Storing Cheese

Store cheese in your refrigerator, which approximates the
temperature of aging rooms. Keep it wrapped tightly in plastic,
away from air. Air helps mold grow on cheese. If you get a little
mold on the outside, just cut it off. The English say if mold
won't eat your cheddar it can't taste very good.
Bring cheese to room temperature before melting. Melt cheese
over a low heat to help prevent toughening and separation of
oils and liquids.
Most ripened or aged cheese is low in moisture content and
can be frozen without drastic flavor and texture changes. Thaw
slowly in the refrigerator for 24 hours or more. If frozen for
several months, the cheese may dry out somewhat and become
crumbly when thawed.

Tricks for using Skewers:
Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before using
them so they won't burn during cooking.

If you prefer metal skewers, which have a long life, use
square or twisted types, which will hold the food better
than round ones.

To keep food from slipping off during cooking and turning,
use two parallel skewers rather than a single skewer.

If you're using a wooden skewer, as you thread the food
move the pieces close together, with no space showing.
If the skewer is metal, you can leave small spaces between
the pieces.

When using foods with different cooking times (such as shrimp
and beef), don't combine them on the same skewer. Instead,
make skewers of just shrimp or just beef, start cooking the
beef first, and then combine them on a serving platter.

How to use Chopsticks:
Place the first chopstick so that thicker part rests at the
base of your thumb and the thinner part rests on the lower side
of your middle fingertip. Bring your thumb forward so that it
traps the stick firmly in place. At least two or three inches
of chopstick should extend beyond your fingertip. Relax.
Now position the other chopstick so that it is held against
the side of your index finger by the end of your thumb.
Tap the ends of both sticks on the plate, while holding them
at a slight angle to the table. Allow them to slide just a
little so that the ends line up. Place a little pressure on
the top chopstick. It will pivot on your index finger just
above the second knuckle. Remember: the bottom chopstick is
stationary. The tip of the top chopstick will move towards
the tip of the bottom chopstick.Encourage this. Hold those
tips together firmly enough to grasp a piece of food and
lift it off the plate. Place delicately into your waiting
mouth. Although there's no need to stoop, you may wish to
lean over your plate a bit during your first attempts.
It might save you a clean-up!

About Honey:
To substitute honey for sugar in recipes, start by substituting
up to half of the sugar called for. With a little experimentation,
honey can replace all the sugar in some recipes.

When baking with honey, remember the following:
Reduce any liquid called for by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
Add l/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
Reduce oven temperature by 25 F to prevent over-browning.

Because of its high fructose content, honey has a higher
sweetening power than sugar. This means you can use less honey
than sugar to achieve the desired sweetness.

When measuring honey, coat the measuring cup with non-stick
cooking spray or vegetable oil before adding the honey.
The honey will slide right out.

To retain honey's wonderfully luxuriant texture, always store
it at room temperature; never in the refrigerator. If your honey
becomes cloudy, don't worry. It's just crystallization, a natural
process. Place your honey jar in warm water until the crystals
disappear. If you're in a hurry, place it in a microwave-safe
container and heat it in the microwave on HIGH for 2-3 minutes,
stirring every 30 seconds. Remember, never boil or scorch honey.

About Saffron:
Saffron is the dried, bright red stigmas of the flower Crocus
sativus, which is a relatively easy-to-grow perennial. It lies
dormant all summer, then pushes its purple blossoms up through
the mulch just as other plants are succumbing to frost. Each
blossom offers up to three scarlet stigmas. Plant the bulbs in
summer and harvest the stigmas in fall. A starter supply of about
50 bulbs costs about $30 and will produce about a tablespoon of
the spice the first year. However, each year more flowers will
grow, and therefore you'll get more of the spice. Ultimately,
your investment will pay off. Fresh saffron threads can be used
immediately for cooking, or they can be dried and stored. To dry
them, place on paper towels and leave for several days in a warm
place. Then transfer them to an airtight container and keep in
a cool, dry place.