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Tip #115 To mix up brownie mix batter, add an easy flavoring, such as instant coffee powder, ground cinnamon or peppermint or almond extract.

Tip #114 Remove steaks from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking. They’ll cook faster and more evenly if they warm to room temperature first.

Tip #113 To cut calories, decorate your salads with hard-cooked egg whites and walnuts instead of croutons and cheese.

Tip #112 Don’t sauté using butter; use olive or canola oil instead. These are healthier because they contain monounsaturated instead of saturated fats.

Tip #111 Cooked pasta loses quality when frozen. For best results, undercook and freeze in a sauce, then thaw overnight in your refrigerator before heating.

Tip #110 If you’re making breaded chicken, give it time to develop a crust and don’t poke or flip it.

Tip #109 For tender meat, always slice it with (instead of against) the grain.

Tip #108 Don’t overcrowd the pan. Food releases moisture when it’s cooked, so if you don’t leave room for steam to escape, your food will be soggy.

Tip #107 For accurate measurements, lightly spoon flour (or any other ingredient) into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.

Tip #106 When melting chocolate, heat gently and slowly to avoid grains and create a smooth, creamy consistency.

Tip #105 Reduce the heat of chili by removing the seeds.

Tip #104 Before cooking fish, rest it on a paper towel skin-side down for a few minutes. The towel absorbs water and gives your fish a crispy skin.

Tip #103 When a recipe calls for zest, zest directly onto your butter or cream instead of grating it into a separate container. The oils sprayed directly into the bowl will give your dessert a zesty finish.

Tip #102 When you’re going to fry, stick a wooden skewer or spoon inside the oil. If it bubbles around the wood, then the oil is hot enough for frying.

Tip #101 If you want your greens to last longer, wrap them loosely in a damp paper towel and place them in a resealable plastic bag.

Tip #100 When cooking meat on the griddle, don’t move it too often! This will interfere with the searing of the meat, and ruin cooking time.

Tip #99 For baking, it’s better to soften butter at room temperature by letting it stand. Melting it for too long in the microwave will result in spread out cookies and tougher cakes.

Tip #98 Boiling is not the same as simmering. Simmering occurs when a bubble breaks the surface of the liquid every second or two. Boiling is anything more frequent than that.

Tip #97 Read the entire recipe before you start cooking. This will ensure you have all the ingredients on hand, and that you will be familiar with all the steps before you start cooking.

Tip #96 Remember to taste food as you go! This way, you can make sure you’re happy with the flavors that result.

Tip #95 Instead of brining your chicken, heavily salt it (inside and out) about an hour before you cook it, then pat it dry and roast. This is faster than brining, and ensures crispy skin and juicy meat.

Tip #94 When using fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley, add the stems to salads and sandwiches; for salsas and guacamole, chop and stir the leaves into the mix.

Tip #93 For better tasting asparagus, peel the stalks, roll them in equal parts sugar and salt and let them sit for 10 minutes. Then rinse off and prepare.

Tip #92 When making vegetable soup, sautée diced carrots, onions, peppers and tomatoes in oil or butter before adding any liquid to bring out the taste and caramelize the sugars.

Tip #91 Roll a lemon or lime under your palm for a minute before juicing, to optimize the juice.

Tip #90 Add an easy flavoring to the brownie mix batter, such as instant coffee powder, ground cinnamon or peppermint or almond extract.

Tip #89 To check if your eggs are still fresh, put them in a bowl of water — if they sink, they’re fresh. If they float and stand on one end, they’re not.

Tip #88 A pinch of salt brings out the flavors in sweet baked goods.

Tip #87 Semisweet and bittersweet chocolate are interchangeable. They are both dark chocolate (bittersweet is just a little darker).

Tip #86 For a subtle but powerful twist on oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, toast oats in the oven before adding to other ingredients.

Tip #85 If you’re cooking mashed potatoes, after you drain them, return them to the hot pan, cover tightly and let steam for five minutes until they dry out. This way, they mash to a beautiful texture and soak up the butter and cream more easily.

Tip #84 If you are grinding your own beef for a burger, add bacon to the mix.

Tip #83 When cooking cauliflower, add a little milk to the water to keep it bright white. Shock it in cold water to stop the cooking before serving.

Tip #82 Start cooking a steak on its side, where there is a rim of fat on its narrow edge. Render it down so that there is flavorful fat in the pan for the rest of the cooking.

