All this week, a great series featuring some great cooks has been running over on one of my favorite places to learn about food, The Kitchn. They're calling it "Kitchen Habits of Good Cooks."
That link will take you to cookbook author and Chinese food guru, Grace Young. From there you can click through to the rest of the series from the bottom of each post.
Young suggested, "Use a Chinese soup spoon for tasting. I like a Chinese porcelain spoon because it allows me to taste hot food without scorching my lips."
She is so right. These spoons are cooler to start with and then cool the soup or sauce as you lift it from the pan. They also have a flatter surface that lets a couple of puffs of air from the cook chill it more.
(Why does blowing on soup cool it? Here's an answer from Indiana University.)
As you can see in the photo, I immediately made space on the salt and pepper tray that sits beside my cooktop for a supply of Chinese soup spoons. Mine fit perfectly in a stainless steel frothing cup.
The "Kitchen Habits of Good Cooks" series continues with a bit of philosophy from Jacques Pepin, small kitchen wisdom from Tom Hudgens, money saving habits from Beth Moncel, and today's entry from their own staff, 18 Daily Habits That Make Life in the Kitchen Better.
Be sure to scan down for the readers' comments on each post. This is a great food community and you'll find more tips and tricks from generous cooks.
Here's a link to more of our own "Tips & How To" posts.
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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2014 Penny Cherubino