John Noll's Cooking Tips

• Always get the grill hot – very hot.  It burns off yesterday’s residue and prepares the grill for a new round.  A hot grill sears the meat (chicken, fish) and makes turning easier. Then adjust the heat. 
• Wipe the grill with oil just before grilling.  Use a high-smoke-point oil like grape seed, avocado, sunflower, safflower, canola.  Not olive – it burns at high temps.  Secure a paper towel with grill tongs, wet with oil, wipe and use. 
• Grilling chicken:  If you prefer skin on, it will char leaving the meat inside juicer.   Skinless, boneless – turn often and don’t overcook breasts.  They become dry and cardboard-like.  Test for doneness with your finger or tongs.  If spongy it needs more time.  If it offers little/no resistance, it’s overdone.  Still not sure, use a thermometer.  Grilling thighs is a no-brainer.  They are tasty, a fit fatty for flavor and it’s hard to overcook them.  Just marinate and grill.  Caution:  All bone-in chicken takes much longer to grill.  Rule of thumb:  grill till no pink liquid leaks. 
• Grilling meats:  Get marbled cuts – the fat renders, drips into the fire and creates that wonderful smoky flavor.  Plus the meat is more tender and tasty.  Grill on medium-high heat.  Again, use the touch test for doneness.  Spongy:  leave on, unless you like very rare steaks.  A bit soft:  medium rare.  Slightly resistant: medium to done.  No give:  Trump style – well done!  Marinate leaner cuts.  To me the best steak is salted (early, about 2-3 hours before cooking) and peppered, then grilled.  Use sauces at the table. 
• Grilling seafoods:  The single best grilling fish is salmon.  I prefer Chef Paul’s Salmon Magic seasoning – its finished flavor cannot be beat.  Sprinkle, pat and grill.  Skin side down over medium heat for 6-7 minutes, turn and finish for 1-2 minutes depending on thickness.  Scallops and shrimp – get the grill HOT and sear scallops for 3-4 minutes, turn and remove after one minute.  Ditto for shrimp (great marinated) but adjust time for thickness.  Try on twin skewers for easy turning.  Less cooked seafood is better than over cooked.  Remember, it continues to cook after removing from the grill. 
• Marinades:  You can marinate meats up to 4 hours before cooking.  Chicken – no more than one hour.  Seafood – 15+/- minutes. Longer marinating tend to break down the fibers and cause toughening.  If you use a liquid marinade, use a plastic bag.  Seal tightly and turn occasionally.  If you use a dry rub, cover and refrigerate.  Always bring the grilling items out of refrigeration 30-60 minutes before grilling to return it to room temp.  Cooking time is cut down and the food cooks more evenly.
• Vegetables: A great tasting, visual-pleasing presentation.  Grill whole, sliced, or chopped.  Grill thickly sliced red, yellow, & orange peppers for color and taste.  Thickly slice a sweet onion, marinade in Italian dressing for 15+ minutes and grill.  Put cut up veggies in a basket and grill till charred – use broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, zucchini, onion, peppers, eggplant – any combination of these or other cut up veggies.  Mix with olive oil, salt and pepper before grilling.  After grilling, sprinkle on fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, chives, oregano, rosemary) and toss. 
• Salad on the Grill?  Cut small heads of romaine lettuce or radicchio in half.  Place cut side down on grill for 2-3 minutes covered, till leaf edges char.  Serve cut side up and flavor lightly with Caesar or Cheesy Italian dressing.  Serve immediately.  Delicious!
• Desert on the Grill?  Boy, what a treat and what a way to impress your guests!  Take stone fruit (peach, plum, apricot; not nectarine – sticky seed!), cut in half (twist 90° to separate and remove stone).   Lightly brush cut-side with melted butter (promotes browning and tasty caramelization) and place cut-side down on a medium-high grill.  Check after 5+/- minutes for grill marks; turn, lower heat and leave on until bubbles appear.  Serve immediately with a scoop of ice cream. 

• Keep your knives sharp. Run the blade through a hand-held sharpener, or hone on the sharpening rod in your knife set.
• Try to keep the veggies you prepare about the same size – they cook evenly that way.
• Using a mirepoix (fr.) or the Holy Trinity/soffritto (ital.), which is diced onions, carrots and celery of equal amounts – more onions are better – is a good way to start almost any dish, definitely any soups or stews.
• Grilling any combination of veggies is a great way to impart flavor (smokiness).  Use a basket, turn/stir after a bit of char.  Total of maybe 7 – 10 minutes.  Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper and bit of herbs or spices.
• Don’t overcook skinless, boneless chicken breasts on the stove or grill (or anything, for that matter).  Makes them like cardboard – both taste and texture.  Cook till almost done and remove.  They continue to cook after removed from the heat.
• Simple is better than complicated.  Salt and pepper on your veggies, meat or seafood and cook.  Serve sauces on the side.  Deglaze the pan with white wine, cook down, add a butter pat and pour over.  Simple, elegant, tasty
• Go on the Internet for recipes.  Google “5 Ingredients” and you’ll be taken to Jamie Oliver’s simple 5 Ingredient recipes.  Quick, easy, tasty. 
• This may be the time to splurge.  Take out that recipe book, saved recipe pages, or recall something you’ve always wanted.  You’ve got the time for sure.  Hey, if you get stuck, in trouble, or want ideas, give me a call. 

