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the Home Cooking issue 100 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR COOKING This list is for all home cooks, not just beginners, because one good tip can change your cooking life. words by Judy Walker TOOLS 1. Get a good chef knife that fits your hand, and keep it sharp. 2. water. Refrigerate when they become cool to the touch. 15. Eggs are easier to peel if they’re at least a week old. 16. Cook a chicken breast or two quickly and evenly by poaching in a skillet. 17. Save wing tips and bones of rotisserie

28. A minced fresh chile is the secret ingredient in many chefs’ dishes and gumbos. Add with onions. 29. If chopping vegetables in the food processor, start by

You don’t need a whole set of knives; along with the chef knife, get a paring knife for peeling vegetables and fruits and a serrated knife for slicing bread. Liquid and dry measuring cups are different. Liquid ones have a spout. Use the flat-topped ones for measuring baking ingredients. Using an electronic thermometer helps prevent dry or raw meats caused by overcooking. Cook to temperature, not by time. Cooks need a wooden spoon with a flat side to stir, a whisk to beat eggs, and a silicone spatula to scrape bowls. Use a Microplane® to zest citrus and grate garlic and ginger. Calibrate your oven with a thermometer. Nothing is better for browning than a cast-iron skillet. Buy quality cookware, but you don’t need an entire set. Basics: 1-quart and 3-quart covered saucepans, 10-inch skillet, (enameled) cast-iron gumbo pot, and a 6- to 8-quart pasta pot. Add pieces as needed: maybe a 6-inch nonstick skillet for your breakfast egg? 10. Watch thrift stores to find heavy ceramic (e.g., Pampered Chef) baking pans. 11. For next-level baking, get a tare scale, which weighs the container, then the ingredients. PROTEINS 12. Trichinosis is rare in the U.S. Cook whole pork cuts to 145 degrees, and ground pork and beef to 160 degrees. 13. Cook hamburgers until no pink shows. 14. Prevent the green ring around hard- cooked egg yolks. As soon as they are cooked, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice 5. 6. 8. 9.

dropping garlic (or a fresh chile) down the tube while the processor is running, to mince in seconds. 30. To remove the skins of peaches or tomatoes: Drop each into boiling water for 10-30 seconds, or until the skin splits. Transfer to an ice-water bath and the skins will slip off. 31. Grow a fresh herb or two in a pot and place it in a sunny spot. Garlic chives reseed, grow all year and can be used dozens of ways, such as a substitute for scallion tops. 32. Lemons and limes yield more juice at room temperature. Or you can heat them for 15 seconds in the microwave to soften. 33. Buy pure frozen Minute Maid lemon juice to use for lemon-less emergencies. 34. Freeze extra peeled or minced garlic. Or puree 1 part garlic with 2 parts oil and freeze in an airtight container. NEVER 35. Put good knives in dishwashers. 36. Refrigerate tomatoes (until they’re sliced). 37. Leave the kitchen with a broiler on. 38. Leave a knife in the sink. 39. Cook anything for the first time for company or a date. 40. Be afraid of failure. ALWAYS 41. Read through the entire recipe first. 42. Buy the best ingredients you can afford. 43. Taste a finished dish. Adjust seasoning if needed.

chickens for broth. Add half an onion, a celery stalk, a carrot, a bay leaf and some black peppercorns. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least an hour. Don’t stir. Strain and refrigerate. Remove fat from the top the next day, then freeze. 18. Save shrimp and crab shells. Cover them with water, then bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain, then freeze to be used in pastas, soups and sauces later. FRUIT & VEGGIE TIPS 19. A sautéed chopped onion enhances any boxed or canned entrée or side dish. 20. Remove the bitter green sprout from garlic cloves. 21. If chopped onion is too strong, rinse it with cold water. 22. If you live alone, buy the biggest potato to bake. Remainders reheat well in the microwave. 23. Cook spaghetti squash in rings instead of halves to yield more “spaghetti” and to lessen cooking time. 24. To seed a tomato, cut it across the middle and hold over the sink. Gently squeeze, then shake. 25. Use a grapefruit spoon to remove seeds from cucumbers and to scrape seeds from hard squashes. 26. Rinse herbs and lettuce with water, then shake off the water and spread them on a dish towel. Roll up and let sit until ready to use. 27. Line salad bowl with a paper towel; remove towel before adding dressing.

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MY ROUSES EVERYDAY

SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2018