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 Set Up a Buffet Table
Arrange a buffet as a one-way flow, with guests entering at one end and exiting at the other: plates first, followed by cold dishes and salads, then hot dishes,...
When Should Hot Dishes Arrive at the Breakfast Table?
Set out the cold foods first; while the tea steeps, cook the hot dishes, and bring the eggs and pastries to the table last, after everyone is seated. Some cold...
How to Set the Table for Iftar
Plan the iftar table backward from the call to prayer: set the table before the call, have the soup hot at that moment, and place the foods for breaking the fas...
What to Watch for at the Table with Children
When children are sharing a meal, care starts while the food is cooking: set aside a child’s portion before adding hot or strongly flavored spices. Remove fish...
How Do You Balance a Menu for a Large Gathering?
For a large gathering, a menu comes together less from each dish being good on its own than from the dishes complementing one another. Balance hot and cold, mea...
How to Ladle Soup into Bowls Evenly, and Why Stir from the Bottom?
Before portioning soup into bowls, lower the ladle to the bottom of the pot and stir, because heavy pieces settle at the bottom of soup as it sits while fat ris...
How to Carve a Whole Roast Chicken at the Table
Let a whole roast chicken rest before carving, then separate it at the joints: guide the knife through the gap in each joint rather than cutting through bone. P...
How to Keep Tea Coming at a Large Gathering
For a large gathering, tea can be kept coming by brewing in rotation with two teapots: while one is served, the other brews, so every cup gets fresh tea. Keep h...
Why Does Bread Dry Out Quickly at the Table, and How Should It Be Served?
From the moment bread is sliced, it loses moisture through the cut surface; moisture protected inside the loaf is exposed to the air in the slice, and it begins...
How Can You Serve Several Dishes Hot at the Same Time?
To serve several dishes hot at the same time, do not cook them all at once; schedule their finish times around when the meal will be served. Start the dish with...
How to Cut and Serve Baked Dishes Neatly from the Pan
For a baked dish to come out of the pan neatly, let it rest first. In moussaka, baked pasta, or savory pastry fresh from the oven, the sauce and cheese are stil...
How to Remove Baklava from the Tray Without Breaking the Pieces
After the baklava has absorbed its syrup and rested, run a knife through the pre-baking cut lines again all the way to the bottom, then lift the first piece fro...