Tip #81 Buy fruit at its peak at a farmer’s market and then freeze it for year-round enjoyment.

Tip #80 For quick and easy salad dressing, mix olive oil, lemon, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper.

Tip #79 If you’ve added a little too much chili into a soup you’re making, just add in a dollop of sour cream. It will cool down the spiciness and add a rich, creamy texture.

Tip #78 To peel a head of garlic easily, put it in a bowl, cover with another bowl and shake vigorously.

Tip #77 Weary of garlic breath? Have a milk-based drink alongside whatever garlic-y food you’re eating. The milk breaks down the smelly compound in the garlic.

Tip #76 To peel cooked potatoes and tomatoes easily, boil them first then steep them in ice water. The skin should come off a lot easier this way.

Tip #75 Store fresh basil at room temperature with the stems in water; it lasts longer this way.

Tip #74 When roasting a chicken, cook the breast and the legs separately. Chicken legs need more time to cook than breasts, so you can remove the breast before removing the leg.

Tip #73 Right after draining pasta, grate fresh Parmesan throughout it before tossing it with your sauce. The sauce will have something to stick to.

Tip #72 Line your pans with parchment paper. It makes baked goods easy to remove, because no flour or batter remains on the pan to scrape off.

Tip #71 Before peeling or mincing garlic, mash the garlic clove with either the flat part of the knife or with the knife handle.

Tip #70 Always use sharp knives; they make cutting ingredients so much more efficient.

Tip #69 Dip vegetables in ice water after boiling them so they maintain their bright color.

Tip #68 It can be worth it to invest in high-quality olive oil. A little drizzle on pizza or pasta can go a long way.

Tip #67 To keep avocado from browning, store it with its seed and squeeze some lemon on top.

Tip #66 If a recipe gives a time range for baking something (ex: 20-25 min.), always check on the food at the lower time. You can’t un-bake something!

Tip #65 If you’re cooking bacon strips, you can put them into a pan without oil, because bacon releases its own grease.

Tip #64 When baking, make sure to use unsalted butter, to not have extra salt in your recipe.

Tip #63 When you’re going to sauté garlic, be sure to slice it instead of mincing it; that way, it is less likely to burn.

Tip #62 When boiling pasta, do not put oil in the water; it will keep the sauce from sticking to the cooked pasta.

Tip #61  Always season meat and fish evenly; sprinkle salt and pepper as though it’s “snowing.” This will avoid clumping or ending up with too much seasoning in some areas and none in others.

Tip #60 To make a great sandwich, spread the mayonnaise from corner to corner on the bread. People rush this step and just do a swoosh down the middle.

Tip #59 When chopping herbs, toss a little salt onto the cutting board; it will keep the herbs from flying around.

Tip #58 For rich, creamy dressings made healthy, substitute half the mayo with Greek-style yogurt.

Tip #57 If you find you need more oil in the pan when sautéing, add it in a stream along the edges of the pan so that by the time the oil reaches the ingredient being cooked, it will be heated.

Tip #56 After working with garlic, rub your hands vigorously on your stainless steel sink for 30 seconds before washing them. It will remove the odor.

Tip # 55 After making eggs sunny-side up, deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar, then drizzle the sauce on the eggs to add another dimension to the dish.

Tip #54 Cook pasta 1 minute less than the package instructions and cook it the rest of the way in the pan with sauce.

Tip # 53 Always make stock in a large quantity and freeze it in plastic bags. That way, when you want to make a nice soup or boil veggies, you can simply pull the bag out of the freezer.

Tip #52 Store spices in a cool, dark place, not above your stove. Humidity, light and heat will cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor.

Tip #51 Put a paper towel inside a bag of salad mix to absorb moisture and keep it fresh longer.

Tip #50 Hold oreos with a fork to make dunking into milk easier.

Tip #49 Cut ground beef into pieces before freezing to make defrosting small quantities easier.

Tip #48 If you’re prepping a lot of corn, use an electric knife to remove the kernels.

Tip #47 Freeze grapes to chill white wine without watering it down.

Tip #46 Pasta salad tastes best at room temperature or even slightly warm – not right out of the fridge.

Tip #45 To eliminate the bitter flavor of eggplant skin, soak thin pieces in water for 10 minutes before cooking.

Tip #44 Make vinaigrette in a jar: just shake the ingredients to emulsify.

Tip #43 Use ground beef chuck for burgers – it’s 20% fat, so the patties are really juicy.

