How to Peel Garlic Easily

I cook very often with fresh garlic, a great addition to everything from pasta to chicken dishes. For most dishes, the best distribution of flavor is achieved when the garlic is peeled and minced.

Peeling garlic doesn't have to be difficult. Separate the clove from the rest of the head and trim the tips off with a knife. Then, use the flat of the blade to crush the clove against your cutting board. When the clove splits, the skin can be removed easily.

I strongly suggest purchasing a wooden bowl and a curved blade (as pictured or similar) for mincing garlic and other herbs.

How to Defrost Something Quickly

I am often spontaneous when it comes to cooking, and I can never remember to defrost meat or fish a day or hours ahead of time. I also dislike microwaves (I do not own one) because they affect the taste of food and may decrease the nutritional value. Instead I put the frozen item, still in it's original packaging or freezer bag, in the sink and run hot water over it. Make sure the packaging is water tight.

This should defrost most foods within 20 minutes, depending on the size of the item. The more surface area it has, the faster it will defrost, so when I store food I make sure each piece is flat and not stacked or folded over. Sometimes I cut meat into small, stir-fry size chunks before freezing. Fish may take a little longer than other meats; my guess is this is because it contains more water.

Sweet and Sour

In this little Venn diagram, I've brainstormed a few potential sauce and marinade ingredients. While not every pair of sweet and sour ingredients is a match, it is always fun to experiment with different combinations. Ingredients that have both sweet and sour qualities are often great foundations for sauces. My personal favorite is orange juice, the star of many Asian recipes. Be creative and use your imagination. If your feeling stuck trying to come up with a good marinade, it's hard to go wrong with brown sugar and vinegar.

Recipe: Tomato Basil Salad

A quick one. Great for a snack or alongside a meal. Combine the following and drizzle with olive oil and red wine or "Four Thieves" vinegar:

1. Tomato slices
2. Fresh basil leaves
3. Shredded mozzarella cheese
4. Salt and ground black pepper (optional)

How to Properly Thicken a Sauce

Thin sauces don't stick to food, have a poor mouth-feel, and are honestly just wimpy. Adding flour or cornstarch directly to sauces, as you may have experienced when making your thanksgiving gravy, inevitably creates stubborn lumps that are difficult to dissolve. Instead, avoid the lumpiness and thicken sauces with the following process:

1. Put some flour or cornstarch in a small jar (a clean, empty spice container is ideal).
2. Add water until flour is saturated

A general mixing rule in cooking is to always add wet to dry, so do not reverse steps one and two.

3. Shake vigorously
4. Heat sauce on med/low heat in a small pot or pan.
5. While stirring constantly, pour the mixture into the sauce incrementally
6. Stop adding mixture when sauce is desired consistency. It may happen suddenly.

If you accidentally over-thicken, add a little water directly to the sauce to thin back out again.

Many marinades can be made into hearty sauces using this method. This method can also be used to thicken gravies and stews.

Recipe: Balsamic Rosemary Chicken

Simple, tangy, herby chicken.

Ingredients:

1. Skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into one inch pieces
2. 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3. 1/4 cup olive oil
4. 3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
5. Juice of one blood orange (regular orange juice may be substituted)

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mince rosemary leaves into tiny pieces, avoiding the woodiest parts of the stems (trick: use a pair of scissors)
2. Rub pieces together with your fingers to bruise and release fragrance
3. Add vinegar, orange juice, and olive oil
4. Submerge uncooked chicken in the mixture and soak, refrigerated, for at least 20 minutes. (Ideally use this time to prepare other parts of the meal).
5. Remove chicken from liquid and sauté in an olive oil-greased pan for a few moments on high (if you do it right it will caramelize the outside) then turn down to medium heat.
6. To prevent chicken from drying out, add a small amount of the marinade to the pan while the chicken is cooking (just a few tablespoons in total). Do not add any liquid too close to the end as it does contain raw chicken germs and needs to be cooked.

Try the same recipe on tuna steaks.

Stock Your Kitchen: Absolute Staples

The very basics (keep well and used frequently):

Oils
1. Salted Butter (lasts longer than unsalted)
2. Olive oil
3. Sesame Oil

Sauces
1. Soy sauce (a more sophisticated saltiness)
2. Teriyaki sauce (I like Kikkoman^®, Roasted Garlic)
3. Red wine and/or balsamic and/or apple cider vinegars

Dry Goods
1. Light brown sugar
2. Granulated sugar
3. All-purpose flour

Grains
1. Rice
2. Dried pasta
3. Cous Cous (cooks in just 5 minutes)

Spices
1. Salt
2. Black Pepper
3. Mrs. Dash^®
4. Ground Cinnamon
5. Fresh garlic

Other good ideas:
1. Eggs
2. Frozen mixed vegetables (fresh are much better in both flavor and nutrition, but are more expensive and keep poorly)
3. Frozen meat, poultry and fish
4. Milk
5. Half and Half
6. Parmesan cheese
7. Quality bread (Choose the kind baked at the store over prepackaged, ideally free of cornsyrup and preservatives. Keep it in the fridge for a longer shelf life.)