Cooking Tips

1.      1. Salt water for pasta and vegetables before you boil them—it’s your last chance to season them before cooking.

2.      2. To remove muscle from a scallop, grab the tab of the muscle firmly, removing with a paring knife, and pull it off.

3.      3. To easily trim green beans, line the beans up next to each other and slice off the hard stems.

4.      4. To keep custard and other dairy sauces from curdling, stir constantly and immediately pour into a cool container after cooking.

5.      5. To easily fold egg whites into a mixture, use a flat spatula and turn with your wrist, moving the bottom ingredients over the top ones while turning the bowl with your free hand. Repeat only until ingredients are mixed and never stir.

6.      6. To properly measure flour, scoop it with your measuring cup or spoon and level the top with a knife.

7.      7. When cooking with quinoa, be sure to thoroughly rinse the grain to remove any bitterness before cooking.

8.      8. To keep iceberg lettuce crisp, immerse the leaves in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes before using.

9.      9. To make garlic paste, peel and crush garlic with the side of a knife against a flat surface. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Scoop and scrape the garlic-salt mixture until a paste forms.

10.   10. To bring out the flavors in nuts and spices, toast them in a small skillet until browned and fragrant.

11.  11. Use chilled butter when making crusts, biscuits, tarts and scones—it makes for a better dough texture.

12.  12. To stem shiitake mushrooms, trim the ends where the stem meets the cap and save them to add flavor to broth or risotto.

13.  13. Never press on a hamburger patty with a spatula—it will force juices out and make for a dry burger.

14.  14. Store dried herbs and spices for up to six months in a cool, dry place—if kept much longer, they may lose their flavor.

15.  15. To scrape a vanilla bean, cut the bean in half, lengthwise, then run the knife blade over each side of the bean to remove the seeds.

16.   16. To check for cake doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, with no crumbs, the cake is finished baking.

17.  17. You can store leftover egg whites in the freezer for up to one year—use them to make desserts like macaroons, pavlovas or meringues.

18.  18. Score ham before cooking with a small chef’s knife, so the meat crisps as it roasts.

19.  19. To make beef tenderloin even more flavorful and juicy, dry brine it salt 24 to 36 hours in advance.

Save pasta water to help thin and loosen thick sauces