"I have stayed in hotels in Ireland & abroad but never before came across such an impressive hotel with unbelievable staff." - Susan O` Brien
Meet The Castle Hotel Team
Elaine Celebrates Her Quarter Century at The Castle!
In 1985 Elaine Collins began life as a chef at The Castle Hotel. This June to celebrate Elaine’s twenty five years, management and staff gathered at Curraheen Greyhound Stadium, where hotel owner Don Buckley had a race named in Elaine’s honour. A very enjoyable night followed with presentations and many memories exchanged, sharing a quarter of a century of stories.
Here’s 25 years of Cooking Tips, one for every year of Elaine’s years at The Castle!
1.When boiling milk, first stir in a pinch of baking soda. This will help keep the milk from curdling.
2.Add one teaspoon of lemon juice to each quart of water when cooking rice, this will keep rice fluffy.
3.For crisper salads: Place a saucer upside down in the bottom of the salad bowl before filling with salad. Excess moisture will run underneath the saucer and this will help keep the salad crisp and fresh.
4.Add a dash of lemon juice into meatballs before cooking them.
5.Salt added to flour used for thickening gravies, etc., will help to prevent lumping.
6.Wrap parsley in foil first, then freeze. Shave off as much as needed, rewrap and return to the freezer. It will retain its flavour and freshness.
7.To keep peeled potatoes from turning dark without putting them in water, wrap in paper towel and wet under the tap.
8.Lemon juice or vinegar in water where cauliflower is cooked makes it keep its white colour.
9.To pare pineapple easily cut into rings and peel each slice separately.
10.Add a slice of lemon to peeled sweet potatoes while cooking. The lemon will help them clear and free of discoloration.
11.A tablespoon of minute tapioca sprinkled in apple pie will absorb excess juice while baking.
12.Add one teaspoon baking powder to mashed potatoes to make them fluffy
13.Have a small bowl of melted butter and just brush on corn on the cob with a pastry brush.
14.For bananas that are ripe and ready to eat but you have too many, peel the bananas and freeze them then dip in melted chocolate and freeze again, these make a nice treat!
15.Fill a large hole or sugar shaker with flour and use that when needing to dust surfaces with flour or just pour out a tablespoon as you need it,
16.Canned fruit is much better if opened and removed from the can an hour or two before using to restore the oxygen.
17. Never fill a cake tin more than half full.
18.Always cool your cake in the tin on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the tin.
19.If you are not ready to decorate your cake, wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge overnight or place in the freezer until needed. Most cakes can be frozen for up to 3 months.
20. Microwave garlic cloves for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off.
21. Never heat pesto sauce - the basil will turn black and taste bitter.
22. Lemons stored in a sealed jar of water will produce twice the juice.
23. Thaw fish in milk for fresher flavor.
24. Egg whites should always be at room temperature before whipping.
25. To remove egg shells from a batter, use the remaining shell to attract the piece.
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