Rub the fruit over a rasp grater or the smallest holes of a box grater, turning it as you go so you take only the colored skin. The white pith underneath is bitter. Zest before you juice; it is much harder afterward. Lemon tea bread.
Get more juice from lemons and limes
Roll the fruit firmly under your palm on the counter before cutting it, or warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Both loosen the juice inside. Squeeze over your other hand to catch the seeds.
Peel garlic in seconds
Lay a clove on the cutting board, set the flat of a chef’s knife on it and press down hard with the heel of your hand. The skin cracks and slips right off. Rub your hands on a stainless steel spoon or sink under running water to lift the smell.
Keep a pair of kitchen shears just for food
They are faster than a knife for snipping herbs and green onions, trimming fat, cutting bacon and spatchcocking a chicken. Wash them well after raw meat, opening the blades to clean the hinge. Lemon herb roast chicken.
Firm cheese grates more easily cold
Soft cheeses such as mozzarella and Monterey Jack grate cleanly after 20 to 30 minutes in the freezer. Lightly oil the grater and the cheese will not stick.
Get everything ready first
Measure, chop and line up every ingredient before you turn on the heat. Cooks call it mise en place, and it is what makes stir-fries and pan sauces calm instead of frantic. Mise en place.
Slice meat thinly when it is partly frozen
Firm meat is much easier to cut into thin, even slices. Thirty to 45 minutes in the freezer is enough for steak or pork; this is how stir-fry and bulgogi beef is cut. Beef bulgogi.
Hull strawberries with a straw
Push a sturdy drinking straw up through the pointed tip of the berry and out the top; the stem and core pop out together. Fresh strawberry pie.
Pit cherries without a pitter
Set a cherry on the mouth of an empty bottle, stem end up, and push the pit through with a chopstick. The bottle catches the pits and the juice. Cherry pie.
Cut a bell pepper cleanly
Slice off the top and bottom, stand the pepper up and cut down the sides in flat panels, leaving the core and seeds behind in one piece. Sheet pan chicken fajitas.
Halve grape tomatoes all at once
Spread them on a lid or plate, press a second lid on top, and slice through the gap with a long, sharp knife.
Grate ginger and garlic on a rasp grater
A fine rasp grater turns them into a smooth paste faster than mincing, with no stringy bits of ginger. Leftover fresh ginger keeps for months in the freezer, and frozen ginger grates even more easily.
Steady your bowl and cutting board
Set a damp dish towel or paper towel under a mixing bowl or cutting board so it cannot slide. A slipping board is how most knife accidents happen.
Weigh with a kitchen scale
Weighing flour is far more accurate than scooping, which can pack in a quarter more than the recipe intends. Set the bowl on the scale and add each ingredient straight into it: fewer measuring cups to wash.
Measure honey and syrup without the mess
Coat the spoon or cup with a little oil or cooking spray first and sticky ingredients slide right out.
Soften butter quickly
Cut cold butter into small cubes; they soften in about 20 minutes on the counter instead of an hour. The microwave tends to melt the center before the outside softens.
Warm eggs fast
For recipes that want room-temperature eggs, set cold eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for 5 to 10 minutes.
Frying, searing and roasting
Dry the surface before you sear
Pat meat, fish and scallops completely dry with paper towels. A wet surface steams instead of browning, because it cannot get hotter than the boiling point of water until the water is gone. Why searing browns.
Heat the pan, then the oil
Preheat the pan, add the oil, and add the food when the oil shimmers. Food that goes into a cold pan sticks and turns gray. Then leave it alone; meat releases from the pan by itself once the crust forms. Cast-iron ribeye.
Do not crowd the pan or the sheet pan
Leave space between pieces. Crowding traps steam, drops the temperature and turns browning into steaming. Cook in batches, or use two pans. Sheet pan Greek chicken.
Fry at the right temperature
Most frying happens between 350°F and 375°F. Too cool and food soaks up oil and turns greasy; too hot and it burns outside before it cooks inside. A clip-on frying thermometer takes out the guesswork. No thermometer? A 1-inch bread cube should turn golden in about 60 seconds at 350°F. Beer-battered fish and chips.
