Welcome to my food blog. In this blog, I will share tips and tricks to make cooking Eritrean and Ethiopian dishes a breeze! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out, these tips will help streamline your cooking process and make your kitchen experience more enjoyable.
Eliminating Cooking Odors
One challenge of cooking aromatic dishes like ‘tsebhi’ is dealing with lingering smells which can be a delight or a nuisance, depending on the circumstances. If you’re finding that the scent of your culinary creations is overstaying its welcome, here are some tips to keep your kitchen smelling fresh:
- Cook Outdoors: If weather permits, take your cooking outdoors. Enjoy fresh air while preventing indoor odors. Alternatively, utilize electric stove burners, either outdoors or indoors with proper ventilation.
- Indoor Cooking Tips:
- Close doors to other rooms to contain smells.
- Open windows to let fresh air circulate.
- Use the range fan on high to extract cooking odors.
- Combat lingering smells with a room refresher: simmer water with fragrant herbs like star anise, cinnamon, and cloves. Alternatively, light a non-toxic soy candle.
- Cover your hair to prevent odors from clinging.
- Take a quick shower post-cooking to refresh.
Tips for Efficient Cooking
Eritrean and Ethiopian recipes are known for their rich flavors and hearty ingredients, but they don’t have to be time-consuming. Here’s how to streamline your cooking process:
- Meal Prep Ahead of Time: Cook larger batches to enjoy throughout the week. Most recipes in this blog serve at least four people. This makes it easy to portion and store for later.
- Plan Your Meals: Reduce waste and save money by planning your meals in advance.
- Enlist Help When Needed: Cooking can be a team effort. If possible, have a partner or family member assist with childcare while you focus on cooking. Alternatively, utilize pre-prepared freezer meals for busy days.
- Managing Onions: It’s very common to use lots of onions when cooking Eritrean and Ethiopian dishes.
- Purchase onions in bulk from cost-effective sources like Costco or supermarkets that sell items in bulk.
- Process onions efficiently by using a food processor on pulse mode to avoid excess water and finely chop them.
- Preserving Ginger:
- Purchase organic ginger and blend it with water in a blender, then freeze in ice cube trays for easy portioning and use in various dishes and beverages.
- Herb Preservation:
- If possible, grow your own herbs to save money and ensure freshness.
- Chop herbs like parsley, garlic, basil, serrano peppers with olive oil in a food processor and freeze in ice cube trays for extended and portioned use.
By following these tips, not only you’ll make cooking Eritrean and Ethiopian dishes more convenient but also more enjoyable. Stay tuned for more recipes and kitchen hacks to elevate your cooking game!
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