Making Drumettes

Drumettes or also, fondly called, chicken lollipops. Here are the steps on how to make them...

1. With your fingers, loosen the main joint holding the two long segments of the wing. This makes it easier to cut and separate.
2. Cut the wing into 3 segments, discarding the wing tip. The remaining two will be turned into drumettes.
3. Take the section that looks like a little drumstick and use a knife to make a deep slit at the base and clean the area of any skin or fleah bits. Now you've got your lollipop handle. Set aside. For the inner wing segment, the same process applies, but first take out the thin bone so that you are left with only one handle.
4. Hold the stick end of the drumette and with a knife, push down the flesh toward the round end.
5. Roll meat around the bone to create a round lollipop.

Oven Do's and Dont's

DO'S:

• Do preheat oven 10 minutes before baking.
• Do put the oven rack at the center of the oven for proper heat distance.
• Do use an oven thermometer to make sure you are baking at the proper temperature.
• Do clean up any spill on the oven floor o they will not burn when oven is used again.

DONT'S:

• Don't let the pans touch the sides of the oven or touch each other.
• Don't put the pans one on top of the other when baking two racks. Stagger them so heat will still circulate properly.
• Don't open the oven door until at least half of the baking time has passed.

Buying A Fish

Pick the freshest fish from the bunch by making sure...

• Its eyes are bulging and clear, not cloudy or red.
• The scales adhere tightly to the skin of the fish.
• If the fish has slime, it should be clear.
• The flesh springs back to its original shape when you press the body with your thumb.

Basic Steps In Baking

1. Read the recipe carefully to know if you have all the ingredients and utensils needed and to know if you could understand the entire procedure.
2. Check if you have all the necessary ingredients then gather them together.
3. Prepare all the utensils you will need for measuring, mixing and baking.
4. Preheat oven. Set the oven knob at desired temperature. Hang an oven thermometer on the center rack. When the thermometer registers the same temperature as the oven knob then the oven is ready for use.
5. Prepare the pan or pans needed, making sure you use the correct pan size. If it needs greasing, brush the bottom of the pan with a little shortening. For baking purposes, do not use butter or margarine for greasing because these burn easily and will produce a very brown crust.
6. Measure the ingredients using correct utensils in the amount required in the recipe.
7. Mix the batter or dough. When filling pans, make sure you do not overfill. Fill about 2/3 full to give an allowance for the rising.
8. Bake in a preheated oven. Put the pan at the center rack.
9. Test for doneness. For butter cakes, prick at the center of the cake with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, then, it is done. For chiffon or sponge cakes, press lightly with the fingers. If it springs back, it means it is done. Pies and pastries are done when the crusts have turned golden brown, crisp and flaky.
10. Cool the baked products. For butter cakes, put the pan on a wire rack and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Afterwards, invert the pan to remove the cake and cool it completely. For chiffon or sponge cakes, invert the pans at once and cool on racks.
11. After the cakes have cooled, they can aleady be assembled and decorated.