Food & Kitchen Secrets

May 27, 2002:
Interview with Myles Bader, Ph.D.
Author of 10,001 Food Facts, Chefs' Secrets & Household Hints 
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Mike Carruthers:
It's getting to be summer, and that means we like to leave the windows open. But that, of course, lets in flies and mosquitos.

Myles Bader, PhD

Myles Bader:
You keep a basil plant or two around the home, or put some fresh basil in a muslin bag, hang a couple bags around the house. You won't have a fly or mosquito in the house.

If you have a mouse problem...

Put oil of peppermint on a cotton ball, drop it down wherever they are, the basement, behind the counters, the barn. You'll never see a mouse-they're allergic to peppermint-and you can drop the cotton ball down a gopher or mole hole and they'll dig to China to get away from peppermint.

In the kitchen, how do you store your spices?

The one thing people make a mistake when they're storing spices and herbs is they put them to close to heat sometimes. They have the rack above their rangetop or they have it too close to the exhaust from the microwave. Heat will really do a job on your spices and herbs. They should be kept in a cool, dry location-even the refrigerator wouldn't be too bad-as long as you put them back at room temperature before you use them, or crush them up between your fingers to release the aroma.

And Myles says it's important to pay attention to how you store your cooking oil.

Any oil should be stored in the refrigerator. It'll slow down the rancidity of the oil. Oil should always be purchased in a container that is not clear, because even the light in the super-market will cause a certain percentage of rancidity.

Complete interview not available