Cuisine With Chef Fregz: “I Didn’t Know You Could Do That!” 10 Useful Basic Kitchen Tips

I love cooking. Maybe we should scratch that because if you’re a regular  reader of this column you can literally feel my love for cooking oozing out of the posts.  Now, when you love cooking as much as I do you’d know that a whole lot goes into the final product you see and enjoy and savor. Cleaning of the kitchen after all the cooking is done is an essential part of being a good cook and many people hate that part of the chore but it’s important to keep your work space, clean and hygienic especially because your finished product is going to be ingested. You don’t want people falling sick and all that.

Many times when I tell people some ways they can keep their pots and pans clean and shiny they go “I didn’t know you could do that!”  or even little tips on what to do with left over food. I decided to share those tips with you guys over here on BN. The tips I’m going to share with you today are tried and tested so if you have any questions send an email to features(at)bellanaija(dot)com with the subject “BN Cuisine With Chef Fregz”

1. The Baking Soda/Powder/Bicarbonate of Soda and Vinegar mixture. I swear by this mixture. I use it for almost everything; to clean table surfaces and most especially to neutralize smell of pepper and what not in blenders. Use it to clean chopping boards to kill the raw meat bacteria and neutralize the smell as well.When you mix a teaspoon of baking powder to 3 tablespoons of vinegar it would react and bubble do not fear or worry especially if you’re using more. Just allow to bubble and rinse out blenders so you can make smoothies and not worry about it tasting like onions!

2. A little vinegar in water helps to shine your silverware when cleaned with a clean cloth.

3. Over ripe bananas. Peel and place them in a freezer and use it to make smoothies or pulse for baking recipes.

4. Take coarse or regular salt mix with vinegar and use to scrub the bottom of pots and pans

5. Salt and vinegar mix works wonders for the top of your cookers. Spray over a stove top and leave for 20 mins and come back and clean it to remove stubborn stains

6. Lemon and Baking Soda mix is magical for the microwave. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze out the juice and mix with some baking soda. Put some on the surface and inside the microwave and set to warm for a minute. That way you get rid of bacteria and the microwave smells fresher!

7. Cut chicken breast while slightly frozen to get more precise cubes of chicken for a chicken kebab or chicken sauce.

8. Garlic cloves can save you from ants taking over your kitchen. Sprinkle a few cloves around the kitchen and the ants wont bother you again.

9. ‘Stale Bread‘ isn’t bad and useless so don’t throw it away. You can always dry it out in the oven and blend or process to make bread crumbs for your meat balls.

10. Stainless Steel spoons can be used for more than just eating. For cleaning smelly hands after chopping onions or garlic, just rub them on a stainless steel spoon. The steel is supposed to absorb the odor or add some liquid soap to a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Be sure to moisturize your hands immediately after.

I hope you all found these tips helpful? They’re cheap and inexpensive ways to ensure your cooking space is on point!

In other news, I hope your calendars have been marked and appropriate reminders have been set on you Blackberries, iPhones, Android for the 29th of July because the Chef Fregz Special is Live at GET Arena Oniru Lekki. The Eba and Seafood Okro is on the menu so follow @chef_fregz  on Twitter or like the Chef Fregz page on Facebook to be updated!

I’m also giving away T-Shirts by Giddimint, so if you would like a chance to win a shirt just follow on twitter or like chef fregz on Facebook and type “I’m coming on the 29th #BNreader“. Come, and the T-shirt is yours!

Have a great weekend and clean your kitchen good!

Ciao!

Fregz loves to cook! He is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Paris Culinary Arts School in France and hosts monthly “Chef Fregz Specials” where he whips up a yummy menu with a different theme each time then everyone enjoys a taste.He also caters special events and private dinners. To find out more, visit http://theskinnychefthatcould.wordpress.com/