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 Choose Cutting Boards to Prevent Cross-Contamination
The most important rule when choosing cutting boards is to use separate boards for raw meat and produce. Cutting raw chicken on a board and then slicing cucumbe...
What Goes Well with Barbunya Pilaki (Borlotti Beans Cooked in Olive Oil)?
The best accompaniment for a borlotti bean dish cooked in olive oil is a tangy salad that lightens its richness. A simple shepherd's salad made with tomatoes, o...
How to Make Chocolate Ganache and Get the Right Consistency
The basic method for making chocolate ganache is to pour hot cream over finely chopped chocolate, let it sit undisturbed for a few minutes, then stir slowly, st...
How Do You Release Pressure From a Pressure Cooker?
There are two ways to release pressure from a pressure cooker: turn off the heat and leave the pot alone, letting the pressure drop on its own (natural release)...
How to Cook Frozen Pastries: Should You Thaw Them First?
Most frozen pastries are designed to go straight into a hot oven or boiling water without thawing first. Thawing is usually unnecessary and can even damage the...
What Can You Use Instead of Coffee? (Caffeine-Free Alternatives)
If you are out of coffee, roasted chicory root coffee comes closest in flavor and roasted aroma. Steep one 5 ml measure of roasted chicory powder in hot water f...
Why and How Should You Rest Pilaf After Cooking?
To rest pilaf after cooking, the pot is taken off the heat, its lid is covered with a clean kitchen cloth and put back on, and the pot is left alone for 10-15 m...
How to Choose Materials for Pots and Pans
The most important factor when choosing pots and pans is the type of cooking: cast iron or thick-bottomed stainless steel is suitable for quick searing over hig...
What Can You Use Instead of Frozen Vegetables?
Fresh vegetables can replace frozen vegetables, but they usually take 2–3 times longer to cook because frozen vegetables are briefly blanched before packaging a...
How Long Does Whole-Wheat Pasta Take to Cook?
Whole-wheat pasta takes an average of 10–13 minutes to reach al dente in boiling salted water, usually 1–3 minutes longer than regular pasta because of its bran...
How to Fillet a Fish and Remove the Bones
The basic technique for filleting a fish is to hold a thin, flexible knife parallel to the backbone and guide it from head to tail in one smooth motion. When th...
How Long and at What Temperature Do You Bake Turkish Pide?
Turkish pide bakes in about 10–12 minutes in an oven preheated to 240–250°C / 465–480°F. Thick, generously filled pide may take up to 15 minutes. Because home o...