> Soy sauce as a substitute for salt

Kikkoman naturally brewed soy sauce is a very practical alternative to salt. It subtly enhances the flavour of vegetables, meat, fish, rice and pasta. Soy sauce is a versatile seasoning. It is perfect for Japanese dishes, salad dressings and marinades. It can also be served in a separate bowl, with sushi for instance, or you can keep the bottle on the dining table so that your guests can use it according to their personal seasoning preferences.

> Perfect storage

Once opened, the bottle should be stored in the refrigerator with the lid tightly closed. If this delicious seasoning is used as a table condiment, it should be used up within a short time because high temperatures and oxygen affect its flavour and aroma.

> Garnishing dishes with soy sauce

Bring 100 ml of Kikkoman naturally brewed soy sauce to the boil in a saucepan with strips of ginger (approx. 4 cm), 50 ml sake and 90 g sugar, reduce to a syrup-like consistency over medium heat and then leave to cool. These caramelised ginger strips are a delicious way to decorate food or garnish plates.

> Tastier vegetables

Finely chopped vegetables taste even better if you add a dash of soy sauce instead of salt while they are cooking.

> Freezing vegetables

Basically, you can freeze most kinds of vegetables, the only exceptions being leafy vegetables and salads. It's important to clean the vegetables thoroughly and ideally to blanch them (cook briefly in boiling water) before freezing. This ensures that they retain their valuable nutrients, colour and flavour. When you use frozen vegetables to prepare meals, there's no need to defrost them beforehand. Simply cook them from frozen.

> Woody and bitter asparagus

If asparagus has woody stems, you can only use the tips. To check whether the asparagus tastes bitter, try a little of the juice while you are peeling it or cut off a piece of raw asparagus and eat it. Bring a pan of water, sugar, butter, salt and lemon juice to the boil, then put the asparagus in the boiling liquid. These ingredients take the bitterness out of the asparagus and enhance its natural flavour. Green asparagus is simply cooked in salted water.

> Caraway seeds intensify the flavour of potatoes

You can enhance the natural flavour of new potatoes by adding whole caraway seeds.

> Making peppers more digestible

Peppers can be digested more easily without their skin. Simply remove the skin with a vegetable peeler, cut the flesh horizontally into fine strips and place in iced water to create decorative yellow, green or red pepper curls.

> Preparing aubergines

Aubergines should only be prepared fresh! Wash them first, then cut them into slices with the skin. To draw out the bitterness and water, place the aubergine slices in a sieve, salt them well on all sides, leave them for around half and hour, rinse well and pat dry with kitchen roll. Add a few drops of lemon juice to make sure that the flesh doesn't turn brown.

> Keeping herbs fresh

Fresh herbs stay fresh for longer and retain their colour better if they are wrapped in moist kitchen roll or a cloth and then stored refrigerated in a sealed container.

> Cut basil with sharp scissors

Basil doesn't turn black if you cut it with sharp scissors instead of chopping it like parsley.

> Wok cooking

Ingredients that are cooked in a wok are stirred constantly to keep them crisp and crunchy. When they are almost ready, the temperature is reduced and soy sauce is added. This makes the ingredients easy to remove from the base of the wok and prevents the food from burning.

> Thickening sauces

The classic method of thickening sauces is to add roux - and sometimes cream as well. Another very easy method is to use a mixture of butter and flour called beurre manié to thicken sauces. To make the mixture, equal quantities of soft butter and flour are kneaded into a dough, cut into small cubes and then frozen. When refrigerated, beurre manié stays fresh for up to fourteen days. To thicken sauces, a cube of beurre manié is stirred into the sauce and then brought to the boil with the sauce. The advantage of beurre manié compared with roux is that the sauce can be brought to the boil again. This isn't possible with roux because lumps would form in the sauce.

> Removing the fat from dishes

If you have cooked foods in oil, pat them dry with kitchen roll to remove it. Fat is easiest to remove from liquid foods when they have cooled because it is then visible on the surface and can be skimmed off.

> Preventing fat from spitting

Butter and fat do not spit if you add a pinch of salt to the pan. It's also a good idea to buy good quality oils if you are planning on using them for frying. For example, high-quality cold-pressed olive oil tends to spit less than conventional cooking oils.

> Scorched pans

If food has burned on the bottom of a stainless steel pan, fill it with at least 200 ml of water and 20 g baking powder and leave it to soak overnight.

> Overcooked rice

To achieve the best results with rice, use one part grain to two parts water (the majority of types of rice) or one part grain to three parts water (for Thai fragrant rice, Basmati rice, long-grain rice, etc.). Bring the water to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook until tender. If the rice gets overcooked and turns into a sticky mess, pour off the surplus cooking water immediately, put the rice in a sieve and rinse with ice-cold water. Then you can add further ingredients such as mushrooms, finely chopped onions or chives to flavour it and fry it in a little butter.

> Overdone vegetables or potatoes

Overdone vegetables or potatoes can easily be transformed into a delicious puree while they are still hot. Mash the potatoes with a little milk, nutmeg and butter until creamy. Puree the vegetables and mix with crème fraîche or single cream, or add them to stock to make a delicious soup. Overcooked vegetables can also be pureed with oatmeal or potato flakes, seasoned with cream, spices and (herb) butter.

> Too much salt

Over salted dishes can be neutralised by the addition of a little water, milk, vegetables or potatoes.

> Not enough salt

It doesn't matter if you forget to add salt during the cooking process because you can always add it afterwards. Soy sauce is an ideal seasoning for any kind of dish. You can also use freshly ground sea salt to season food after cooking.

> Curdled sauce

The most effective way to save a curdled sauce containing egg yolk is to put it in a bowl with half a teaspoon of lemon juice (for every 4 portions) and whisk it vigorously again. If a fat-based sauce curdles, skim off the fat before whisking.

> Semi-defrosted frozen products

Semi-defrosted frozen products, such as meat or seafood, should be cooked immediately. Other briefly defrosted products such as frozen vegetables, fruit, bread, bread rolls or pastry can be refrozen or kept in their original packaging in the refrigerator for a short time. Make sure they are used within 24 hours. A handy hint for perfect defrosting: simply remove the food from its packaging, put it in a bowl and let it defrost slowly in the refrigerator.

> Burnt dishes

If your food has burned in the pan, first check the pan base. If the ingredients are actually burnt onto the base, don't stir them but remove the top layers immediately and transfer them to another pot or pan.