That Smell
Not always easy to prevent, but we have a trick or two. Whenever you cook there is a wonderful aroma floating in the kitchen but sometimes that smell lingers once you have finished, and it is not so nice then. That is a problem we know well, as there is a lot of cooking going in our kitchen.
Avoid that smell: Deep frying usually leaves a thick smell behind. To avoid it, peel and core an apple. Slice it thick. Fry a couple of slices, when the oil is hot enough and before cooking any food, until they begin to brown, discard and repeat. Always works.
Vanish the garlicky smell from your breath: Chew parsley leaves to remove that nasty smell of garlic.
Burnt smell: Sometimes the dough spills over the edge and falls into the oven when you are baking; sprinkling salt over the spilled dough will prevent the burnt smell that can spoil the flavor.
Fish or garlic smell: Fish or garlic have a strong odor and can leave some of it clinging to knives. It will disappear if you wash the knife in cold water and pass it through the flame.
Sweet citrus aroma: You have been cooking all afternoon and there is that food smell. Guests are about to arrive and your scented candles, sprays, and air fresheners have gone missing. Perfume your kitchen by heating up orange peel in a medium-hot oven with an open door. It is effective.
Caramel perfume: To rid your kitchen of cooking smell, “burn” some sugar in a pan. Cook it to the point of medium dark caramel color, when the aroma still smells sweet. Caramel is a natural fragrance and you've turned your pan into a natural air freshener.
broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or Brussels sprouts are healthy: Yes, they are, but they do smell strong when cooking. Add 1Tbs vinegar and 1 Tbs sugar to the water before adding the vegetables. Your nose will tell the difference.
Cabbage is smelly when cooking: So cover the pan and place some bread -crust off- on top. The bread will absorb the smell. Same goes for the other brassicas.
Coming back to a cabbage smelling home: Make your own air freshener by infusing 3-4 whole cloves into 1 cup vinegar.
Chopping onions or garlic: No one will be able to tell what you have been doing if you quickly splash your hands in cold water and wipe them with a cut lemon. In the abscence of lemon, give them the stainless steel treatment.
Garlic and parsley: Rubbing parsley on your hands and washing them should be enough to vanish any trace of garlic from them. Should the odor persist, rub them with table salt.
Leek and onions make delicious soups: The problem is they also leave some unpleasant odor on your hands. Refresh with a little rose water after washing them.
Fish smelling: Fish smelling hands return to normal if you rub them over a stainless steel utensil, gadget or bowl -including the kitchen faucet, kitchen tap in British English if it is stainless steel. Apply the lemon or table salt treatment if nothing steely is at hand.
Keep that flask fresh: Store it with 1 tsp white sugar to prevent stale odors.
Deodorize that container: Fill it with warm water, add 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, leave overnight. Use this trick if your flask has developed that stale odor.
Bottles or glass containers: Half fill them with warm water and add 1 tsp mustard. Leave overnight.
Clean grater: Eliminate any strong odor from your grater by making it work on hardened bread crust.
Board freshened: Wash the cutting board and wipe it with a cut lemon or cut orange to any odors, especially after chopping strong smelling food like garlic or onions.