Tip #42 Add plenty of salt to pasta cooking water- at least 1 tablespoon for 4 quarts of water.

Tip #41 Cut ground meat into pieces before freezing so you can defrost smaller pieces as desired.

Tip #40 To avoid browning, cut an avocado in half and run it under cold water before mashing; the water creates a barrier, preventing it from oxidizing.

Tip #39 Always drain and rinse canned beans to remove excess salt.

Tip #38 If you accidentally drop a piece of eggshell into whatever you’re making, use one of the shell halves to scoop it out. It’ll be much easier than trying to do it with a spoon.

Tip #37 Start your bacon in a cold pan – the strips won’t shrink and curl as much.

Tip #36 Freeze cheese rinds in a resealable plastic bag, then add to simmering soup for extra flavor.

Tip #35 Save a bit of cooking water before you drain the pasta and use it to adjust your sauce, if needed.

Tip #34 Put a straw through the tab of a soda can to prevent it from popping out.

Tip # 33 To keep an avocado half from browning, run it under cool water.

Tip #32 Use unscented dental floss to flawlessly slice cheeses and cakes.

Tip #31 For lighter dishes, use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.

Tip #30 Put a wooden spoon across a boiling pot of water to prevent it from boiling over

Tip #29 Three teaspoons=One tablespoon

Tip #28 Peel, slice and freeze fruit before it goes bad and save it for smoothies.

Tip #27 To keep avocado dips from browning, press plastic wrap directly on the surface.

Tip #26 Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

Tip #25 To get the most juice out of your lemons and limes, press and roll the fruit on the counter before squeezing.

Tip #24 Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila—you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.

Tip #23 For extra flavor, cook rice in chicken broth or use a bit of wine or beer in place of some of the water.

Tip #22 Add a handful of oats to your smoothie—it’ll give the drink a creamy texture and will make it more filling.

Tip #21 Remove scrambled eggs from the heat before they’re done—the heat of the skillet will finish cooking them.

Tip #20 Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones—so much more fun and easier to eat.

Tip #19 If you don’t have a panini press, make a panini sandwich in a waffle iron.

Tip #18 Soak corn in sugar water before throwing it onto the grill.  The corn will be so flavorful, you won’t need any other seasoning.

Tip #17 To preserve the nutrients and bright colors in vegetables, cook them quickly by steaming or stir frying them.

Tip #16 If you want your bananas to ripen faster, let them hang out in close proximity to other bananas, or place them in a paper bag for a day.

Tip #15 Add salt to a pot of water to help it boil faster and to boost the flavor of whatever you’re cooking!

Tip #14 Don’t throw out all that leftover wine: freeze it into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

Tip #13 Eating celery will clean your teeth and get rid of bad breath!

Tip #12 When beating egg whites, add a teaspoon of cold water to make them extra fluffy.

Tip #11 If you’re not sure you’ll have time to cook those chicken breasts you just bought, pop them in the freezer.  Frozen chicken will last for a few months after the expiration date!

Tip #10 Soak your apple slices in pineapple juice to prevent them from getting brown (and for an extra punch of flavor!)

Tip #9 In case you haven’t discovered this yet, push in the tabs on the sides of your plastic wrap or tin foil box to secure the roll in its place. This way, the roll won’t come out when you’re using it!

Tip #8 To keep guacamole from turning brown, put it in a tupperware, sprinkle with lemon juice, then put some cling wrap or wax paper directly on the surface of the guacamole to keep air out before closing the container.

Tip #7 To see if an egg has gone bad, put it in a glass of water with a pinch of salt.  If it floats, it’s still good. If it sinks, throw it away.

Tip #6 If you burn yourself on a hot pot or pan, douse the burned area with cold yellow mustard. It might sting a little at first, but the mustard will eventually help ease the pain and reduce blistering.

Tip #5 When whipping cream, make sure that the bowl, whisk and the cream are all ice cold. You can even set the bowl you’re using in an ice bath to speed up the process.

Tip #4 To get the most juice out of a lemon, use a room temperature lemon and roll it on a table before cutting it.

Tip #3 To avoid crying when cutting onions, keep the onions in the fridge and chop them when they’re still cool.

Tip #2 Poke a hole in the eggshell before making hard boiled eggs to prevent the egg shell from cracking.  Or put the egg in cold water first and then bring it to a boil.

Tip #1 Throw leftover lemon wedges into the garbage disposal. They help to de-grease and eliminate odors.