These tips can save time, improve cooking efficiency, and enhance your culinary skills:
Sharpen your knives regularly: A sharp knife makes chopping and cutting much easier and safer. Invest in a good knife sharpener and keep your knives in top condition.
Use wet paper towels under cutting boards: Placing damp paper towels under your cutting board prevents it from slipping, making it safer and more stable to work with.
Keep a trash bowl nearby: While cooking, use a bowl as a temporary trash bin for peels, scraps, and packaging. This saves you trips to the main trash bin and keeps your workspace tidy.
Freeze herbs in oil or butter: Preserve fresh herbs by chopping them and freezing them in ice cube trays with olive oil or melted butter. These herb-infused cubes can be added directly to dishes while cooking.
Use an eggshell to remove broken eggshells: If a piece of eggshell falls into your cracked eggs, use a larger piece of the shell to scoop it out easily.
Keep ingredients organized in mise en place: Before starting to cook, prep and organize all your ingredients (chopping, measuring, etc.) in separate bowls. This way, you won't miss any crucial ingredient and can focus on cooking.
Cut soft ingredients with dental floss: Dental floss works well for slicing soft cheeses, cakes, and rolls without squishing or sticking.
Use an ice cream scoop for muffin batter: Using an ice cream scoop to portion muffin batter makes filling the cups easier and ensures uniform-sized muffins.
Make use of lemon halves after juicing: After squeezing out lemon juice, you can use the hollowed-out halves to scrub cutting boards, eliminate odors from your hands, or clean stains on metal surfaces.
Revive stale bread: Sprinkle a few drops of water on stale bread and then put it in the oven for a few minutes to regain some freshness.
Test egg freshness in water: To check if an egg is fresh, place it in a bowl of water; if it sinks, it's fresh, if it stands upright, it's still good to eat, and if it floats, it's gone bad.
Use an upside-down plate to peel garlic: Press down firmly on a garlic bulb with the heel of your hand while placing an upside-down plate on top. The pressure will separate the cloves from the skin.
Grate butter for easier mixing: If your recipe calls for softened butter, freeze the butter and then grate it into the mixing bowl. It will soften faster and mix more evenly.
Quickly chill drinks with a wet paper towel: Wrap a wet paper towel around a beverage and place it in the freezer for a few minutes to chill it faster.
Store ginger in the freezer: Keep fresh ginger in the freezer; it will be easier to grate, and it lasts longer.
Remember, there are countless kitchen tricks out there, and the more you cook and explore, the more you'll discover!