Cooking Tips — little secrets from the pros
Why does rice turn out fluffy, why won’t dough rise, why does meat get tough? 2163 tips tested by chefs and the community — sorted into categories and explained one by one.
All Tips
2,163 tips listed
How to Rehydrate and Use Dried Mushrooms
Before use, soak dried mushrooms in warm water for 20–30 minutes, pressing them down, until they soften; cold water significantly lengthens this time, while boi...
What Should You Keep in Mind When Tempering Chocolate?
To give chocolate a glossy finish and a clean snap, cool melted chocolate to a specific temperature, then gently warm it again. This cycle brings the fat crysta...
How to Convert Between Dried and Fresh Herb Amounts
The standard rule is 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of chopped fresh herbs for every one 4 ml measure of dried herb — roughly 1/3 as much when using dried. This comes dow...
How Can You Tell If Vegetables Are Fresh When Shopping?
You can judge whether vegetables are fresh by checking four general signs, even without knowing the rules for every individual vegetable: color, firmness, stem...
At What Stage Should Spices Be Added to a Dish?
Ground spices are generally added at the beginning of cooking and briefly toasted in oil with ingredients such as onion and garlic; this lets their aromas disso...
Why Do Ice Crystals Form on Frozen Vegetables?
The small ice grains that build up on the surface of frozen vegetables and inside the bag form when moisture escapes the vegetable during freezing and refreezes...
Why Do Nuts Sink to the Bottom of Cake Batter, and How Do You Stop It?
Heavy add-ins like walnuts, hazelnut pieces or raisins sink to the bottom during baking when the batter is not thick enough to hold them suspended. The standard...
How to Preserve Texture When Reducing Sugar in Desserts
To preserve texture when reducing sugar in a dessert, limit the reduction to no more than one-quarter of the original amount and replace some of the lost moistu...
How to Pan-Fry Mushrooms Until Brown and Crispy
To brown and crisp mushrooms in a pan, use high heat and an uncrowded pan; arrange mushroom slices in a single layer without letting them touch. Mushrooms crowd...
Why Do Cans Bulge?
If the two ends of a can bulge outward and do not spring back when pressed with a finger, the cause is usually gas produced by bacteria growing inside the can....
What Is the Correct Heating Sequence to Prevent Food from Sticking to a Pan?
The right order for preventing food from sticking is to heat the pan empty first and add the oil afterward. Oil poured into a cold pan cannot fully settle into...
What Goes Well with a Cheese Plate?
The best pairing for a cheese plate is walnuts and honey, which add a sweet counterpoint to salty cheese. Sharp cheeses such as tulum work well with a drizzle o...