The Can't Cook Book: Recipes for the Absolutely Terrified! Read Free Page A

no-fat, high-flavor way to zip up any dish. You can zest it or juice it and add it to most things for a light, bright flavor.
     
prep it
    Wash and dry the outside of the lemon, lime, or orange.
    Depending on the recipe, you may need citrus zest, juice, or both. If you need both, zest the citrus first.
     
    wash
     
zest it
    The colorful outer layer of the peel of citrus is called the zest. To zest it means to capture this flavorful layer by grating it. Grate the zest by moving the citrus in one direction along a grater/zester, pressing and rotating as you go and removing only the colorful outer layer. Stop when you get to the white part. Turn the citrus and repeat until you have the amount you want.
    Zest of 1 lemon = about 1 tsp.
    Zest of 1 lime = about 1 / 2 tsp.
    Zest of 1 orange = about 1 T.

grate the zest
     
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    How to: zest citrus
juice it
    To juice it, first firmly press and roll the citrus back and forth on your work surface to get its juices flowing. Cut in half crosswise and flick out any visible seeds. Insert the citrus reamer (or the tines of a fork) into the center of the fruit and push and twist to extract the juice (you may have to scoop out any stray seeds).
    Juice from 1 lemon = about 3 T.
    Juice from 1 lime = 1 to 2 T.
    Juice from 1 orange = 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 c.
    firmly press and roll
     
    cut in half crosswise
     
    push and twist
     
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    How to: juice citrus

Garlic: How-to
    If you learn one thing, learn how to use fresh garlic. Nothing beats it. Depending on the recipe, you’ll use it smashed or chopped.
     
remove a clove
    To remove a clove of garlic from a garlic bulb, slide your knife between the cloves, then twist your knife to pop it out .
    twist your knife to pop it out
     
smash it
    Place the garlic clove on your cutting board. Place the side of your chef’s knife on top of it and smash it with your open palm. ( Use one quick pounding motion .) The harder you smash your garlic cloves, the easier they will be to peel and chop.
    use one quick pounding motion
     
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    How to: smash garlic
peel it
    The smashing action works to loosen the garlic clove’s skin. Use your fingers to peel away the papery outer layer . Cut off and discard brown ends. It’s okay if the smashed garlic pieces are different sizes.
    peel away the papery outer layer
     
chop it
    To chop the cloves, hold the handle of the chef’s knife with one hand and place your other hand (fingers extended) on top of the opposite end of the knife. With the knife running through the garlic, use a seesaw action to rock the blade back and forth until the garlic is chopped into small pieces.
    use a seesaw action
     
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    How to: chop garlic

Onion: How-to
    For all you Can’t Cooks out there, let’s face the onion together. It’s far less intimidating than you might think and essential to so many recipes.
     
prep it
    Place the onion on your cutting board. Trim off the stem end of the onion—not the hairy root end. Rest the onion on the flat end you’ve just created and cut the onion in half from root end to stem end. Peel away the papery outer layer. You’re now ready to slice or chop your onion.
    trim off the stem end
     
    cut the onion in half
     
    peel away
     
    Depending on the recipe, you will either slice OR chop your onions.
     
slice it
    Prep your onion ( trim , cut in half , and peel ). Then lay one half of the onion flat on your cutting board. Starting at the trimmed end, and