Let breaded food rest before frying
After coating chicken, fish or cutlets, let them sit on a rack for 15 to 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to a few hours. The coating sets and stays on in the pan. Chicken Parmesan.
Fry in small batches and let the oil recover
Every batch cools the oil. Add a few pieces at a time and wait for the thermometer to climb back before the next batch.
Salt meat ahead of time
Salting steaks, chops and roasts at least 40 minutes before cooking, or the night before, seasons them through and helps them brown. Salting only a few minutes ahead leaves the surface wet; if you are short on time, salt right before cooking instead. Wet and dry brining.
Turn meat with tongs, not a fork
Piercing meat lets juices run out onto the grill. Tongs or a spatula keep it whole.
Use a thermometer, not a guess
An instant-read thermometer is the only reliable way to know meat and poultry are done. Cutting into meat lets juices out, and the "juices run clear" test is not dependable for chicken. Cooking times and temperatures.
Bake meatballs on a rack
Set meatballs on a rack over a sheet pan: the fat drips away and they brown all over without turning. Italian meatballs.
Mix beef and pork for tender meatballs and meatloaf
All-beef mixtures can be firm and coarse. Swapping in some ground pork, which has more fat, gives a softer, juicier result. Swedish meatballs.
Shred chicken or pork in seconds
Put warm cooked meat in a stand mixer and run the paddle on low for 20 to 30 seconds. Two forks work too. Slow cooker pulled pork.
Cook fish in a packet
Fish sealed in parchment or foil with butter, herbs and lemon steams in its own juices, stays moist and leaves nothing to scrub. Salmon in foil.
Sauces, stock and seasoning
Make a pan sauce from the browned bits
After searing, pour off most of the fat, add wine, broth or even water to the hot pan and scrape up the browned bits as it bubbles. That is deglazing, and those bits are concentrated flavor. Simmer to reduce, then swirl in a little butter off the heat. Filet mignon with red wine sauce.
Wine flavors a sauce, but some alcohol stays
Simmering cooks off much of the alcohol, but not all of it, even after long cooking. If you are cooking for someone who avoids alcohol, use broth with a splash of vinegar or lemon juice instead.
Fix a lumpy sauce or gravy
Whisk hard off the heat, or pour it through a fine strainer. An immersion blender smooths it in seconds. Next time, add the liquid gradually while whisking. Turkey gravy.
Thicken quickly with a slurry or a roux
For a fast fix, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of cold water and stir it into the simmering sauce; it thickens in a minute. For gravy with body, cook equal parts butter and flour into a roux before adding the liquid. Pan gravy.
Rescue a dish that is too salty
Add more of the unsalted parts: more liquid, potatoes, rice or vegetables. A squeeze of lemon or a spoonful of cream can help balance it. The old trick of simmering a raw potato to soak up salt does not work; it only adds a little liquid. There is no way to take salt out, so salt gradually and taste as you go.
Brighten flat food with acid
If a soup, stew or sauce tastes dull, a little lemon juice or vinegar often helps more than more salt.
Use dried herbs at one third the amount
One teaspoon of dried herbs replaces 1 tablespoon of fresh. Add dried herbs early so they soften, and tender fresh herbs at the end. Kitchen substitutions.
Skim fat from soups and stews
Chill the pot overnight and lift off the fat once it hardens. In a hurry, skim with a wide spoon, or drag a paper towel lightly across the surface. Braised short ribs.
Unsalted butter gives you control
Unsalted butter lets you season exactly. If you only have salted butter, reduce the recipe’s salt by about 1/4 teaspoon per stick.
Marinate in glass, ceramic or a zip-top bag
Acidic marinades can react with aluminum and give food a metallic taste. And keep seafood marinades short: acid starts to "cook" fish and shrimp after about 30 minutes. Beef marinade.
