Help Around the Kitchen

Ideas for June

With the weather heating up you’ll want to cool down your kitchen and take the cooking outside.

Get More Citrus

Squeeze more out of your lemons and limes! Microwave citrus for about 15 seconds before juicing to soften the fruit and release more juice.
Make Fresh Lemonade

For expert-style grill marks: Line meats up, parallel to each other and pointing in the same direction. Once grill marks appear, rotate all meats in the same direction 90 degrees and continue grilling for cross-hatch marks; repeat on the other side.
Get Great Grill Marks on Barbecued Chicken

Clean Your Sponge

Disinfect a dish sponge by soaking it in a solution of 1 quart water and ¼ cup bleach. Let it soak for at least 5 minutes before wringing it out and air-drying.
More Cleaning Tips

Save Your Burgers

Freeze ground beef separated into individual patties with a sheet of parchment placed in between. Tightly wrap the stack in foil then plastic wrap to prevent the beef from absorbing odors or developing freezer burn.
Make Your Own Patties

How to Season Well

Unless specified in a recipe, season meats and seafood just before cooking — salt draws out moisture, which can lead to dryness.
How to Season Properly

Iced Tea Tip

It’s National Iced Tea Month! Put an end to cloudy batches by letting the hot brewed tea cool completely before stirring in cold water or ice cubes.
Giada's Early Grey Iced Tea

Paula's Homemade Ice Cream

Store ice cream bowls in the freezer before serving — chilled bowls help keep ice cream from melting the minute it's scooped into a serving bowl.
Make Homemade Ice Cream With Paula

Clean Your Grill

Keep grill grates clean to prevent foods from sticking and leftover residue from clinging to your food. Fire up the grill and let it burn for about 20 minutes, then use a grill cleaning brush or crumpled foil held with tongs to scrape the grates clean.
Clean Before You Make These Shell Steaks

No-Cook Dessert

Whip up a quick, no-cook crisp: Gently mash fresh berries in a serving dish and sprinkle with sugar and a pinch of salt; stir the berries occasionally. Use a food processor to grind nuts with shredded coconut, fresh figs and dried dates; spoon the mixture on top of the berries and serve with whipped cream.
No-Cook Peaches and Cream

Proper Patty Prep

Burger patties shrink during cooking, so make them about ½-inch wider than the diameter of the hamburger buns being used.
Make Chile Relleno Burgers

Best Bet for Berries

Let summer berries sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for maximum flavor.
Giada's Raspberry and Balsamic Parfaits

Clean a Spice Grinder

Clean your spice grinder just before using to remove any dust or leftover spices — grinding a piece of stale bread or uncooked rice will sweep the basin clean.
How to Grind and Toast Spices

Lid in a Pinch

For a makeshift lid, set a large sheet of aluminum foil on top of any pan and, using potholders, fold down the sides of the foil around the pan. If you need a tight seal, set a pan that is longer in diameter on top.
More Double-Duty Kitchen Supplies

Tyler's Arnold Palmers

Fix a refreshing pitcher of Arnold Palmer?s half iced tea and half lemonade to get into the swing of warm weather.
Tyler's Arnold Palmers

Great Grilled Fish

Keep fragile fish from sticking to the grill by oiling the cooking grates and the fish — use a pair of tongs to rub a paper towel dipped in oil against cleaned grates. Brush oil onto each cut of fish as well.
Cuban-Style Grilled Salmon

Happy Father's Day!

Indulge Dad on Father’s Day with a big batch of brown-sugared bacon. Arrange bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar. Place in a cold oven, set the temperature to 400 degrees F and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes.
Serve With Scambled Cheddar Eggs

Stone Fruit Trick

Skinned peaches and plums make all the difference in baked summer goods, such as a pie or tart. Mark the base of each fruit with an X and then blanch until the skin loosens, 1 to 2 minutes. The skin will come right off.
Ina's Plum Tart

Homemade Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is easiest to prepare when all the parts are chilled: Place the heavy cream in a stainless steel bowl and refrigerate along with the whisk or beaters. Remove from the refrigerator just before preparing.
Really Vanilly Whipped Cream

Give It a Rest

Always let cooked meat rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This will give the flavorful juices time to distribute themselves evenly throughout the meat.
Rest Your Porterhouse

Simple Seasoning

No time to marinate? Just season your meat with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and throw it on the grill. Once it’s done and resting, drizzle it immediately with fresh citrus juice of your choice. Try pork with oranges, chicken with lemons and beef with limes.
Pork Tenderloin With Orange Salad

Happy Summer!

It’s the first official day of summer! Celebrate with homemade frozen melon pops: Blend plain yogurt, fresh melon cubes and honey, and freeze using an ice-pop mold. Spice things up with a dash of vanilla or a pinch of warming spices like cinnamon or allspice.
Or Make Homemade Coconut Pops

New Ice Cubes

Put an end to watered-down iced coffee or tea; the next time you brew a pot of coffee or tea, freeze leftovers in ice cubes and add them to your next iced beverage.
Try Them in Perfect Iced Tea

Pasta Salad Prep

When cooking pasta for a cold salad, cook it just a bit more than al dente so that it remains soft when cooled. About minute past the point where you’d normally drain the pasta for a hot dish, remove it from the heat, drain and run it under cold water immediately to stop the cooking.
Warm Pasta Bean Salad

Care for Your Cutting Board

Stand wooden cutting boards on their side to dry — this allows the board to dry without warping.
5 Ways to Clean a Wooden Cutting Board

Veg Out

Try extra-firm tofu in place of a steak for a hearty, meatless Monday main. Give it the meaty royal treatment: Marinate or season tofu steaks with a rub, then toss on the grill until heated through and grill marks appear.
Or Try Grilled Polenta

Best Bet for Berries

Before storing berries in the refrigerator, pick through them and discard any damaged or moldy berries to keep the rest from spoiling.
Black Raspberry-Vanilla Smoothie

Tomato Tip

Store juicy summer tomatoes at room temperature — never in the refrigerator, where the cold causes cell walls to burst, resulting in a mealy texture.
Tyler's Heirloom Tomato Salad

Substitute Salad Spinner

No salad spinner? Try a mesh bag used for bulk onions or citrus fruit. Place the greens inside and spin it over your head outdoors for about 10 seconds.
Spin Your Garden Salad

Reheat Leftover Veggies

Reheat grilled vegetables on a parchment-lined baking sheet in an oven set to 350 degrees F until heated through — that temperature’s just right for heating things up without further drying out the food.
Grilled Vegetable Salad

Grilled Fruit

Throw slabs of fruit on the grill: Pineapple and mango spears are firm-fleshed enough to withstand heat; fruits like summer peaches and plums also benefit from being seared. Try spicy sweet glazes, such as cayenne-spiked honey, or simple classic seasonings, such as extra-virgin olive oil and sea salt.
More Grilled Tropical Fruits