Hot Topics

Gravy requires just four ingredients: pan drippings, poultry stock, flour and seasoning. So why is it so tricky to get right? Fortunately, for every common gravy problem, there’s an easy solution.

Lumps? You can usually avoid them by stirring flour with stock or water before adding to the drippings. If not, you can try using a stick blender or hand mixer to break up the lumps, or pour gravy through a strainer and break them up with a wooden spoon.

Too thick? Whisk in more stock. Too thin? Add one tablespoon of flour or cornstarch into a little stock and whisk, continuing until you achieve the desired thickness.

Too salty or fatty? Simply add more stock and re-adjust the thickness (see above). If you have time, you can chill, skim off the fat and then reheat.

After the big meal, refrigerate leftover gravy in Ziploc® Fresh Shield® Twist 'n Loc® Containers—to use later on delicious turkey sandwiches!

Root vegetables are one of fall's best bargains, and they're deliciously versatile, especially when roasted. Stock up on carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic—not to mention parsnips, beets and turnips—for flavorful side dishes and tasty additions to salads, pastas and risottos.

To roast root vegetables, peel and cut into uniformly sized chunks (one-inch cubes are ideal) and spread out on a foil- or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to make sure vegetables are evenly seasoned.

Roast at 400 degrees F stirring every 15 minutes. Vegetables are done when they're lightly browned on the outside and tender inside when pierced with a fork (after about 35 to 45 minutes, depending on size). Make a large batch on the weekend and store in Ziploc® Brand Containers with Snap 'n Seal Lids; then you can enjoy the rich flavor of seasonal produce in different dishes throughout the week.

"I try to use honey in place of sugar; it adds body, is complex, and it isn't as sweet as adding sugar to a dish," says Chef Ryan Scott.

Of course, honey is the perfect accompaniment to simple fruit dishes and peanut butter sandwiches, but why stop there? Try mixing a glaze of equal parts honey and soy sauce to brush on meat. Combine honey with butter to spread on toast. For dessert, serve toasted nuts and honey alongside cheese or spooned over yogurt.

Scott suggests fresh ricotta, or any spreadable cheese for that matter, on raisin bread, and topped with honey and sliced fruit. He also recommends using bee honeycomb (look for it at your local farmer's market). In thin slivers, he notes, it makes a tasty garnish for chilled cucumber soup and many cheeses.

Honey is sticky, so keep Windex® Multi-Surface Antibacterial on hand. It cuts through messes and leaves a clean shine behind.

“Mashing is just another form that reveals the vegetables,” says Marlena Spieler, author of Yummy Potatoes: 65 Downright Delicious Recipes. “It’s the same vegetable but delivers the flavor differently.”

Spieler uses basil in a summery variation on mashed potatoes. Using a blender or food processor, puree basil with cream or milk, and pour over hot mashed potatoes. Once stirred, the mixture becomes brilliantly green and fragrant.

Shred zucchini and sauté with butter until it becomes creamy and soft. Spieler also steams zucchini in big chunks and mashes it with a clove of garlic and a few spoonfuls of olive oil, pesto (try our watercress pesto) and cheese added at the last minute.

Most vegetables—carrots, fava beans, eggplant, turnips—can be cooked simply—mashed and seasoned with cumin, salt and pepper. Or steam twice the amount using Ziploc® Brand Zip 'n Steam™ Bags and save half to mash for another night.

Serve with meats, lettuce leaves, pita or, as Spieler suggests, a spoon.

“Freezing is pretty deep,” says Krystina Castella, author of Pops! Icy Treats for Everyone. “There's a lot to know.”

Luckily, Castella shares her many clever popsicle-making tips such as letting bubbly drinks flatten slightly before freezing to prevent container leaks, and also using wooden sticks for the best grip.

“Everything expands in the freezer,” says Castella. “Leave a bit of space at the top—the denser the ingredient, the less it will expand.”

Before freezing liquids, give them flair by adding chunks of fruit or milk, yogurt or ice cream. Or simply blend your favorite smoothie with a little sugar and freeze into popsicles.

