Cooking Tips and tricks

   Here are a few of my tricks:

•  Prep as much as you can before serving a  big event such as a family dinner.

I like to cut up all the onions, peppers and celery and freeze them if need be.Make meatballs and hambuger meat up  and then freeze it  with in the week of the event.  The idea is not to have to go shopping on the day of your event.
Now if you are a person who buys their meatballs and beef patties then I would  advise you  to buy them in  advance. 

• Do you like to buy the salads from your local food store? no problem, buy them the day before. Why the day before? Freshness. Go into the deli department  and taste each salads you plan to  purchase to ensure your food is not spoiled, or is not old. 
• If you are buying a salad in a tub please check the expiration  date for yourself, don't assume the store  is selling you the freshest item. Besides, sometimes all the expired stuff does not get taken off the self properly.
• Salads such a pasta, or potatoe salads and dips need to be made the night before. I like to allow the spices to come together in my pasta salad and then  right  before serving add whatever spices just before.  I am prone to make  vingrettes  the evening before, somethimes just because I want them cold.

Don't be afraid to ask for help. Grab a good friend and cook together. It is a great way to spend time together.

More to come

this is T. Portlock 
Edible Opulence