Watch this Japanese video to learn how to peel potatoes in 10 seconds.
Did you know that you could host an olive oil tasting party? I started reading this and became interested in learning more about the proper way to taste olive oil and was suprise to find that you taste olive oil much as you do wine.
Tasting Olive Oil
1. Pour the oil in a shot glass and warm it with your hands so that it rises above room temperature, this allows the aromas to escape, and smell it.
2. Sip the oil. "Once in your mouth, draw the oil towards the centre of a cupped tongue, hold it there for a few seconds and then, keeping your lips pursed, draw air in quickly - causing the oil to spray your palate."
3. Between oils refresh mouth with sparkling water or a slice of apple.
Many kinds of fruits and vegetables are in season now and at their freshest in the next two months. You probably have seen the watermelons, melons, nectarines and strawberries at your local grocery store and hopefully bought some. Besides having nutritional value fruits are very tasty but you have to buy them at the right time. Here's some useful tips for picking some of my favorite fruits:
Watermelon (best month: July): Check the stem of the watermelon. If it's green then it's not ripe but if it's missing then most likely it's overripe. A shrunken or discolored stem that is still attached usually means it's ripe. Next, turn the watermelon over and look for a yellowish belly and most importantly, give it a pluck with your finger or tap it with your hand. You want to hear a solid sound. Once you get home store the watermelon in a cool place and refrigerate only after you've cut into it and then you only have 1 or 2 days to eat it.
Tomatoes (Summer Months): Look for tomatoes that show a little pink to red and that are not too hard. Never refrigerate tomatoes as this kills the flavor and texture.
Cantaloupes (Best Months: July & August): Look that no part of the stem is attached to the cantaloupe and that it has a golden color and a sweet fragrance. Just like watermelons only refrigerate after you've cut it and make sure that you wrap it up really well. Cantaloupes pick up every taste that you have in your refrigerator and taste better at room temperature.
Apricotes, Peaches, Plums, and Nectarines (Best July & August): Always choose fruits that are colorful and firm but will give to a gently squeeze and are not bruise. Try not to refrigerate them until they turn soft and then only for a short time. Refrigerating these fruits causes them to turn dry and mealy. They are highly perishable and will keep for 1 to 2 days. To ripen store them in a closed paper bag for one day. The fruit is too green in May and June (I like them green), and too dry in September.
Honeydews (Best Months: August- October): Honeydews ripen from the center out and have a very thin rind. A good, sweet honeydew will be a little grainy on the skin and have a stickiness. Always trust your nose with this fruit. If it smells sweet it will taste sweet. A good honeydew is never found before August 1st. Refrigerate a honeydew only if you've cut it or you feel the stickiness come through the melon. If you refrigerate a honeydew before cutting you will need to leave it out for one day to get out the cold.