If popsicles seem like too much work, freeze juice in ice-cube trays and pack them in Ziploc® Fresh Shield® Double Zipper Freezer Bag. Serve cubes in sparkling water, or blitz in a blender to make granita.

But when it comes to fruit, simplicity is often your best bet. Try freezing slices of bananas, grapes, peaches or berries. Enjoy them alone, in a frozen fruit salad or in an ice cream sundae.

When hosting a summer party, member Janice W. of New Whiteland, IN, buys burgers and hot dogs in bulk and asks guests to bring side dishes and beverages.

"It's a fun get-together and no one has to spend a lot of money or time," says Janice.

Similarly, friends in one Atlanta neighborhood get together monthly for bring-your-own grill parties. Guests bring a dish to share, plus beverages and meat for grilling.

To host your own potluck barbecue, buy grilling favorites at a warehouse grocery store or at your local market when they have a sale. To avoid duplication, talk to your guests about what they're bringing–and consider giving assignments for specific courses.

Then, before guests arrive, clean the grill and set out OFF!® FamilyCare Insect Repellent I Smooth & Dry. Unlike ordinary repellents, this has a unique powder dry formula that dries on contact, leaving your skin feeling smooth and dry.

"Each of the innocuous-looking items on the table—dishes, glasses and the variety of foods—can increase how much we eat,” writes Brian Wansink, PhD, in Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. In one experiment, Wansink discovered people would eat up to 31 percent more ice cream if they served it in a larger bowl.

Thankfully, the impact of what Wansink calls the "tablescape" works the other way, too. Replace larger plates and serving dishes with smaller ones, and you’ll almost automatically eat less. Use a tall, slender glass to help you drink less juice or soda than you would using a short, wide glass. And pay attention to how food is packaged before it even hits your table, because Wansink also says jumbo-size food containers can tempt you to cook and eat more than a healthy portion.

So consider changing your tableware and divvying up big packages of food into smaller portions in small or extra-small Ziploc® Brand Snap ’n Seal Containers.* You just may be surprised at the effects these simple changes can create.


*The Ziploc® product and usage recommendations in the article above are a suggestion from Right@Home™ and do not constitute a product endorsement or recommendation by Brian Wansink, PhD, or the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab.

All you need is a microwave, Ziploc® Brand Zip ’n Steam™ Microwave Steam Cooking Bags and some great recipes. Steam-cooking food allows you to reduce or eliminate butter or oil, without losing flavor. And by cutting back on these, you’ll cut back on fat and calories, too—just in time for swimsuit season!

If you’re using a Ziploc® Brand Zip 'n Steam™ Bag, add dried herbs and powdered seasonings like garlic powder to the bag before microwaving. Shake the bag gently to evenly distribute the seasonings. Be sure to try out more unusual flavor combinations like fish fillets dusted with curry powder or chicken with paprika. Both have the potential to become new favorites.

Fresh herbs and liquid flavorings such as lemon juice are best added after cooking. Other great flavorings that liven up steamed vegetables include orange zest, minced shallots or chopped olives. Fast food has never been this healthy or tasted this good.

There's no need to buy salad dressing when all the ingredients for a vinaigrette are in your pantry. And when you make it yourself, you can adjust the recipe according to taste, or create something new.

Basic vinaigrette is three parts oil and one part vinegar. That's it! Olive oil and white vinegar are classic, but it’s fun and easy to experiment with variations. Try using grapeseed or nut oil, with flavored, balsamic or champagne vinegar. Or, for a flavorful twist, add a teaspoon of mustard, minced garlic and fresh herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper, chopped shallots or capers.

Then simply shake the oil, vinegar and added flavorings to create a flavorful mixture–a Ziploc® Brand Twist ’n Loc® Container with a lid that twists on is ideal for this. Pour over your salad, toss and enjoy. Refrigerate leftovers in the same container. But when you make vinaigrette yourself, your family will taste the difference—and leftovers just aren’t likely.

Now popular even at weddings and large events, mashed potato bars let guests create spuds to their liking.