Soften a too-sharp tomato sauce
Simmer a peeled whole carrot in the sauce and lift it out before serving; it adds a little natural sweetness. A pinch of sugar works too. Simple pasta sauce.
Make compound butter
Mash softened butter with herbs, garlic or lemon zest, roll it into a log in plastic wrap and freeze it. Slice off a coin to melt over steak, fish or vegetables. Steak butters.
Keep homemade broth handy
Homemade broth keeps about 4 days in the refrigerator, and about 3 months in the freezer for best flavor. Freeze it in 1- or 2-cup containers so you can thaw just what you need. Chicken soup.
Vegetables and salads
Roast vegetables hot and spread out
Toss them in oil and salt, spread them in a single layer with space between, and roast at 425°F. Crowded vegetables steam and turn soft instead of browning. Roasted asparagus.
Blanch briefly, then shock
To blanch, boil vegetables just 1 to 3 minutes, until bright and barely tender, then plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking. It keeps green beans and broccoli vivid for salads and make-ahead dishes. Green bean casserole.
Revive limp greens and herbs
Soak wilted lettuce, celery or herbs in ice water for 15 to 30 minutes and they crisp back up.
Dry salad greens well
Water left on leaves dilutes the dressing and makes it slide off. A salad spinner is worth having; otherwise roll the greens in a clean towel. Caesar salad.
Peel tomatoes and peaches the easy way
Cut a small X in the bottom, drop them into boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, then into ice water. The skins slip off.
Char peppers for roasted peppers
Blacken whole peppers over a gas flame, on a hot grill or under the broiler, turning until charred all over. Seal them in a bowl to steam for 10 minutes, then rub off the skin; do not rinse, which washes away flavor. Chiles rellenos.
Cut vegetables the same size
Even pieces cook evenly, whether you are roasting, steaming or stir-frying. In a stir-fry, add the hardest vegetables first. Beef and broccoli.
Caramelize onions low and slow
Real caramelized onions take 30 to 40 minutes over medium-low heat with plenty of butter or oil. They keep for a week in the refrigerator, ready for burgers, steak sandwiches and soups. French onion soup.
Trim green beans in one cut
Line up a handful of beans with their stem ends even, and slice the ends off all at once with a chef’s knife. Green bean casserole.
Peel potatoes ahead of time
Peeled potatoes kept covered in cold water in the refrigerator stay white for up to a day, a big help on holidays. Drain and dry them well before roasting. Make-ahead mashed potatoes.
Choose small Brussels sprouts
Small, tight sprouts are sweeter and more tender; big ones can be tough and strong-tasting. Trim the stem and pull off any loose outer leaves. Brussels sprouts with bacon.
Clean mushrooms quickly
Wipe them with a damp paper towel, or give them a quick rinse and dry them right away. They soak up water if left wet, and wet mushrooms will not brown. Chicken Marsala.
Pasta, rice and potatoes
Cook pasta in plenty of well-salted water
Use a big pot of rapidly boiling water and salt it well; it is the only chance to season the pasta itself. Stir for the first minute or two so it does not clump. Oil in the water is not needed and keeps sauce from clinging. Linguine with clams.
Save a cup of pasta water
The starchy cooking water helps sauces cling and turn glossy. Scoop out a cup before draining, and toss the pasta and sauce together with a splash of it. Pesto pasta.
Do not rinse pasta for hot dishes
Rinsing washes off the starch that helps sauce stick. Rinse only for cold pasta salads.
Let rice rest, covered, off the heat
Keep the lid on while it simmers, then let it stand covered for 10 minutes. The grains finish steaming and firm up, so they separate instead of turning sticky. For extra flavor, cook it in broth instead of water. Mexican rice.
Use day-old rice for fried rice
Cold, cooked rice is drier and fries into separate grains. Fresh rice turns mushy. Kimchi fried rice.
Bake potatoes unwrapped for crisp skin
Use starchy russets, prick them a few times, rub them with oil and salt, and bake them directly on the oven rack. Foil steams them and leaves the skin soft. Baked potatoes.
