 If like me you cook fish on a regular basis you may find that your tasty meal is hard to forget. The reason may not be just because it was delicious but rather that "the meal is ended but the smell of it lingers on" if you know what I mean.
One of my favourite fish dishes is grilled, smoked mackerel. It is a healthy food providing essential fats and it is very tasty. However much as I love the food I hate the after smell. It can linger around for far too long. You need to consider good methods of cooking, preparing and clearing up in order to limit fish smells. So this write-up is about prevention as much as removing; let's start with preparing the fish. Preparation Lay your fish onto a chopping board and you could start the whole fish smell scenario. You may have to prepare your fish though. If you do, use a board that does not hold smells and liquids. Avoid wooden chopping boards but go for tough easily cleanable plastic ones. Clean all boards, utensils and work surfaces as soon as possible. Make sure you throw any packaging in a bin outside at once, preferably in a tied plastic or polythene bag. This will prevent bins becoming smelly, especially those indoors. Add a few drops of lemon juice to your cleaning solution as this fights smells. On a cautionary note though take care with lemon juice. Some surfaces such as granite may not react well. Always check before use. Cooking In order to minimise fish smells in your home cook wisely.You can bake, grill, steam, poach or fry fish. It depends on the dish and the fish. If you are frying, fish greasy splashes on work tops and your hob may be a big problem. Keep the heat on the hob relatively low and if necessary use a splatter guard. Again wipe down surfaces thoroughly sooner rather than later. Use hot soapy water. Keep any ventilation or cooker hood open while you are cooking fish. Cooking fish in the oven means it is covered and smells will be kept to a minimum. If you opt to grill fish, line your grill pan with aluminium or cooking foil. As soon as you serve the fish and the foil is cool enough, squeeze the foil into a tight ball and remove. Again it will need to go in a bin outside of your home. I tend to have a carrier bag outside the kitchen door when cooking fish and keep placing all this stuff in it. Once finished I can just tie it tight and throw its away. Clearing up Now we get to the nitty gritty. If you have prepared and cooked wisely the lingering fish smells should be at a minimum but they will still be there. Time can make the difference between the smells lingering until doomsday or them being gone in a few minutes. Washing up, plus tips and advice
If you place the vinegar in a small dish,whilst you work on the fish and clear up afterward, apparently it will soak up any odours. Having not tried this method I would imagine that the smell of vinegar could be just as off putting as the fish. However it's claimed that as soon as you smell the vinegar it is time to move it away. The claim is that your kitchen will be left odour free. I shall try this the next time I am cooking fish. I have read that a cut onion acts the same way but who wants a raw onion hanging about whilst they are cooking? For now though I would say that you cannot beat good kitchen hygiene for reducing or removing kitchen smells such as fish. The bonus is you will minimse your risk of catching a stomach bug and your kitchen will sparkle. If all else fails If the above all sounds like too much hassle for your busy schedule cook fish outdoors on a barbecue. You will still have smelly utensils and dishes to clean but away from your home and kitchen. Outdoors the smell cannot and will not linger for long.
0 Comments
The need for a home office
More and more people own at least one home computer. In addition they may own a printer, scanner and perhaps even a photocopier. Whether these items are used at home for work or pleasure, there is no doubting that finding the appropriate home area can be a problem. A home office is a great solution if space allows. There are many options available and so it should be possible to find one to suit you. Your home office could be a corner of a bedroom, a small area of a home conservatory or even a designated office in an outbuilding. Assess your home office needs before you start planning and organising the office. Your needs will probably be greater if the home office is needed to run a business as opposed to one that is for fun. No matter what type and location of home office you use it will benefit from being well organised. Office location Have a good look around your home. See which areas could accommodate a home office. The size of space needed will depend upon the equipment you have and how many people may be using the office. Even if you do not all use the office together, more people will need more space, for example, for storage. Think about the possible room temperature in both summer and winter, and ensure that you have ventilation and heating solutions. Office furnishings and office furniture Now that you have found the perfect location for a office in your home, what type of office do you want? There are so many styles available these days. Research on-line for ideas. Some home offices can be added to in time. These can be great when the initial budget is tight. Other home offices can be constructed in different shapes so that they fit the space available perfectly. Also consider having a purpose built office. You may be a capable woodworker who is able to design and create your own office furniture. If not you should be able to hire someone locally to do the work for you. This may not be as expensive as first thought. Think about the lighting and window coverings. Vertical blinds are good for office working and help control the light during the day. This can be important when working on computers. The artificial lighting needs to be conducive to your office work.Remember that where you place desks and computer screens in relation to light sources is vital. Dual purpose rooms More often than not a home office will have to be set up in a room that has another purpose. Many home offices are created in spare bedrooms, for example. If the room is to have a dual purpose extra thought needs to be given to organising the space. It is no good if the room ends up not fit for either purpose. Screens or shelf units can often be used as room dividers in order to give both parties some privacy. How to organise your home office Now that your home office is up and running it is important to organise it.
You will need
Additional information
 These days you can buy ready made rice pudding that, the maker's claim, is as good as traditional, home made rice pudding. Well tinned, frozen or chilled, store bought, rice pudding is quick to prepare, easy to cook, sometimes cheap and usually convenient but it is no match for the real McCoy.
There are many variations of a traditional rice pudding, but this 1-2-3 is for a basic recipe. Once you know this recipe you can replace full fat milk with semi skimmed milk, use a jasmine infused rice and more. Home-made Rice Pudding can be a little time consuming but it is well worth the effort. In fact there is very little effort needed and most of the time is due to the cooking time. So, let's get cooking! Ingredients To Serve 4 People:
Preparation Preheat the oven to: 170C / 325F / Gas Mark 3. If your oven is fan assisted adjust the temperature according to the manufacturer's instructions. The Oven Dish
Placing in your oven Stir this mixture carefully, adding the knob of butter, if desired. Although this is not necessary, the butter will make the rice pudding taste more creamy. Sprinkle the top of the pudding with nutmeg if desired. This will add a great traditional taste to the pudding but it is optional. Place the ovenproof dish and its contents in the centre of the oven. Baking Stir the rice pudding mixture after 30 minutes. You may also want to turn the dish around, back to front, in the oven so that it cooks evenly. Cooking time in total is 11/2 to 2 hours or until the surface of the pudding is a nice golden brown and the pudding is creamy. You will need
Tips, Tricks, Hints & Warnings
Quick alternative ways to cook rice pudding On the hob:-
In the microwave:- For a 650w microwave:-
Do not leave either of these dishes cooking completely unattended in case they boil over. Both of these recipes cut the cooking time. They make a tasty rice pudding but are not as good as the traditional, oven recipe. http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/25386/good-old-fashioned-baked-rice-pudding.aspx http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/collections/hot-puddings/old-fashioned-rice-pudding |
Archives
March 2020
Categories
All
|
