Motherly Advice

It's safe to say that I have watched my fair share of Food Network. And I have a lovely collection of cookbooks, which I like to read for fun.

And don't even get me started on the food blogs and recipe websites that I'm addicted to!

But some of the best cooking advice I've received have been from people who have cooked for me. Every time I use one of their tips, I think of them. I'm not talking about making a souffle or deboning a chicken (gross), I'm talking about basic steps that make everyday cooking better and easier.

The following tips are from the mothers in my life: my mom (obviously), Eileen, my future mother-in-law, Jo, and my "host mom", Bonnie. (One of my roommates at NYU was from New Jersey, so we got to go home with her when we were in need of some motherly love.)

Tips I Love:

• Eggs will continue cooking after you take them off the heat, so pull them before they're done.
• A little celery salt in potato salad makes all the difference.
• When dicing onions & bell peppers, dice the whole thing and save the extras in the freezer. The pre-diced veggies will save time for another meal down the road.
• This is the only kind of cookbook holder that is worth a darn. It will hold your book open, and protect it from splatters.

• Nachos made in the oven taste WAY better than nachos made in the microwave...because the oven toasts the chips.
• A little lemon/lime juice will keep apple slices and avocado from turning brown.
• To reheat rice without it getting hard and gross, cover it with a damp paper towel before microwaving.
• For cut-out sugar cookies, you can dust your board with powdered sugar instead of flour. And you can use a tea ball to help dust more evenly.

• Reheat pizza in a dry pan over medium-high heat on the stove. It crisps up the crust, instead of leaving it limp and soggy like the microwave. (That's what I did for dinner tonight...after I ate half a slice straight from the fridge.)

• When testing if pasta is cooked, use a slotted spoon to pull a noodle out of the boiling water, and then run it under cold water to cool it before tasting. I can't tell you how many times I burned my tongue before I saw this...and how silly I felt!
• To keep lettuce crisp and fresh, store it in a zip top bag with a damp paper towel.
• Brussels sprouts are good.

What cooking tips have you learned from the mothers in your life? Please share!