How to Devein a Shrimp

When you think of deveining shrimp, your first thought may be that it isn't the most enticing task. Actually, deveining shrimp is very easy to do! While shrimp can be cooked and eaten with or without the vein, most people remove it. This is more for presentation rather than taste, but leaving the vein in can result in a gritty taste when it is bitten into. Just remember, the vein is the digestive tract of the shrimp, so more times than not, you will probably want to remove it.

Before you begin to devein your shrimp, start by keeping them in a bowl of ice water. This will keep the shrimp fresh while you are working on the others.

If you will be using shrimp that have already been shelled, the only thing you will need is a small, thin, sharp knife. A common paring knife will do. Start by holding the shrimp, backside up, and run your knife down the length of the shrimp. This will expose the vein. To remove the vein you can use your finger, or the tip of your knife to pull it out of the shrimp. You may also run the shrimp under a stream of cold water which, in some case, the vein will simply wash away. When finished, replace the shrimp into the ice water to keep it fresh until you are finished deveining and ready to cook.

How to Cut an Onion Without Crying

I am a big time crier when I cut up onions. Usually to the point where my eyes burn so bad, I have to walk away for a few minutes until I dry up. This can make cutting up onions a long and painful process for me! Here is what I have found to conquer this:

As you are cutting up the onion, breathe through your mouth instead of your nose.

As simple as it sounds, it has worked wonders for me! Try it and let me know if it works for you, too!

How to Pick an Avocado

Picking the perfect avocado is a hard job! They are expensive and it is frustrating to get one home, only to cut it open and it be all black on the inside. Here are some recommendations:

1. Plan ahead! If possible, get an hard, unripened avocado and let it ripen at home! Put it in a paper bag and leave it at room temperature. To quicken the ripening process, add an apple to the bag.

2. A ripe avocado yields to gentle pressure, but is still firm.

3. If it ripens before you are ready to use it, put it in the refrigerator to slow the ripening process.

4. Every time someone presses on an avocado, it bruises the inside of the avocado. If you buy an already ripe avocado and get it home only to find lots of black spots on it, you know it has been handled by many hands...hence the reason for buying a hard, unripened one, if possible!

5. Feel free to ask the produce person if there are any unripened avocados in the back...chances are, there is! They just don't bring them out, because they are trying to get rid of the ripened avocado's first!

6. If you have no choice but to buy a ripe avocado, pick at the stem...if it is loose or comes off easily, it is ripe.

A Note about Cheese

I only use block cheese. I have several problems with the prepackaged stuff, namely the white, powdery substance on it that makes me think it is moldy. It is cellulose, which is a plant fiber and is used to make paper...grosses me out! In addition, it is difficult to digest. Plus, the block stuff is cheaper and tastes so much better, especially when it is melted. It does not take that long to grate, but if you like the convenience of the pre-shredded cheese, buy a block of cheese and shred it all at once. Put it in a ziploc bag and sprinkle a little bit of corn starch on it.

When grating cheese, it is easiest to grate when it is hard, so don't take it out of the refrigerator until you are ready to grate it. Or, pop it in the freezer for a few minutes before you grate it. That way it won't gum up on you.