Help Around the Kitchen

Ideas for May

Say hello to summer and start thinking about taking your kitchen activities outdoors.

Prepare in Parchment

Serve up a healthy dinner by preparing it en papillote, which translates to “in parchment.” Bundling ingredients like fish and vegetables that cook in similar amounts of time allows for them to be cooked in their own juices with very little, if any, fat. For a less fussy alternative, use foil instead.
How to Cook in Parchment

All-Natural Cleaning

Remove burnt remnants from a pot by filling it with a few inches of water, adding a few tablespoons each white vinegar and baking soda and simmering for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before cleaning the pot as usual. Repeat as necessary.
All-Natural Cleaning Products

Freezer Tip

Wipe down freezer walls with a cotton ball soaked in pure vanilla, almond or lemon extract to remove odors. Go over any streaks with another clean cotton ball to spread the extract.
The Basics of Freezing Food

Breadcrumb Tips

Make dried breadcrumbs using fresh bread: Process torn pieces of fresh bread in a food processor or blender, then microwave them in a single layer on a heat-proof plate until just golden as they’ll continue to cook a bit afterwards.
Easy Chicken Schnitzel With Mustard Sauce

Cinco de Mayo Guacamole

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here are 3 tips to prevent guacamole from browning: 1) Drizzle lemon juice on top. 2) Submerge an avocado pit halfway in the dip. 3) Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface.
Southwest Corn Guacamole

Don't Skip Breakfast

Make a home-cooked breakfast of creamy, fluffy scrambled eggs ? the secret is to cook them slowly while stirring over low heat.
How to Scramble Eggs

Baking Best Bet

When buttering a baking dish, wear a plastic sandwich bag like a glove while holding a stick of butter. Once done, return the butter to its wrapping and dispose of the plastic bag for zero mess.
Strawberry Blondies

Fry Guide

Never pour frying oil down the drain — instead, let it cool completely, then pour it into a layered bag using 3 to 4 plastic grocery bags. Tie the handles together individually, then toss out with the trash.
How to Deep-Fry Fish

Easily Crush Seeds

Use the bottom of a heavy pot to crack whole seeds like peppercorns, fennel or coriander against a hard work surface. Place the seeds in a plastic bag first, as this will keep the crushed bits contained.
Coriander-Glazed Carrots

Perfect Rice

When making a pot of rice, double the batch for leftovers. The secret to making fried rice is to use day-old rice.
How to Make Perfect Rice

How to Use Your Zest

Air-dry the grated peel of citrus fruit to make a citrus powder. Let it sit out overnight, folded in a sheet of parchment paper. Press the parchment folder flat the next day to crush the zest into a powder. Use the powder in rubs or stirred into batter or yogurt.
Use It in Fresh Cream Cheesecake

Breakfast in Bed

Surprise Mom with pancakes on Mother’s Day. Don’t over-mix the batter — you’ll end up with dense, heavy pancakes. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until just incorporated, leaving behind some streaks or clumps of dry ingredients.
Gina Neely’s Strawberry Pancakes

Double-Duty Tool

Place a rimmed baking sheet underneath a countertop dish rack to catch drips.
Multipurpose Kitchen Supplies

Ina's Meatloaf

Use wet hands when working with ground meat for foods like burger patties, meatballs or meatloaf — this will keep your hands from getting sticky and prevent overhandling the meat, which leads to toughness.
Make Meatloaf With Ina

Baked Potato Bar

Throw together a baked potato bar for dinner in about 10 minutes: Prick russet potatoes allover with a fork, then microwave for about 2 minutes. Turn over the potato, then cook for about 2 minutes more or until tender.
50 Variations for Your Spud

Decorate Tyler's Cake

Writing on a cake with frosting can require equal parts luck and skill. Go for a sure thing by frosting the message onto a sheet of wax paper instead and then freezing it. Gently pry the message from the wax paper by slipping an offset spatula or chef’s knife underneath, and transfer it onto the cake.
Decorate Tyler's Chocolate Cake

Saute With Patience

Be patient when searing or sautéing ingredients: Add food to hot oil in a heated pan, then leave it alone to develop the tasty golden-brown exterior. It will release easily when ready to be flipped; if it sticks, it's not ready to be turned. This applies to most foods like chicken breasts, sliced mushrooms and steaks.
How to Saute Meat and Fish

Grind Your Own Burger

A food processor is all you need to grind your own meat at home. Cut the beef into small pieces that will fit into a food processor and freeze for about 15 minutes before processing.
Grind Your Own Beef for a Burger

Store Cookies

Let baked goods cool completely before storing. Otherwise, the condensation will make them soggy.
Make Homemade Cookies

Save Your Egg Whites

Unused eggs whites may be frozen individually in ice cube trays before being stored in a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months, and defrost within two hours once placed in the refrigerator.
Make Baked Alaska

Clean Cast Iron With Paula

Use wadded-up aluminum foil to scrub away any stuck bits on cast-iron pans.
Watch Paula Clean Cast Iron

Get More Crunch in Tacos

Line taco shells with lettuce leaves to create a barrier between the wet filling and crunchy shell.
Dinner Tonight: Shrimp Tacos

Organize Your Kitchen

Keep baking sheets, cheese boards and cutting boards organized by stacking them on their side using a desktop file holder.
Kitchen Storage Tips

Save Fresh Herb Stems

Don’t toss out the stems from parsley and cilantro: Both are edible and as flavorful as their leaves. Parsley stems are also great for flavoring soups and stocks — just fish them out before serving.
Use Cilantro in a Pesto

Summer Food Safety 101

Set raw meat or poultry on a foil-lined platter with the sides folded inward to keep any juices from leaking out. Once the meat or poultry is tossed onto the grill, crumple and discard the foil, leaving the clean platter surface for finished grilled goods.
Manchego Stuffed Pork Burgers