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Quick
Tip - December 2003
It's
a "Grate" Thing:
Grating Cheese & Nutmeg
Grate
Your Own Cheese
Grate a
small amount of a really flavorful cheese on foods; make the cheese flavor
go further while calories remain reasonable. For example, once you've
tasted freshly grated Parmesan cheese on a salad or pasta, it's hard to
return to another form. Or, a sprinkling of a sharp cheddar is all it
takes to kick up the taste!
When grating
cheeses that stick to your grater or food processor blade, make quick
work of cleaning by spraying the grating areas with nonstick cooking spray
BEFORE grating.
For tips
on choosing a grater for use with hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, you
may wish to read the article "Rating Cheese Graters" from the
staff at Cook's Illustrated on their America's Test Kitchen Web
site: http://www.americastestkitchen.com/ratingCHART/527.htm
Grate
Your Own Nutmeg
Try FRESHLY
GRATED nutmeg for a special taste treat. A dash of nutmeg can do wonders
for such cooked vegetables as asparagus, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower,
peas, spinach and sweet potatoes; add at the end of cooking. Freshly grated
nutmeg also adds zing to fruit salads and is great on that holiday nog!
Go easy on the amount. You may need less of the freshly grated form than
of the powdered version.
To grate
nutmeg, rub the whole nutmeg on a small-holed grater. Better yet, buy
a nutmeg grinder so you don't have to watch out for your fingers while
you grate. Nutmeg grinders usually have some type of spring that holds
the nutmeg against a sharp blade or grater while you turn a crank or rub
the nutmeg across the grater. Also, many of them solve the problem of
where to store the nutmeg by having a storage area for the whole nutmegs.
Do not grind
directly over food at the stove. Steam from the food may hasten spoilage
of your nutmeg.
If you don't
have a store locally that sells nutmeg grinders, do an Internet search
for such word combinations as: "nutmeg grinder," "nutmeg
grater" and "nutmeg mill" to learn about various types
of grinders and where you may purchase them. Also, check your favorite
online sources for cook's appliances and tools.
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