Kitchie Coo

I love kitchen tips that make my life easier in the kitchen.  I love kitchen tips that make me bang my forhead with the palm of my hand and say "why the hell didn't I think of that?"  I have a lot of these to share with you.  Tips and processes that have continually made my life go from: frustrating and recipe-avoiding, to: duh and gimme-that-recipe!  So, because of this, today I am starting Kitchie Tips!  I hope that these tips will reach you, or anyone out there in desperate need of a shortcut, and make life easier in the kitchen.

The first tip I want to share with you, is another lead-up to my much alluded to spinach and mushroom roll.  Come on, come on, let's get on with it Maggie.  I know this is what you're thinking.  I am getting there.  I am taking you on a journey.  This meal is all about the journey.  And at the end, you will have a beautiful and well-earned meal.  This I promise you.

What I want to share with you is an invaluable tip I learned about draining cooked spinach.  I had been frustrated for years with pressing spinach in a strainer with the palms of my hand and still turning out watery, runny quiches and pastas.  I wish I remembered where I learned this tip from, but I don't.  So, whoever taught me this beautiful trick, thank you.  You deserve one million dollars for your insight.  Or at least some credit. 

So, here goes:

To drain all the water out of cooked spinach:

1. Place the cooked spinach in a clean towel, that you don't mind getting stained, on a clean surface (counter or cutting board).  The spinach will stain your towel green and I now have a designated "spinach draining towel" I keep in my kitchen.


2. Gather the towel around the spinach and wring it out, like you'd wring out a wet towel.


3. Twist the towel back and forth in both directions several times, until you get all the water you can out of the spinach.

4.  Unroll the towel and you will have perfectly drained spinach!  Use as directed in your recipe.