Salvage your cooking disasters

We're not all Jamie Oliver so we know what it's like to run into a bit of trouble in the kitchen every now and then. Good news is that it's not too late to save dinner if you've had a cooking catastrophe. Here's how to salvage the situation.

Overcooked Meat

If the meat's dry, cut it into thin slices and drizzle on a sauce of brown mustard and olive oil.

Wilted Carrots and Lettuce

Soak them briefly in ice water or wrap them in a damp towel and refrigerate.

Crusty Bread

Wrap the bread in a damp kitchen towel and heat it in a oven for 10 minutes to soften it.

Burnt Bread

Scrape off the worst of the charcoal and brush the slices with olive oil. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and, voilà, you're serving crostini.

Salty Sauce or Soup

A dash of sugar, 
lemon juice, or vinegar neutralises excess salt. Or simmer half a raw potato in the sauce or soup for 5 minutes, then discard it. It'll absorb the salt.

Sticky Pasta

You forgot to stir the pasta, and now you have a linguine basketball. Put 
it in a colander and run cold water over it, then toss with a tablespoon of olive oil; it'll separate.

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