Tips for Fixing Cooking Mistakes

Tips for Fixing Cooking Mistakes

Mar 02

Wait!  Don’t throw those burned cookies away, don’t give the overly dry meat to the dog…it can be saved. Here’s how.

Mushy Pasta
If you’ve overcooked the pasta, just sauté it in olive oil or butter until it regains a sturdier consistency.

Over-Baked Cookies

Put crusty cookies in a sealed plastic bag or container with a few apple slices or a slice of bread wrapped in a paper towel. The cookies should be fresh as a daisy in 24 hours. Five seconds in a microwave works if they will be eaten right away—otherwise it only makes matters worse.

It’s Burned

First, scrape the burnt food that separates easily from the pan into a clean colander. Don’t scrape too hard because you don’t want anything charred in the colander.  Then rinse the food under cold water till the water runs clear. Once that’s done, put it into another pot along with a little olive oil or margarine and cook it long enough to warm it back up. To remove the charred remains from the pot, boil with 2 cups water and one cup vinegar. The burned food should wash off easily.

Torn Pie Crust

Make a patch out of dough and place it on the torn area. Brush around the patch edges with lightly beaten egg white and lightly press it onto the main shell. The egg white keeps the filling from seeping out.

Dry Meat

Pour the drippings into a pan, add stock, and bring to a boil. Then slice the meat, place it in a roasting pan or casserole dish, and pour on just enough stock to cover the meat. Cover the pan and place it in a warm oven for 5 minutes. The meat will regain some of its moisture.

Too Salty

This is tricky. The only way to reduce saltiness is by adding sugar or vinegar—if you aren’t careful, it will only make matters worse. Now that you know this, be very mindful when you add salt to a recipe. Always start with less than the recipe calls for and add more to taste.

Too Sweet

Add a little cider vinegar, lemon juice, or a dash of olive oil.

Too Bland

Instead of risking the whole recipe, remove a small part of it, and experiment with different seasonings.

Broken Eggshell in the Food

Use another piece of eggshell to fish it out—it seems to attract its comrade.

Stale Bread
This works amazingly well. Put stale bread in a slightly damp paper bag (closed with a twist tie) and put it in a 325 degree oven until the bag is dry.

Bad Coffee
If the coffee is bitter and you don’t want to brew another pot, just add a pinch of salt.

Ok, so now that you’re an expert on fixing cooking mistakes, you might want to arrive a few minutes early to all of those dinner parties you’re sure to be invited to.