HINTS FOR SAFE BAKING AND COOKING
Parchment Paper is not intended for use on a barbeque or any situation with open flame, so keep parchment paper away from hot elements. Parchment paper is suitable for use in conventional ovens up to 400°F (200°C). The paper may brown around the edges with repeated use, but is is still fine to use.

GRILLING TIPS

BEYOND BROWN BAGS - BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS
Meals-to-go don't have to be mundane. Here are a few tips from the Chefs Select Test Kitchen as parents and kids prepare for 'back to school'.

Line the container with a colourful paper or cloth napkin or towel.  Include fingertip 'wipes' or a damp cloth in a sealable bag.

Freeze tetra packs of juice. They will be thawed by snack or lunchtime while keeping lunch cold. Or use some small freezer gel packs. You can make your own by filling a sturdy small sealable bag three-quarters full of water, seal well and freeze flat until solid.

Wrap your sandwiches in Chefs Select parchment paper - it's a sturdy wrap and can be re-used if not messy. Or recycled - remind the kids the Chefs Select parchment paper can go in the paper blue box, rather than tossing it in the trash.

Taking your lunch to work? Chefs Select parchment paper is a great microwave cover.  It keeps the heat in, avoids splatters and is a safe to use in the microwave. In fact, Chefs Select parchment paper is the only wrap that goes from freezer to oven(up to 400F/200C), or freezer to microwave.

Variety is key to successful lunches.  Including the four food groups, not only provides healthy meals, but adds colour - just think of the rainbow of Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating.

Have your children prepare the lunches with you. They will pack preferred foods and are less likely to trade or toss if they have invested the time. Wrap firm cubes of cheese in Chefs Select parchment paper. Cheese is a popular item and provides both good quality protein and calcium for strong bones. Pack crackers with it.

Wrap cookies and squares in Chefs Select Parchment Paper.

GENERAL COOKING & BAKING TIPS
Hot tip from Jennifer Low, Food Editor of Canadian House & Home Magazine. In the March 2003 issue (page 146 to be exact), is a terrific way to create the flakiest fish fillets:

"To create a low-fat fish dish, you usually bake the fish, rather than fry it. But often the fillets get sodden on the bottom from cooking in the liquids that pool in the pan. And baking fish on a rack to allow liquids to drip off often ends up in tricky removal and lots of broken fillets, even when the rack is well-greased.

"Here's the trick: Lay a piece of parchment paper on a cooling rack, placed in a baking dish or shallow baking pan. Use the tip of a paring knife or a metal skewer to punch holes every half-inch or so in the parchment paper. Lay the fillets on the paper and punch a few extra holes at the edges of the fillets. The holes allow liquid to drip through and evaporate more quickly, serving up moist, flaky fish every time. And the fillets slide easily off the parchment paper so they're more likely to remain whole when you serving them."

Make any pan a non-stick pan with Chefs Select Parchment Paper. Line baking sheets and cake pans with Chefs Select Parchment Paper instead of messy greasing. And it's re-usable - batch after batch of cookies can be made without the need to grease cookie sheets, which saves on clean up.

When baking cookies, line baking sheets with Chefs Select Parchment Paper. When cookies are done, lift the whole sheet and transfer to wire rack.

Before baking, prepare the cookies all at once on sheets of Chefs Select Parchment Paper, and then just slide a cookie sheet under the paper. Even if cookie sheet is still hot, the insulating qualities of the Chefs Select Parchment Paper means no waiting between batches.

If you are making the type of cookies where small balls of dough are flattened with a fork, try this: place a piece of Chefs Select Parchment Paper over dough balls, place a second cookie sheet on top and press evenly. Save time by flattening all at once.

Make rolling dough easier and use less flour. Dampen counter top and cover with a sheet of Chefs Select Parchment Paper to prevent sliding. Place dough on paper; cover with another piece of Chefs Select Parchment Paper and roll dough between sheets.

Making bread? When proofing dough, cover with Chefs Select Parchment Paper - it won't stick to the dough. Line loaf pans or baking sheet with parchment paper rather than brushing with oil or shortening. Knead the dough on Chefs Select Parchment Paper rather than using more flour, which can toughen dough.

Using non-stick baking sheets or pans? Cutting a pan of bars or squares scratches the non-stick finish of the pan, marring the pan and ruining its finish. While it may seem repetitive to use parchment paper on non-stick baking sheets and pans, it will save the finish of the pans if you line them with Chefs Select Parchment Paper. 

