Remember when you could tear off yards and yards of foil, plastic wrap, parchment and waxed paper with abandon?
Now many cooks are environmentally consciousness and filled with recycling fervor. The recession brought back an old-fashioned sense of thrift.As a result, plastic containers for cold-food storage have made quite a comeback. Some cooks have taken the retro reaction even further and begun using those old-fashioned elasticized bowl covers to protect food in the fridge. The puckered covers make dishes look kind of jaunty sitting there on the shelves, as though they're topped off with hats and berets of many colors.
Of course, many cooks who lived through the Great Depression have always hoarded foil - even waxed paper - to use over and over again. I think it was the comic-strip Cathy who accused her mother of having a giant ball of crinkled foil dating from 1952.
But it's most convenient for cooks to strike a balance. We can use the best of both worlds: Rigid plastic containers made of '90s materials both microwave- and freezer-safe. And improved food-wrapping materials are available in so many varieties they take up half a grocery aisle.
It's handy to stock all types of wraps in the kitchen; they serve many cooking purposes as well as wrapping leftovers.
Here are some reasons to unroll a little foil, plastic wrap, waxed paper and parchment paper (a similar product is also called Microwave Wrap, but it's not stocked by all supermarkets).
Food brought to picnics in foil is instantly ready to be cooked over the coals. Open all hot foil packets with care.
Foil and special plastic wraps for freezer storage lock out oxygen and protect foods against freezer burn. For long-term freezing, use extra-heavy foil. Foil-wrapped foods can go directly to the oven.
Aromatic foods, such as cut onions and strong cheeses, should be wrapped in sheets of foil to avoid transfer of odors in the refrigerator.
When microwaving, butter or spaghetti sauce can be covered with a sheet of microwave cooking paper or waxed paper to prevent spatters.
To avoid soggy pancakes when microwaving the frozen kind, wrap a stack of four pancakes in microwave cooking paper and micro-cook on high for a minute.
Shape cheese logs and raw cookie dough in cylinders of waxed paper; it doesn't stick to sticky foods.
Shield the corners of a square microwave dish with foil triangles to prevent overcooking of food in the corners. The foil should not overlap itself; use it in small quantity in a microwave.
Micro-cook vegetables such as broccoli covered with micro-plastic wrap for maximum heat and steam retention.
When making homemade candies, such as fudge or brittles, line the pans with foil to ensure that the candies can be removed easily. This also makes for no-mess cleanup.
Cook fish, vegetables, some cuts of meat in tightly sealed foil packets for high-temperature baking. With the natural juices sealed in, these meals are high in nutrition, low in calories and fat.
Separate foods for freezing with sheets of waxed paper between burger patties, chops, fillets before wrapping in freezer-proof materials. This allows you to separate them easily while still frozen.
Use parchment or microwave wrap to line a microwave-safe plate when heating nachos. They won't stick to the paper.
Make foil drip pans for the grill when roasting over indirect heat.
Use foil strips to prevent the edge of pie crusts from overbrowning.
For easy cutting of bar cookies, bake in a foil-lined pan. When cool, lift out by the foil edges to a cutting board. Fold back foil and cut into desired shapes.
Use crumpled pieces of foil to scrub grill racks, iron skillets at campsites.
Following are recipes using kitchen wrap.Joyce Rosencrans is food editor of the Cincinnati Post.
FOILED BRUNCH PEPPERS ON THE GRILL
1 medium onion, sliced
4 small green bell peppers
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups crumbled bread crumbs
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon each salt, pepper, ground cumin
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salsa, sour cream
Grilled sausages
Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 45 minutes
Build a medium-hot charcoal fire in a covered kettle grill (line fire-bowl with foil first, if desired, punching holes at grill vents).
Tear off four 12x18-inch sheets of heavy foil. Place onion in center of each foil sheet. Cut green peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place two pepper halves on top of onion slices on each sheet. Combine eggs, bread crumbs, chilies, garlic and seasonings; mix well. Spoon 2 tablespoons of mixture into each pepper half. Bring longer sides of foil together over food.
Fold down loosely in locked folds, allowing for heat circulation. Fold up short ends; crimp to seal.
Cook peppers in covered grill over medium-hot coals 20 to 25 minutes, or until eggs are set. Remove from grill and carefully open packets. Top each pepper with cheese. Serve with salsa; sour cream; grilled sausages on the side.
PLASTIC-WRAPPED BEEF DINNER
1/2 medium baking potato, cut in 4 wedges
1 tablespoon margarine, divided
Paprika
1 cup raw broccoli florets
3 slices (4 to 5 ounces) deli roast beef, 1/8-inch thick
Steak sauce or barbecue sauce
Yield: 1 serving
Prep time: 10 minutes
Place potato wedges on one side of a microwave-safe plate. Dot with half the margarine; sprinkle with paprika or seasoned salt. Cover with plastic wrap, turning back one edge to vent. Microwave on high 2 minutes. Handle plate with potholders; uncover. Place broccoli on opposite side of plate; dot with remaining margarine. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving one edge open to vent.
Microwave on high 2 more minutes; uncover. Roll up each slice of roast beef; place on plate and top with steak sauce. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving one edge open to vent. Microwave on high 1 to 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Note: Salt is often unnecessary for microwaved vegetables; hold off until food is served.
WAXED-PAPER APPLE PIE
Cookie Cutter Crust:
One 9-inch frozen or refrigerated pie crust
2 teaspoons melted butter
Cinnamon-sugar
Filling:
6 medium cooking apples, peeled, sliced (6 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter, diced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Prep time: 45 minutes
Place thawed pie crust on a sheet of waxed paper; flatten crust. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle evenly with cinnamon-sugar. Using a 21/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 9 or 10 shapes. Place shapes in a circle on a waxed paper-lined microwave platter. Microwave on high for 1 minutes, 30 seconds.
Rotate platter one-half turn. Microwave on high 1 to 2 minutes longer or until crust is dry and puffy. Immediately loosen from waxed paper; let cool while preparing filling.
Combine apples, sugar, flour, diced butter, lemon juice and cinnamon in a large bowl. Turn into a shallow 11/2-quart microwave-safe casserole; spread evenly. Microwave on high 15 minutes or until apples are tender, stirring halfway through. Arrange pie-crust shapes over filling. Serve warm.