Take advantage of the summer’s vegetable bounty.  Soooo easy! 

Salads – cut chunks of cucumber, red & green peppers, red onion and fresh heirloom tomatoes (they cost more, but are well worth it!), mix with a vinaigrette.  Add chunks of feta and pitted kalamata olives, sprinkle dried oregano for a Greek salad.  Or, add Parmesan cheese, pitted Castelvetrano Olives [or your favorite green olive], & basil for an Italian salad.  Option:  Serve over spring greens.

Kitchen Gadgets – I think cooking and golf give us more gadgets to “simplify” our existence.  I disagree.  Not for golf, mind you, but in the kitchen.  Don’t be enamored with garlic presses, chopping devices, egg separators and the like.  (Ever see a chef use those things on TV?).  Stick with the basic knife for most tasks.  However, I have two I cannot be without:  A lemon squeezer and cherry pit separator.  Get a handled lemon squeezer than allows you to juice a half lemon (or lime) with no seeds in seconds.  There is a Cherry Pitter that allows you to take the seeds out of 8 cherries in one smash – seeds gone and cherry in tact!  There is also a single cherry option, buy why work eight times harder!  What a great way to add cherries to your spring fruit salad.   Also, speaking of cherries, try the Rainer-type (cream & pinkish color) vs. the classic Bing. (dark red).  More expensive but double the taste!    

Oil Spray Cans – They are easy, good and useful.  First, they add negligible fat/calories in their use as long as you are not trigger-happy.  Use them to 1) spray a plastic storage container before storing any tomato-based sauces; keeps from staining the container; 2) spray measuring cups & spoons when using for sugary, syrupy ingredients [e.g., maple syrup]; ingredients come out with little residue; 3) lightly spray a non-stick skillet for grilled cheese, French Toast & eggs; no oil needed; 4) spray on oven-baked breads for a crispier crust; 5) spray on baking dishes before filling to keep baked-on sticking to a minimum; 6) spray on the cheese grater before grating cheese – no residue; 7) spray on your hands when making burger patties;  8) spray on plastic wrap before covering desserts.   

Seasoning your Cooking  - I learned two important things about flavor and seasoning while cooking from Chef Paul Prudhomme of New Orleans fame:  Layer your seasoning and taste often.  As you prepare a dish, season each layer of added ingredients.  Let’s say you sauté onions to start – salt & pepper them.  Then you add peppers and veggies – salt & pepper and season them.  Taste.  Be sure it is flavorful and the way you want it.  If not, adjust your seasonings.  Then, after adding the final ingredients, flavor them.  Just before serving, taste again and adjust seasonings.  I also learned elsewhere the two most basic ingredients restaurants use to enhance the flavor of sauces and dishes:  Salt and Butter.   Simple, but so effective.  Taste and adjust seasonings. 

Pasta – Dried vs. Fresh -  Most of the pasta we use is dried – comes in a box, cello package; takes 8-14 minutes to cook, is made with semolina flour & water, has a sturdy texture and strong gluten (that’s what holds it together – and it is neither good nor bad for you, unless you are gluten-intolerant [have celiac disease]).  An alternative is fresh pasta, which is found in the grocer’s refrigerated section – it is made with eggs and white flour, which gives it a smooth, tender, more delicate texture.  It also cooks in 2-3 minutes! Usually what we get in a restaurant because of its higher quality taste and feel.  Store dry pastas for months, even years; not so for fresh.  Be careful of the “Best by” or expiry date – it has uncooked egg in its makeup.  Dry pasta has a countless array of shapes; fewer choices for fresh.  Mostly interchangeable in recipes, except where there is vigorous stirring involved to release the starch (e.g. cacio e Pepe – Cheese & Pepper) or with large ingredients, like broccoli or sausage chunks – the fresh pasta tends to clump. 

Freezing Foods – freezer burn and leaving food in the freezer too long are the two best ways to ruin your frozen foods.  How long you keep it in the freezer is up to you, but this will help keep burn-loss at a minimum:  1.  Keep as much air as possible from the food – transfer to airtight packaging.  2. Freeze as quickly as possible.  3. Remove from the original package – lay meats out flat, wrap and freeze separately, then store together.  4. Wrap the food tightly in aluminum foil, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  This will keep at much air away from the food as possible.  Plastic wrap alone is air permeable.  5. Individually wrap items if possible or use a vacuum sealer (FoodSaver process), then put the items in a separate plastic bag.  Identify and date so you know what’s in the bag and how long it has been there. 

