Bread is too soft to slice: Freeze and slice frozen.
Hard Bread: Sprinkle with a small amount of water, place in foil, and bake in a moderate oven for about ten minutes.
Cake stuck to the pan: Let it sit until it’s a bit cooler, then try again. If it’s already cold, reheat for a minute or two.
Hard or rubbery cheese after cooking: Blend in a blender or food processor on low speed for a minute or two, then cook slowly.
Cloudy coffee or broth: add egg shells.
Overcooked coffee: Add a pinch of salt
The dough is lumpy: Add more liquid and mash the dough well.
Dough does not rise: Place the bowl of dough in a warmer place, in an oven, for example, with a pilot light (do not turn on the oven). You can also mix a little more yeast in ¼ cup of warm water and knead into a dough.
The dough does not take shape: let it rest for 15 minutes.
Eggs break when cooked: Put 1 teaspoon of salt and a little lemon or vinegar in the water to prevent the whites from falling out of the shell.
Egg whites don’t whip – add a little baking soda or salt.
Hard Fudge – Add a tablespoon of milk and 2-3 tablespoons of corn syrup and whisk, then pour. Put in an airtight container for 24 hours.
Gelatin stuck in mold: Submerge the mold in hot water, but without the gelatin touching the water, just a few seconds. Put the mold on a plate, turn it over and shake.
Gray sauce: add red currant jelly, soy sauce, a little sherry, beef extract, or 1 teaspoon of instant coffee.
Lumpy Gravy: Beat with an egg beater or wire whisk. Strain it.
Salty sauce: make more. Sometimes adding a little brown sugar helps. Cook small pieces of potato in the sauce.
Salted ham: Soak the slices in milk for 15 minutes to half an hour. Take off.
Glaze: Add a little vinegar and continue cooking.
Hard lemon: Heat for 5 minutes in boiling water or 15 seconds in microwave on HIGH, then try juicing.
Burnt meat: Cut the burnt parts, chop and pour the rest. Serve over pasta.
Pasta stuck: Return to boiling water with a tablespoon of oil.
Burnt Edge Pie Dough: Cover edge with foil.
Popcorn does not pop: Soak corn in water for 5 minutes, pat dry, and try again. For very recalcitrant corn, freeze overnight and pop while frozen.
Burnt rice: Remove from heat, then put a piece of bread on top, cover for 5 minutes.
Sparkling broth: Add the leek tips and tomato peels, which absorb the scum.
Soup too salty: Slice the potato, simmer until the potato turns translucent, then take it out.
Tough Beef Stew: If you haven’t had time to let the stew continue to cook over low heat, add a few tomatoes or a teaspoon of sugar to soften it.
Old vegetables: To liven them up, add a pinch or two of sugar and a little salt to the cooking water.
Overcooked vegetables: Puree them. OR make a cream soup out of them OR put them in an oven safe dish, top with breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, and roast for a couple of minutes.
Vegetables that are too salty: Drain the water, rinse them and return them to the stove with new water. If you’re done, wash with hot water.
Whipped cream won’t churn – chill everything (bowl, cream, whisks) and try again. If that fails, add a raw egg white or 3-4 drops of lemon juice and beat as hard as you can.
