Bread is too soft to slice – freeze and slice frozen.
Stale bread: sprinkle with a small amount of water, put in foil and bake in a moderate oven for about ten minutes.
Cake Stuck in Skillet – Let sit until slightly cooler then try again. If it’s already cold, reheat for a minute or two.
Hard or gummy cheese after cooking: Blend in a blender or food processor on low speed for a minute or two, then cook slowly.
Cloudy coffee or broth – Add eggshells.
Overcooked coffee: add a pinch of salt
The dough is lumpy – add more liquid and beat the dough well.
The dough does not rise: put the bowl of dough in a warmer place, in an oven, for example, with a pilot light (do not turn on the oven). You can also mix a little more yeast in ¼ cup of warm water and knead into a dough.
The dough does not form: let it rest for 15 minutes.
Eggs break when cooked: add 1 teaspoon of salt and a little lemon or vinegar to the water to prevent the whites from coming out of the shell.
Egg whites won’t beat – add a little baking soda or salt.
Hard Fudge: Add a tablespoon of milk and 2-3 tablespoons of corn syrup and whisk, then pour. Put in an airtight container for 24 hours.
Gelatin stuck in the mold: Dip the mold in hot water, but not so that the water touches the gelatin, just a few seconds. Put the mold on a plate, turn it over and shake.
Gray sauce: add red currant jelly, soy sauce, a little sherry, meat extract, or 1 teaspoon of instant coffee.
Lumpy Sauce: Beat with an egg beater or wire whisk. Strain.
Salsa sauce: make more. Sometimes it helps to add a little brown sugar. Cook small pieces of potato in the sauce.
Salted ham: Soak the slices in milk for 15 minutes to half an hour. Take off.
Sugary frosting: Add a little vinegar and continue cooking.
Hard Lemon – Heat for 5 minutes in boiling water or 15 seconds in a microwave on HIGH, then try squeezing it.
Burned meat: Cut the burned parts, dice and sauce the rest. Serve over pasta.
Sticky pasta: Put back in boiling water with a tablespoon of oil.
Burning Edge Pie Crust: Cover edge with foil.
Popcorn Won’t Pop: Soak corn in water for 5 minutes, pat dry, and try again. For very recalcitrant corn, freeze overnight and pop while frozen.
Burnt rice: Remove from heat, then put a piece of bread on top, cover for 5 minutes.
Sparkling broth: add the tops of the leeks and tomato rinds, which soak up the foam.
Soup too salty: cut the potato into slices, simmer until the potato turns transparent, then scoop out the potato.
Tough meat stew: If you haven’t had time to let the stew continue to cook over low heat, add some tomatoes or a teaspoon of sugar to soften it.
Old veggies: To liven them up, add a pinch or two of sugar and a little salt to the cooking water.
Overcooked vegetables: Puree. Either make a cream soup out of them OR put them in an oven safe dish, top with breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese and roast for a couple of minutes.
Overly salty vegetables: Pour in the water, rinse and return to the stove with new water. If you’re done, wash it off with hot water.
Whipped cream will not whip: cool everything (bowl, cream, beaters) and try again. If that fails, add an unbeaten egg white or 3-4 drops of lemon juice and beat as hard as you can.