All About Food: More tips for success in the kitchen

I like to pass on kitchen tips from time to time, when I accrue enough to write a column. If you readers have any interesting ones, please send them to me at [email protected].

1. Chipotle peppers or pickled poblanos are a great way to season dips and sauces, but mincing them can be tedious work. Try this. Put the amount of chili into the well of a garlic press and squeeze.

2. In place of wooden toothpicks, spear hors d’oeuvres with slender pretzel sticks. The pretzels can be eaten right along with the tasty tidbits they have skewered.

3. To remove pin bones from salmon, invert a mixing bowl on a work surface and drape the fish over the bowl, flesh side up. The curve of the bowl forces the pin bones to stick out so they are easier to grasp with pliers and remove.

4. Don’t freeze cheese or coffee. Freezing will ruin the flavor. Never serve cheese right out of the refrigerator. It should be at room temperature to bring out the flavor. Take it out an hour before serving.

5. You can cook fish by almost any method, but don’t poach or steam oily fish. They don’t poach or steam well.

6. Many people want to prevent the over-fishing of cod. Haddock is a good substitute.

7. Fruits and vegetables, which discolor once peeled, can be kept under water or tossed in lemon juice.

8. Here is how to stop rice from sticking if you want fluffy rice. Start with long grain or basmati rice, which are both low in starch. Use plenty of water and keep the rice boiling well but not too fast, just so the grains are agitated and the starch is well dispersed. Don’t overcook it.

9. The way to salvage sticky or burnt rice is to put it in a colander and pour boiling water through it or form it into balls.

10. To stop pasta from boiling over, grease the top inch of the pot with butter or margarine.

11. To delay bananas from going brown, soak them in cold water for 10 minutes before peeling. Bananas release a chemical that causes other fruit to speed up ripening. Store them near underripe fruit to speed up ripening, but keep them away from fruit that is at risk of becoming overripe.

12. Freeze seedless grapes or slices of lemon to add to cold drinks to chill the beverages without diluting them.

13. If you burn yourself preparing hot chilies, apply olive oil to heal the burning. Don’t drink water to cool your mouth if you’ve eaten a hot pepper. It won’t help much since you want to absorb the oil, so eat a piece of bread.

14. As a rule, remember that the smaller the chili, the more punch it will pack.

15. Potatoes should always be stored in a cool, dark and airy place.

Don’t keep them in the fridge, since cold temperatures convert their starch to sugar more quickly, and this can affect the flavor, texture and the way they cook.

16. Look for the word “Modena� on the bottle if you want good balsamic vinegar.

17. Reviving stale potato chips is easy if done in a microwave. Potato chips and tortilla chips restore their crispness beautifully. Spread two cups of chips on a Pyrex pie plate and microwave on high for one minute. Place the hot chips on a double layer of paper towels to cool before serving.

18. Last but not least, here is a tip to remember before serving Jerusalem artichokes at a dinner party, unless you know your guests well. Jerusalem artichokes cause significant flatulence in some people, so think twice before you choose them for your soiree.

Bon appetite!

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TERRY MARKOWITZ was in the gourmet food and catering business for 20 years. She can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].