Defrosting - freezing items separately will help you defrost quicker and use portion control.  Lay flat on a plate or pan and defrost in the refrigerator.  This may take time – think overnight.  More time for whole roasts, chickens, or larger bowls of leftovers.  In a rush?  Soak items in cold water (not hot), or on an aluminum pan, turning every half hour or so as they thaw.  Careful here:  letting the frozen item reach room temperature is an invitation to rapid bacteria growth. Refrigerate if it is almost thawed.  Do not use this technique for large items or roasts – the edges are at room temp before the center thaws.  Concerned about spoilage?  Use your nose.  It does not lie.  If it smells off or bad, toss.  If it still smells fresh-like, you are good. 

Parchment Paper.  Never heard of it? Rarely use? This is one useful kitchen baking and cooking companion.  This paper will not burn under 400°.  Use it on cookie sheets or to line pans when baking anything.  It won’t burn, will protect baked goods from sticking and clean up is a breeze – throw away the paper and wipe the pan clean.  Use it as a surface for assembling and pouring baking ingredients, steaming fish, covering microwave dishes.  Use it on the counter top when assembling ingredients to bake or cook (lightly moisten the surface before placing the paper to keep it from slipping or curling).  Caution:  Do not confuse with wax paper.  That will burn in the oven. 

Cook Books.  I received three for Christmas!  I noticed immediately they all “teach” instead of just give you recipes.  Salt, Fat, Acid & Heat spends about 50-60 pages on each of these cooking basics then shows in recipes how to incorporate.  You’ll never look at the four basics the same with this book.  How to Taste does just that – teaches you tasting, what affects different aspects of taste and tips on how to.  Then after explaining, it gives recipes incorporating what was just covered.  The Food Lab – Better Home Cooking Through Science takes you through all aspects of cooking:  Tips, Techniques, Pictures, Recipes.  This is a cooking compendium to be read, reread and referenced.  Just got it, so I am just perusing the 950 pages! 

Thanksgiving Turkey.  Improve on mom’s/grandma’s traditional recipe – brine the bird.  Amazingly it does not add a lot of salt; magically it keeps the breast meat moist and the thigh meat tender.  Just go on line to find a brine recipe.  Brine the bird for 12-24 hours (no longer; too much salt taste) and roast normally.  The juiciest turkey you will ever have.  Don’t stuff the bird; just add celery and onions to the cavity and roast.  It will cook better, easier and you won’t have to worry about thoroughly baking the stuffing while overcooking the bird.  Bake stuffing separately. 

Easy Gravy.  Don’t let this tasty, simple addition to a great meal get complicated or lumpy.  Collect the turkey juices after roasting and skim off the fat (use a fat-skimmer or skim with a spoon and paper towels), pour juices in a pan and bring to a boil.  Dissolve 1/3 cup of flour in 1-1½ cups warm chicken broth (put in a jar & shake well).  Pour all into the simmering juices at once.  Whisk constantly and bring to a boil.  You are done!  Tasty, easy gravy and you will be the envy of the party! 

Rice:  Many kinds.  What’s the difference?  Long & Short - Long rice tends to be lighter, fluffier while Short rice is stickier, more chewy.  Types – Basmati rice is a long grain rice, aromatic, light and a perfect side dish alone or as a base for additional ingredients.   Jasmine is a short grain, soft and sticky, great for sushi, many Chinese dishes and other sticky combinations.   Aborio is a short grain, high gluten, pasta-like, perfect for risotto.  Calrose and Texmati are US developed grains that have both characteristics in that they increase in length and width in cooking.  Versatile and widely useful.  Brown v. White – Brown is less processed with just the hull removed leaving a higher fiber-content rice, a bit chewier than white.   White is milled until the product is white, softer and fluffier than its less processed sister.   This is the most common, easier to chew, less fibrous, more appealing choice. 

Get rid of Garlic Hands.  To remove the annoying garlic smell from your hands, rinse in cold water and rub them on your kitchen faucet. Rinse, repeat. (huh?  It Does Work!).  Rub your hands on anything stainless steel for the same result.  Works with onion, celery – any un-desirous smell on your hands.   Rinse, rub, rinse, rub, dry.  You will be amazed. 

Corn on the Cob – Here are two very easy ways to fix corn on the cob:  For 2-4 ears, husk and rinse.  While dripping wet roll each ear in a paper towel.  Microwave for 4-5 minutes (more for more ears; less for fewer) and serve.  Perfect every time.  (Caution:  they are hot!).  For a crowd:  place all cleaned ears in a pot of water.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, remove from heat.  Leave in the hot water. You can serve anytime up to 15-18 minutes.  Perfect way to feed a crowd and not worry about timing – are they done?  Overcooked?  Perfect every time. 

Kitchen Shears – What a useful tool!  As Jim Quon point out, use them to cut tomatoes in the car.  Cut pizza, pita or quesadillas into wedges; focaccia into squares.  Prep produce by snipping cauliflower to size, trim artichoke leaves, carrot & radish tops, stems from leafy greens.  Great for slicing messy items like dried fruits or even raw bacon.  How about opening those pesky sealed bags.  Perfect! 

Too-hard-to-eat stone fruit from the store?   Place the fruit in a paper bag along with a banana for 2-3 days, or until soft.  The banana releases an ethylene gas that triggers ripening of the fruit.