Never mash potatoes in a food processor
Blending turns them gluey. Use a masher or a ricer, drain the potatoes well, and add warm butter and milk. Garlic mashed potatoes.
Cooking with wine
Cook with a wine you would drink
It does not need to be expensive, just good enough to sip. Avoid bottles labeled "cooking wine": they are heavily salted and taste harsh.
Add wine early, then let it reduce
Pour it in after browning the meat and let it bubble down before adding the other liquids. Wine added at the very end tastes sharp and raw. Coq au vin.
Choose crisp, dry wines for most cooking
For white wine, a dry Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio works well; heavily oaked wines can turn bitter as they reduce. For red, a medium-bodied Merlot or Pinot Noir is a safe choice. Braised short ribs.
Add sweet wines and fortified wines late
Marsala, sherry and port lose their character with long cooking. Add them near the end, or reduce them briefly in a pan sauce. Chicken Marsala.
Boil a marinade before you serve it
If a wine or beer marinade has touched raw meat, bring it to a full boil for at least 1 minute before using it as a sauce. Better yet, set some aside before marinating. Beef marinade.
Macerate fruit for a quick dessert
Toss sliced berries or peaches with sugar, or a splash of liqueur, and let them stand 20 to 30 minutes. They release their juices into a natural syrup. Strawberry shortcake.
Chill wine fast
Submerge the bottle in a bucket of ice water with a big handful of salt, turning it now and then. The salt makes the ice water colder, and the wine is chilled in about 15 to 20 minutes.
Baking
Keep pastry ingredients cold
Cold butter makes flaky pastry; warm butter melts into the flour and makes it tough. Chill the butter, use ice water, and chill the dough before rolling. All-butter pie crust.
Test yeast before you bake
Stir it into warm water (about 110°F) with a pinch of sugar. If it is not foamy in 10 minutes, the yeast is dead or the water was too hot. Baking troubleshooting.
Test baking powder and baking soda
Baking powder should fizz right away in hot water; baking soda should fizz in vinegar. Weak fizz means flat cakes.
Toast nuts for more flavor
Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking often, 3 to 5 minutes, until fragrant. Watch closely; they burn quickly. Cool before chopping. Waldorf salad.
Keep berries and chips from sinking
Toss them with a spoonful of the recipe’s flour before folding them into the batter. A thick batter holds them up better than a thin one. Blueberry cake.
Bake with frozen berries straight from the freezer
Do not thaw them; they bleed color and turn mushy. Expect a few extra minutes of baking time.
Melt chocolate gently
Melt it in short bursts in the microwave, stirring between them, or over a pan of barely simmering water. A drop of water makes melting chocolate seize; if it does, stir in a little vegetable oil or warm cream. Fudgy brownies.
Save very ripe bananas for baking
The browner the banana, the sweeter the bread. Peel and freeze them in a bag until you have enough. One-egg banana bread.
Cut cakes and soft cheeses cleanly
Unflavored dental floss pulled through a cake or a log of soft cheese slices it neatly. For a layer cake, chill it first.
Scald milk, then cool it, for yeast doughs
Some older bread recipes call for scalded milk: heat it until small bubbles form around the edge, without boiling. Let it cool to lukewarm, about 110°F, before adding yeast, or the heat will kill it. Parker House rolls.
Leave muffin batter lumpy
Stir just until the flour disappears. Overmixed muffin batter bakes up tough, with long tunnels inside. Refrigerator bran muffins.
Tell when chocolate cookies are done
You cannot judge them by color, so look at the surface: done cookies have set edges and a matte top instead of a glossy one. Chocolate crinkle cookies.
Re-crisp soft cookies
Warm them on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes and let them cool on a rack. Keep crisp cookies loosely covered and soft cookies airtight, in separate tins.
Frost a cake without crumbs
Let the layers cool completely, brush off loose crumbs, and spread a thin first coat of frosting to seal them in. Chill 20 minutes, then add the final coat. Strips of parchment tucked under the cake keep the plate clean. Disappearing chocolate cake.
