20 More Smart Cooking Tips You May Not Know

I like cooking, for the most part. I was never one that enjoyed busy recipes that took a lot of time and prep. I like quick, simple, and easy recipes that anyone can make.

Over the years I have gathered some cooking tips and I always look for more to make cooking a nice experience. Last week I shared with you 20 smart cooking tips and today I want to bring you 20 more. Some you may know, but some I think will be brand new for you.

Check them out!

20 More Smart Cooking Tips You May Not Know

1. Crack egg into bowl. Use clean plastic water or pop bottle. Place bottle mouth against egg yolk – and squeeze to separate from white.
2. Never over mix muffins and quickbreads. Fold dough with large spoon until flour is barely mixed and dough is lumpy.
3. Sprinkle your cutting board with salt before chopping fresh herbs. It will keep them on the cutting board.
4. Store sharp knives in a knife block – or stick wine corks on their tips before placing in drawers.
5. If you need to finely chop bacon, put it in the freezer for 20 min. This will make it easy to chop without being stringy.
6. To test if your oil is hot enough for frying, use a thermometer or stick the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. (Bubbles=ready!)
7. Always let meat “rest” for at least 10 minutes when you take it out of crockpot, pan or oven. It will cut much more easily.
8. Get to know parchment paper. Great for lining baking pans or preventing pastry from sticking to your roller.
9. When rising dough containing yeast, cover loosely with plastic wrap instead of the traditional tea towel.
10. Run out of baking powder? Combine 3/4 of a teaspoon of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of vinegar.
11. Never slice cake more than 15 minutes before serving. It will not taste fresh and may dry out.
12. Never open the oven door while cooking soufflé. And when you take your soufflé out of the oven, never bang the oven door.
13. For perfect Baked Alaska, make sure your cake is not warm and your ice-cream is the hard-brick type – not the creamy type.
14. Learn “base” recipes and then experiment by adding different seasonings or ingredients – basic sauces, muffins, cakes and bread.
15. Don’t just bring your butter to room temperature when preparing to bake: Do it to the eggs you’re planning to use also.
16. Cool your cakes on a wire rack, upside down. (Place rack on cake; then flip over, holding both sides of pan and rack firmly.)
17. Make ordinary cake, cookies or pancakes special by using heart-shaped Valentine’s Day pans.
18. When camping, fully prepare soups, stews and other one-dish items ahead of time. Just reheat while you’re in the woods.
19. Camp foods that dirty very few dishes: Hot dogs and smokies cooked on a stick, baked potatoes cooked on coals, meats cooked in a roasting cage and s’mores.
20. There is no right or wrong cheese for a pizza. Go with what you like and what you have on hand.