
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What to avoid when cooking pasta Do not add salt to the cooking water before the latter comes to a boil. Doing so will increase the boiling time of water.
Do not add olive oil to the water while cooking pasta. Doing so will make the pasta slippery and therefore prevent the sauce from sticking to it.
Do not overcook pasta. Italians eat their pasta al dente, which means 'to the tooth'. Pasta cooked al dente is cooked but still firm when bitten. Remember that cooked pasta continues to cook, even after it is drained from the cooking water.
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How to cook pasta Start by adding cold water to a pot, large enough to hold about 1 quart of water per 100 grams of pasta. Place the pot over high heat.
When the water comes to a boil, add salt (about 1 teaspoon per 100 grams of pasta). Immediately add the pasta and cook according to directions on the packaging. The proper way to cook pasta is al dente (which literally means, 'to the tooth'). Depending on the brand and type of pasta, the usual cooking time for dried pasta lies between 6 and 12 minutes.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve a cup of the cooking water.
For best results, return drained pasta to a pan and add about half of the sauce to it. Heat the pasta and sauce, stirring constantly, over a medium to high heat for 1 or 2 minutes, until the pasta and sauce are well blended and heated through.
Serve with the remaining sauce on top. If the pasta looks dry, use some of the reserved water to moisten it.
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How much pasta per person Use around 100 grams of dried pasta and 80 grams of fresh pasta per person.
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Preparing dried black eyed peas Clean black eyed peas from small stones and other foreigh material and then rinse. Soak the beans in cold water to make the beans cook faster and lessen the gas-forming properties of the beans. Changing the soaking water a few times helps in reducing even more the gas that is caused by the beans.
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| Storing dry black eyed peas Store dry black-eyed peas in a cool, dry place, away from high temperature and humidity. |
| Cooking with black-eyed peas Before cooking black-eyed beans you have to hydrate them first by soaking them in water. There are two ways to do this, the overnight way and the quick way. For the overnight method, add the beans to a bowl, cover with cold water, cover and put in the refrigerator overnight. Drain and discard water and cook. To quickly soak them, pour the beans in boiling water and boild for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Discard water and cook. |
| Nutritional information on black-eyed peas Black-eyed peas are low in fat, low in sodium and contain no cholesterol. They are high in fiber, iron and potassium. |
Using blackberries When using whole frozen berries for baked goods such as muffins, used them frozen - do not thaw. Gently fold them into the mixture to avoid crushing them. If serving frozen berries alone, partially thaw them and sprinkle them with sugar to bring out their taste and juices.
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Choosing blackberries When buying blackberries, select dry, shiny and clean berries in an unstained container. Their color should be black. Moisture increases spoilage of the berries so choose the ones that are dry and keep them dry, away from moisture, until you use them. Fresh berries should be consumed within 2 to 3 days from purchase.
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