Proof dough in the oven
In a cold kitchen, set the covered dough in the turned-off oven with a pan of just-boiled water on the rack below and close the door. The warmth and steam help it rise. Parker House rolls.
Knead with a stand mixer on low
A dough hook does the kneading for you in 6 to 8 minutes. Keep the speed low to medium; high speed strains the motor and warms the dough. Soft dinner rolls.
Slice cheesecake with a warm knife
Dip a long, thin knife in hot water, wipe it dry and slice; repeat for every cut for clean, neat slices. New York cheesecake.
Keep cookies soft with a slice of bread
Tuck a slice of soft white bread into the tin with soft cookies. The cookies take up its moisture and stay soft for days; replace the bread when it turns hard.
Grease pans with butter wrappers
Save butter wrappers in a bag in the refrigerator; the butter left on them is just right for greasing a cake pan or muffin tin.
Dress up store-bought rolls
Brush frozen or bakery rolls with beaten egg and sprinkle them with sesame seeds, coarse salt or grated Parmesan before baking.
Kitchen safety
Thaw meat in the refrigerator
Thaw meat, poultry and seafood in the refrigerator, or sealed in cold water changed every 30 minutes. Do not leave meat out on the counter to thaw for hours; for thin cuts in a hurry, use the metal-pot method below. Thawing safely.
Thaw thin cuts fast between two metal pots
Metal moves heat far faster than a plate or a countertop. Seal a thin steak, chop or fish fillet (about 1 inch thick or less) in a zip-top bag, lay it flat on the bottom of an upside-down aluminum or stainless steel pot, and set a second pot filled with cold tap water on top. The metal and the weight press heat in from both sides, and a thin cut thaws in roughly 20 to 40 minutes instead of hours. Cook it right away, and keep this trick for thin cuts: thick roasts and whole birds still belong in the refrigerator or a cold-water bath.
Do not rinse raw chicken
Rinsing spreads bacteria around the sink and counters. Pat it dry instead; cooking to 165°F is what makes it safe.
Never store garlic or herbs in oil at room temperature
Homemade garlic or herb oil can grow the bacteria that cause botulism. Refrigerate it and use it within 4 days, or freeze it. Garlic, herbs and oils.
Cool leftovers quickly
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Divide big batches of soup or chili into shallow containers so they cool fast. Storage and freezing.
Keep a splatter screen and a lid near the stove
A lid smothers a small pan fire; never throw water on hot oil. A splatter screen keeps frying oil where it belongs.
Allow enough time to thaw a turkey
In the refrigerator, allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, on a tray to catch drips. In a hurry, thaw it in its wrapping in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes, about 30 minutes per pound. Herb-roasted turkey.
Cook stuffing to 165°F
Stuffing baked in its own dish is safest and gets a crisp top. If you stuff the bird, do it just before roasting and check that the center of the stuffing reaches 165°F. Classic bread stuffing.
Let microwaved leftovers stand
Microwaves heat unevenly. Stir halfway, then let the food stand, covered, for 2 minutes so the heat evens out; leftovers should reach 165°F.
Clean a burnt roasting pan
Scrape out what you can, cover the bottom with water and a few tablespoons of baking soda, and soak it overnight. Then simmer it on the stove for 15 to 20 minutes and the burnt bits lift away.
Keep cold appetizers on ice
Set bowls of shrimp, deviled eggs or dips in a larger bowl of crushed ice. Even on ice, put them away within 2 hours, or 1 hour on a hot day. Shrimp cocktail.
Common questions
Should I add oil to pasta water?
No. Plenty of boiling, well-salted water and a stir in the first minutes keep pasta from sticking. Oil only makes the sauce slide off.
Should I salt meat before cooking?
Yes, ideally at least 40 minutes ahead or the night before. Salt seasons the meat through and dries the surface so it browns better.
How do I know chicken is done?
Use an instant-read thermometer: 165°F in the thickest part. Clear juices are not a reliable sign.
