Learn to Cook

General Tips

• The secret to great pasta sauce? The cooking water. Save a cup of the pasta’s cooking water before you drain it, and add the water to your sauce as needed. The starch in it helps the sauce adhere to the pasta, creating a creamier, more flavorful final product. (Mens Health)
• Warm food served on a cold plate is a ROOKIE MISTAKE. Heat your dishes in a 150°F oven for 10 minutes before plating a meal. On the flip side, lightly chilled plates (use your freezer) boost the freshness of cold dishes like summer salads. (Mens Health)
• To remove grease from inside your oven when doing kitchen cleaning, put a small pan of ammonia in the oven in the evening, and then close the oven door. In the morning, remove the pan of ammonia. The grease inside the oven will wipe off very easily. (Cooking Lifetips)
• Hardboiling eggs
• How to buy and store herbs and spices.

Meat Tips

• If you slice into your meat right after it comes off the grill, those precious juices, still circulating with residual heat, will bleed out onto your plate. Let the meat rest: Wait 5 minutes before biting into burgers or grilled chicken, 7 minutes before cutting into steaks, and at least 15 minutes before carving a turkey or a larger roast. (Mens Health)
• Insider’s Guide to Steaks (Dakota Beef)
• Let your meat come to room temperature before cooking it.  Putting cold meat into a hot pan, or on a hot grill, makes the meat seize up and makes it tougher.  To keep your meet moist and tender, let it sit on the counter for 15-30 minutes before cooking, depending on the size of the piece.
• A guide to good fishing guides.  No, really.

Produce Tips

• Freshen up limp vegetables: Drop your aging produce into ice water before cooking. Plants wilt due to water loss; ice water penetrates their cells to restore crispness. (Mens Health)
• . Time your salting well. If you add salt to vegetables as soon as they hit the pan, the sodium will draw out moisture. (They’ll steam, not brown.) For deep, flavorful caramelization, add salt at the end. (Mens Health)
• When ripe, you can keep your bananas in the refrigerator (I prefer mine cold), but the peel turns black pretty quickly. The trick? Brush your bananas with lemon juice before placing them in the fridge. But don’t douse them in lemon juice; they may over ripen before you have time to eat them. (Healthy Eats)