"No matter what time of year, this will be a dish that all guests can relate to," says Executive Chef Joseph Farruggia, Morrell Caterers. Plus, it’s a cinch to do at home gatherings!

Farruggia recommends using whipped Idaho potatoes. You can pipe potatoes (place them in closed Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags and cut one corner off to pipe) into martini glasses for individual servings, or spoon them into a slow cooker so guests can serve themselves.

The potatoes are best made the day of the party, but toppings can be made ahead and stored in Ziploc® Brand Snap 'n Seal Containers.

Using simple tried and true toppers, like bacon, cheese and sour cream, alongside adventurous mix-ins, such as wasabi or smoked salmon, will set a fun, festive tone. Plus, it allows guests to personalize their spuds, or even create their own masterpieces.

Stockpiling a few meals in your freezer isn’t just a good idea for busy days; it's also an opportunity to take an occasional night off from kitchen duty. "Saucy dishes like stews and braises are best for freezer meals," says Chef Mark Tafoya of ReMARKable Palate Personal Chef Service.

When choosing a container to freeze in, "anything that can get a really good seal" will work, says Tafoya. Try Ziploc® Fresh Shield® Twist 'n Loc® Containers. They come in two sizes to fit the amount of food you're freezing. Just make sure the food is completely cool before covering and freezing. Food safety experts recommend you don't leave food out on the counter longer than two hours.

When you're ready, simply defrost and reheat the meal in the microwave after removing the lid. With dinner on the table in a matter of minutes, you're free to take the evening for yourself–like going to that yoga class you've been wanting to check out.

“The key to a great cookie is taking the time to vacuum seal the dough after preparing it,” says David Leite, three-time James Beard Award-winning publisher and writer of LeitesCulinaria.com.

“Vacuum sealing allows for excellent hydration within the cookie. The liquids inside the dough—like the egg and the vanilla extract—fully hydrate the flour, yielding a better texture. It permeates the whole cookie so it’ll come out perfectly crispy with a more complex flavor.”

Leite recommends storing vacuum-sealed dough (six golf-ball-size balls in each vacuum bag, spaced out and irregularly shaped) in the refrigerator for one to two days at 35 - 40 F. An ideal option is the Ziploc® Brand Vacuum Freezer System, an inexpensive vacuum bag and easy-to-use battery-free pump that removes air to prolong the dough's freshness.

Then bake—or store the dough in the freezer, where it will stay fresh for up to six months.

The key to developing good knife skills, says Peter Hertzmann, author of Knife Skills Illustrated: A User's Manual, lies in learning how to hold the knife, how to hold the food and how to move the knife.

"Hold the knife by pinching the blade between your thumb and forefinger, close to the handle, with the rest of your fingers loosely gripping the handle," says Hertzmann. "Then hold the food so that your finger makes contact with the side of the blade, and cut with a smooth, back and forth motion with the knife." See this technique in action.

With practice, you'll find you can work faster in the kitchen. And soon, instead of buying more expensive precut vegetables or chicken, you can save money by doing the chopping and cutting yourself.

To further brush up on your knife skills, check for classes at your local kitchen store or culinary school.

If family and neighbors have politely declined yet another bushel of your zucchini overflow, share it with a local food agency instead. Your prized vegetables will be welcomed gladly, and you'll feel good about helping someone in need.

Plant a Row for the Hungry, a public-service campaign of the Garden Writers Association, encourages gardeners to donate their extra produce to food pantries, soup kitchens and other agencies that help the hungry. The organization has tracked more than 12 million pounds of produce donated since 1999.

"More often than not, gardeners have more vegetables than they can use," says Carol Ledbetter, program administrator for Plant a Row. "The more individual gardeners donate, the better it is for people in their community. Hunger statistics in any given community are often greater than anyone envisions."

To learn more about how you can help, contact Plant a Row for the Hungry.

When Sally Sampson's daughter started preschool, she invited classmates' families over for an ice cream social. "It was such a fun event," recalls Sampson, author of Recipe of the Week: Ice Cream: 52 Easy Recipes for Year-Round Frozen Treats. "Comparing favorite flavors was a great conversation starter and helped everyone get to know each other."

Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? And preparation is a breeze. First, cover your table to protect it from spills and drips. Then set out a selection of bowls, spoons, ice cream flavors and toppings. Keep cleanup simple by placing your toppings in small or extra small Ziploc® Brand Snap 'n Seal Containers.

To help make scooping smooth and easy, fill a large Ziploc® Brand Twist ’n Loc® Container with warm water for dipping the serving scoops between uses.

And, of course, don't forget the whipped cream!


Hot Topic August 2008

Slow cookers are often viewed as go-to tools for comforting wintertime meals. But a slow cooker’s benefits—low heat, minimal fuss and cleanup—are also ideal for summer cooking. Plus the kitchen stays cooler.

Slow cookers are great for making intimate family dinners or crowd-pleasing barbecue favorites like pulled pork or baked beans. They also let you get the most out of summer produce, says cookbook author and recipe developer Lori Longbotham. “When tomatoes are at their peak, you can make enough pasta sauce to last for months,” she explains. Then freeze it in Ziploc® Brand Freezer Bags with the Double Zipper Seal to use later.

But the best part is you don’t have to turn on the oven. “That’s the last thing you want to do in the heat,” Longbotham says. And to keep extra cool, “you don’t even need to set up a slow cooker in your kitchen. You can set it up on your deck.” For safety's sake, and as many towns and cities require, plug any appliances you use outdoors into an outdoor outlet protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI).


Hot Topic for July 2008

Cupcakes are “easy, fun and you still get a ‘Wow’ factor,” says Karen Tack, co-author of the new book, Hello, Cupcake!: Irresistibly Playful Creations Anyone Can Make.

Tack’s book shows how, with a little imagination, you can turn simple but delicious cupcakes into mini masterpieces—using just frosting and candy. A rolled and folded green fruit chew can be made into a sweet peapod topper. Add realistic leaves and petals with frosting piped through a Ziploc® Brand Storage Bag and—voila!—you’ve got a perfect treat for the gardener in your family.

Cupcakes are simple and fun and don’t demand the effort of a big cake. The best part? If you make a mistake, you can just eat it! When decorated like one of Tack’s creations, your cupcakes are sure to be the talk of any party.


Hot Topic for June 2008

Favorite family recipes are filled with delicious flavors that say home as nothing else does. But re-creating those dishes isn’t always easy. Maybe it’s a unique technique, a subtle variation from the printed recipe or simply Mom’s loving touch.

Beth Stanton of Atlanta often tried to re-create her mother’s spinach and cheese lasagna recipe. “I’d follow it to the letter,’’ she said, “but it never turned out quite right.” Then, on a holiday visit home, Beth spent a special afternoon watching her mother make the dish from start to finish. “I learned so much,” she said.

There’s no substitute for that quality time with Mom. But you can easily preserve her special techniques with digital video or a few notes and photos for your culinary journal. Your afternoon together might even inspire you to start a recipe blog!


Hot Topic for May 2008

Like a cookbook made just for you, a culinary journal can be a handy place to collect new and favorite recipes, as well as a diary to keep track of meals you’ve enjoyed over the years.

To make yours, choose a pretty notebook and fill it with delicious-sounding recipes culled from magazines or downloaded from the web. Use tape or glue to secure the recipes, making sure to leave space for notes about the finished dish. Organize your recipes chronologically or by course, whichever works best for you.

Chances are your culinary journal will become a treasured family keepsake. So to hand it down spatter-free to the next generation, smooth a piece of Saran™ Premium Wrap over each recipe page while you prepare the dish.


Hot Topic for April 2008

“Often, the meat on our plate is too big, and we’re not getting enough fruits and vegetables,” says Joan Salge Blake, author of Nutrition & You (Benjamin Cummings) and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

Get on track by matching up appropriate portion sizes with household items. For example:

Deck of cards = 3 oz. meat
Table tennis ball = 2 tablespoons peanut butter
Four dice = 1 oz. cheese

Or simply look at your hand. “A woman’s palm is the size of a three-ounce serving of meat,” says Blake. A woman’s fist is the size of a cup of pasta or vegetables, and the circle inside an “OK” sign is a tablespoon of oil or salad dressing.

