Never salt beans before cooking. — If you do, the skin of the beans will become tough and will take much longer to cook. Add salt at the end of the cooking process. – Chef Tee
Cut down on fat with nonstick pans. — I rarely use oil when cooking with nonstick pans because you don’t need to, and less oil means less fat. Foods like pancakes, meats, vegetables and omelets cook great in these pans without oil. Just remember to take care of them by using non-metal utensils and cleaning them with nonabrasive cloths and sponges because there’s nothing worse than a nonstick pan that’s scratched up. – Brian Reeve
Save money with electric mixer attachments. — The egg beaters and whisk attachments that come with your electric mixer are great for baking and everyday uses like stirring soups, sauces and gravies. I use mine all the time. – Brian Reeve
The best steak to grill is Ribeye. — It’s great because it holds up really well on the grill, and it has lots of marbling which means BIG flavor. Marbling is the little flecks of fat in the meat that look like white veins. That fat makes the meat tender and juicy. You can get even more flavor out of your ribeye if you stack the steaks on top of each other when they are almost done cooking, so as the fat and juices ooze out, they’ll drip down the steaks, giving you more flavor. – Chef Tee
Don’t throw away moldy berries. — The mold means the berries are really ripe and sweet, so don’t freak out when you see the green, fuzzy stuff starting to grow. Boil the berries with mold (about 1 cup berries with ½ cup water, sugar to taste and little lemon juice) to make a fruit sauce for pancakes, French toast, cake, ice cream, etc. If you don’t want to boil them right away, just put them in an airtight container or plastic bag and store them in the freezer for up to six months. Don’t worry about the mold because it will rise to the top of the pot while boiling. Then you just skim off the mold and throw it away. – Chef Tee
Smoked salmon trim will save you money. — Smoked salmon is very expensive. That’s why I always buy the salmon trim instead. The trim is the part of the salmon that’s not considered the prime part of the fish (usually the tail and leftover trimmings), but it tastes good and it costs less (typically $7 a pound versus $10-to-$15 a pound for the sliced smoked salmon). – Chef Tee
Sticky, stinky garlic is best. — The stickier and stinker the better because when garlic is ripe, it releases its natural sugars and odor which means great flavor but unfortunately an awful smell. Just pinch your noise and enjoy! – Chef Tee
Secret to crispy wings — When making chicken wings, always pat them dry with a paper towel before cooking. This is a crucial step when making buffalo wings. — Chef Tee
Secret to sparkling plates and glasses — Add juice from half a lemon to a cup of hot water. Dampen a towel in the juice mixture. Then wipe off the finger smudges, grease and food stains from your kitchenware. The acid from the lemon removes what the dishwasher or hand washing may have missed. Some people use vinegar instead, but that leaves behind a vinegar smell. — Chef Tee
Sticky pasta — Folks often ask me, “How do I keep my pasta from sticking?” Very simple. Don’t worry about pouring oil into the water because water and oil don’t mix. What keeps pasta from sticking is to have a nice rolling boil. When done, drain the pasta then drizzle a little olive oil on top for great flavor. – Chef Tee