Quick Fixes

1. Acidic foods—like a tomato based sauce. Add 1 tsp. or less soda at a time or try sugar as an alternative
2. Burnt food on pots and pans: Fill with hot water when cool and add a capful of liquid or a sheet of fabric softener; let it sit for several hours.
3. For Smooth Melted Chocolate: Try melting in a double boiler with water not touching the top pot which has your chocolate, slowly whisk in warm heavy cream (1/4 C. to 4 oz. chocolate).
4. Hard Brown Sugar: Place in a paper bag and microwave for a few seconds. Watch carefully or it’ll melt and make a mess.
5. Overcooked Sweet Potatoes or Carrots: Think soufflé with the addition of eggs and sugar. Sweet potatoes also makes for a good pie filling.
6. Sandwich Bread Gone Stale: Toast or micro bread briefly; turn into breadcrumbs.
7. Soup, sauce, gravy too thin: Add 1 Tblsp. flour to several Tblsp. of your hot liquid; stir till smooth and then add to soup,sauce,gravy.  Better yet, use cornstarch instead of the flour. Better to use flour melted in some butter before you make your sauce to thicken it.
8. Sticky rice: Try rinsing rice with warm water.
9. Stew or soup is greasy: If you have time, refrigerate and remove grease once it congeals.  Or lay some cold lettuce leaves over the hot stew for about 10 seconds and then remove. Repeat as needed.
10. Salty,(too much): Add a little sugar and vinegar.  For soups or sauces, add a raw peeled potato.
11. Sweet,(too much): Add a little vinegar or lemon juice
12. Undercooked Cake and Cookies: Serve over vanilla ice cream; layer pieces with whipped cream and fresh fruit to form a dessert parfait; crumbled cooks also make an excellent ice cream or cream pie topping.