Read The Can't Cook Book: Recipes for the Absolutely Terrified! Online
Authors: Jessica Seinfeld
Tags: #Non-Fiction
The Can't Cook Book: Recipes for the Absolutely Terrified! (10 page)
How-to
Who knew there was a right and wrong way to measure flour? The key here is not to pack your flour when you measure it. Keep it light and fluffy.
Before you do anything with the flour,
fluff it
with a large spoon. Then, to measure, the best method is to
spoon it
into your measuring cup (do not pack), then
level it
off with a knife. This will keep the flour nice and fluffy rather than packed and heavy, which can throw off a recipe.
fluff it
spoon it
level it
How to: measure flour
How-to
Just like washing your hands, washing fruits, vegetables, chicken, and fish is a good habit to get into to rinse away pesticides and germs.
To clean chicken or fish,
rinse it
under cool running water. Pat completely dry with paper towels. I generally don’t wash pork, beef, or lamb, but simply pat it dry; it will form a better crust this way.
rinse it
How to: wash chicken, fish, and produce
Pass vegetables and fruit under cool running water and
gently scrub
with your fingers to remove dirt and wash away germs. Shake or
pat dry
.
rinse it
To wash greens like lettuce, spinach, and kale, start by tearing large leaves into bite-size pieces, then put them into a salad spinner. Fill the spinner with cold water and
agitate the water
with your hands to free dirt from the greens. Lift out the strainer. Dump out the water—you may have to rinse again if the greens are especially dirty. Put the top on the spinner and spin out the greens so that they are dry.
agitate the water
How to: wash lettuce
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CREAM CHEESE
ACTUAL WORK TIME:
10 minutes |
TOTAL TIME:
10 minutes |
SERVES:
4
This is my mom’s recipe. It gives that half-used block of cream cheese in your fridge an exciting second life.
8 large eggs
2 T. cream cheese
2 T. water
1
/
8
tsp. kosher salt
1
/
8
tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1
/
2
T. unsalted butter
Fresh dill sprigs (optional), in honor of my grandmother, who is a dill lover
Tools needed:
medium bowl, paring knife, measuring spoons, whisk or fork, medium nonstick skillet, silicone spatula.
Don’t Panic:
Not overcooking the eggs is definitely something you can handle.
1.
Crack
the eggs into a medium bowl.
Measure
the cream cheese,
cut
up into small pieces, and
add
to the eggs. Then
add
the water, salt, and pepper (about 6 turns on a pepper mill)
. Using a whisk or fork,
beat
until the eggs are an even yellow with the bits of cream cheese still visible.
2.
Place
your medium nonstick skillet on the stove and
turn
the heat to medium.
Add
the butter. Once it’s melted,
swirl
the skillet so the butter coats the bottom.
Pour
in the eggs and
let sit
untouched for 30 seconds.
3.
Then, using a silicone spatula, slowly
scrape
the bottom of the pan, working from the edges to the center. The eggs will start to come together. Continuously, but gently,
scrape
and
turn
the eggs over themselves until they are done to your liking (you do not want them to brown)
.
Serve
’em up.
Tear
the dill and
sprinkle
over the eggs, if you like.