For bars, squares and quick breads, make a Chefs Select Parchment Paper sling - cut parchment paper to line the two long sides and bottom of pan, with a few inches of paper overhanging both sides. When your bars are baked and cooled, use the overhanging ends to lift out the baked item to a cutting board to cut. The parchment paper sling not only makes it a breeze to remove the baked item whole, but also makes for very easy clean up.

COOKIE MAKING TIPS
Always preheat oven to ensure good results. A reliable oven thermometer is a good investment. It will not control the heat, but will help determine the temperature of the oven so that you can lower or increase heat as necessary. Place oven rack in the middle position in oven.

For best results, use the ingredients called for in a recipe. Generally solid margarine can be substituted for butter, but using soft margarines in baking will create a different texture and possibly cause recipe failure. For easier mixing, have butter, margarine or shortening at room temperature.

For tender cookies, add flour gradually to creamed mixture and just until combined. Over-mixing cookie dough can make cookies tough.

When rolling cookie dough, work with a small amount of dough at a time and lightly sprinkle work surface with flour to prevent sticking. Use a minimum of flour to prevent tough cookies. Also lightly flour cookie cutters to avoid dough sticking to cutters. Brush any excess flour off cookies with small brush before baking.

Cookie sheets vary in weight, colour and baking qualities. Use shiny, light coloured heavy, rimless cookie sheets. Dark coloured pans absorb heat and may cause cookie bottoms to over-brown. Insulated (double or tripled layered) cookie sheets are designed to slow down baking and promote even browning. They usually require a minute or two longer baking time.

For even cooking, cook one sheet at a time. If your oven bakes unevenly, turn cookie sheet around halfway through cooking. Cool cookie sheet between batches, otherwise batter will spread and brown too much on the bottom. For efficient baking, three cookie sheets are ideal - one in the oven, one you are filling and one cooling. To cool pan quickly, run under cold water and towel dry.

Instead of greasing cookie sheets, use parchment paper. This versatile non-stick paper not only saves messy greasing and reduces fat, it's also reusable. Just wipe clean and dry.

Place warm cookies on wire rack in single layer to cool completely. Decorate when cool.

To store cookies, cool completely and leave them unfrosted so they don't stick together. Store crisp and soft cookies separately. Store in airtight containers such as sealed plastic bags or rigid plastic containers. Parchment paper between layers will prevent cookies from sticking together. To store longer than a week, freeze for up to 6 months.

Couldn't Be Easier Florentines: Unwrap and cut an Eatmore bar into 8 even pieces. Arrange pieces on Chefs Select Parchment Paper lined cookie sheet. Bake in preheated 350F (180C) oven for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes 8 cookies.

MICROWAVE COOKING TIPS

Chefs Select Parchment Paper is the microwave's new best friend!

Chefs Select Parchment Paper makes an ideal microwave covering, no venting needed and no struggling with seal-to-everything plastic wrap. Chefs Select Parchment Paper's non-stick surface does not leave any residue on the food.

Enjoy microwave-scrambled eggs, but not the eggy film that even the dishwasher can't remove? Cut a piece of Chefs Select Parchment Paper to fit your microwave dish. Dampen both sides of paper to mould easier to dish. Add eggs, milk, whisk and zap.

Chefs Select Parchment Paper goes from freezer to microwave without fussing with opening or changing covers. Chefs Select Parchment Paper is the best thing to layer between hamburger patties, chops, steaks or chicken pieces before freezing - separating has never been so easy.

Kids are cooking? Line bottom of microwave oven with Chefs Select Parchment Paper for easy clean-up. Too bad you couldn't line their rooms!

NOT ONLY FOR BAKING!
When cooking at your campsite, fry your food in a parchment-lined pan - this saves a big clean-up job. Leave the fat to cool, then put the fat-laden parchment paper carefully into the fire pit to use as a fire starter for the evening campfire.
From Lynda, a Chefs Select customer

Line candle moulds with parchment paper for easy removal.

When making model cars, airplanes, etc., put everything on a piece of parchment paper. That way the glue won't stick.

I make wreaths and other crafts for my family. With Chefs Select Parchment Paper the glue doesn't stick, so there is no scraping dried glue off the counter or workspace.

Oil painting is like baking - fun to do, but what a mess! Chefs Select Parchment Paper is ideal as palette paper.  When you have finished painting for the day, just throw away the paper. If you are just starting with oils, save money by covering a piece of stiff cardboard with parchment paper for an instant palette. Simply discard the paper when finished.

Enjoy Sewing? Chefs Select Parchment Paper makes sturdy pattern pieces, less likely to tear as tissue paper pattern pieces. Just transfer patterns to parchment paper, cut out and use again and again for those often repeated patterns.

Courtesy of Barb Holland and Chefs Select Parchment Paper
(www.chefsselect.com)

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