Tuesdays Cooking tips

It's Tuesday Tip day!
I thought I would use Tuesdays to give you tips from chefs, magazine articles, and recipes.   I subscribe to a few magazines and get many shortcuts and hints to make cooking in my kitchen easier and some wine facts as well...
Here are a few:
1.  Homemade Buttermilk (From Bon Appetite Magazine)
In a mason jar combine 1/2 cup cultured Buttermilk..(The super      market stuff is okay.)
It will act as a starter..2 cups Whole milk and 1/4 tsp Kosher salt.
Cover and let stand in a warm place until the buttermilk thickens and coats the sides of the jar when tipped 24-36 hours..Keep chilled in refrig for up to 2 weeks.  Good to have on hand for those buttermilk recipes, pancakes, biscuits,  salad dressings and  cookies, cakes and frostings...

This is Good to know too:

2. Odor Eliminator ( Cook's Illustrated)
To get rid of onion or garlic smell on your hands, wet your hands with warm  water, sprinkle a tablespoon of granulated sugar rub for a minute and then rinse off. The sugar crystals act like porous sponges to absorb some of the odor molecules.

3. For my wine drinking  friends who also love good chocolate  (and darker is better for you)
                  Pairing Good Lindt Chocolate with Wine  ( taken from  advert in Bon Appetite)
     You can buy these great chocolate bars in the candy isles in any supermarket they are around $2.50 a bar..well worth the extra  money.   Bring them out to compliment your wine & chocolate tastings.

 Shiraz unfolds to reveal layers of ripe berries, plum and peppery spice. Shraz is a great match for the  balanced red fruit and vanilla notes of Lindt Excellence 70 % Cocoa
Zinfandel has  luscious aromas of blueberries, black berries , warm cinnamon and toasted oak. Outstanding when paored with the bold notes of herbs and red berries in Lindt Excellence 85% Cocoa
Reisling pairs well a hint of ripe pear, aromas of honeysuckle and spring flowers pairs well with light saltiness of bittersweet Lindt Excellence A touch of Sea salt.
Port  Mellow, sweet dark chocolate and spicy red chili found in Excellence Chili Bar is a perfect match to the rich red fruit and underlying spicey heat of Port.
 Go Ahead give it a try next time you have a wine tasting.. Dark Chocolate has been proven to be good for your heart along with Red wines.. I say  "Cheers! and now your cookin!
 Friday I will have a recipe posted I think you will enjoy..