Portion size counts when it comes to snacks, too. Nosh thoughtfully by filling Ziploc® Brand Snack Bags with sensible-size servings of fruit, crackers or other munchies. This way, your snacks are fresh, portable and available so you can eat healthy wherever you are.


Hot Topic for March 2008

Giving your grocery list a makeover benefits more than just your taste buds; experts tell us that a varied diet is essential for better health.

“You need enough variety from different food groups to get the nutrients to keep you healthy and to help reduce the risk of health problems later on,” says Roberta L. Duyff, MS, RD, author of the American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide: 2nd Edition. Oftentimes people don’t consume enough whole grains, calcium-rich dairy foods, fruits and vegetables Duyff explains.

Even family members who turn their noses up at unfamiliar foods will become more adventurous if you get them involved on shopping trips. Encourage each of them to pick out an unfamiliar fruit, vegetable, cheese or whole grain to try at the dinner table. For different preparation ideas, look for recipes online or consult your store’s produce manager—or even other customers—for ideas.

You never know: you might even discover a new way to perk up that boring old meatloaf!


Hot Topic for Febuary 2008

The trusty cast-iron skillet—probably a staple in your grandma’s kitchen—is
reclaiming its place on the stovetop. A good one has a slick surface so you don’t need to add oil (or the added fat and calories from oil) to get a nonstick surface. Just make sure it’s properly “seasoned” before you use it for the first time—a simple process of applying a vegetable-oil coating to a clean, dry skillet and baking it for an hour or so in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F. (Handle with care; skillet will be hot.) Some companies even give you a jump-start by offering preseasoned cookware.

Cooking in cast iron can actually increase the iron content in your food. For example, eggs scrambled in a cast-iron skillet can have up to three times as much iron as raw eggs.

Plus it’s the champ when it comes to conducting and holding heat evenly at any temperature, making cast-iron skillets a chef’s favorite.

“I can get the iron skillet extremely hot and have a no-stick surface,” said Paul Wooten, executive chef of Atlanta’s Southern fusion restaurant, Sweet Lowdown. “It’s perfect when I need a good, clean sear on a fish fillet or chicken breast.”

And for a surprisingly low price, this cookware is a must-have because it can last for generations. Just ask your grandma.


Hot Topic for January 2008

Getting ready to frost your holiday treats? Chef Jennifer Iserloh suggests cutting some corners—off some Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags, that is.

“In my family,” she says, “everyone likes different flavors, so I make one general cream-cheese base, divide it among several bags, and then add in individual flavorings like chocolate (unsweetened cocoa powder), amaretto (almond extract) and orange (from the zest).”

The secret, she says, is the size of the hole: very small for dots, a little bigger for squiggles and a tad larger for petals. For a more professional look, place your pastry tip inside a corner of the bag and push through to make the hole.

Besides icing cookies, cakes and cupcakes, Jennifer loves to use Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags to fill cream puffs. Just warm the puff up, poke a hole in it with a paring knife and squeeze in something scrumptious, like our very own Lavender Whip.


Hot Topic for November 2007

"We try not to let Griffin have any sugar,” says Katherine, a Connecticut mom, of her two-year-old. “It just makes him wild.” So she and other savvy parents are opting to minimize sugar consumption and going for new, healthier Halloween rituals—and you can, too.

After the kids return from trick-or-treating, set aside some favorite treats (to be doled out one per day), and donate the rest to an after-school or community center, children’s shelter or senior home, where they will be shared—and appreciated—by large numbers of people. In trade for the candy, offer a day at a favorite nearby theme park, a special dinner out or a movie, even a contribution toward a family trip or special purchase (a bike, tickets to a football game).

More good ideas: store some candy in the pantry in a glass jar or Ziploc® Brand Storage Bag to use later as toppings on ice cream sundaes or to mix in the batter when baking cookies. Or save lollipops to decorate holiday and birthday gifts (insert one or two in the ribbon bow).


Hot Topic for October 2007