Flotsam & Jetsam

Thanksgiving, my absolute favorite holiday of the year, is right around the corner.  So, figured I would dust off a couple kitchen tricks I’ve learned over the years and pass ‘em on.

1. Cleaning butcher block – has your butcher block ever developed that oily film on it after a while of use?  If so, heres an old butcher shop trick I learned from my butcher.  Spread a reasonable layer of kosher salt over the whole board and let it sit overnight (8 to 12 hours).  When time is up, scrap the salt off using flattop cleaning tool or a taping knife.

2. Keeping greens fresh – add a small rack with holes in it to your vegetable drawer so vegetables sitting on top can have air flow around them.  It’ll keep ‘em fresh longer.

3. Garbage cans – Sprinkle some baking soda into the can before you put in the bag to absorb odors.  I also toss in an extra bag so that when I take out the garbage, I have a bag handy if I’m in a rush.