Spring into action and clean up your kitchen act, especially appliances. They have to keep running no matter what season, so spring is a good time to earmark for reviewing them.
“The proper maintenance can improve the way your appliances run and even prevent potential disasters,” Doug Rogers, chief operating officer for Mr. Appliance, says.
Here’s a short to-do list:
* Clean oven and stovetop. Open windows or doors for additional ventilation before running the self-cleaning cycle. Soak drip pans in hot water and remove remaining stains with a nonabrasive cleaner.
* Sanitize dishwasher. Run empty dishwasher with a cup of white vinegar to eliminate odors and buildup.
* Deodorize garbage disposal. Place a handful of ice cubes and lemon, orange or lime peels in the disposal; run with cold water for 15 to 30 seconds (continue to rinse with cold water).
* Clear dirt off refrigerator’s condenser coils. Unplug refrigerator and use a vacuum to remove dust from the coils. Keeping the coils free of dirt will help it run more efficiently and trim utility bills. Check www.mrappliance.com for more ideas.
Essential Italian
At a recent pasta-cooking demonstration in New York, “Pasta 101,” Giada de Laurentiis shared with food writers insights that carried a certain authority.
After all, she’s the author of a cookbook, “Everyday Italian” and she’s host of the television show of the same name on the Food Network.
Two basic tips among comments on cooking pasta:
* Drain pasta but don’t rinse or add oil (unless you’re making salad) or the sauce won’t stick.
* Pasta water has flavor and starch, so reserve half a cup of it to use in your sauce.
At the “Pasta 101” session, organized by Barilla, de Laurentiis also ran through her shortlist of staples to keep on your pantry shelf: Anchovies, olives and capers: balsamic vinegar (“Try it on ice cream”): red-wine vinegar; regular olive oil for cooking; extra-virgin olive oil for flavor, for when it’s not going to be cooked; dried pasta; rice; different kinds of salt; dried herbs, especially the herbes de Provence blend; sun-dried tomatoes; canned Italian tuna (add tomato sauce and capers, heat, for a great dish); and canned beans – especially chickpeas and cannellini.
From Herald news services
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