Tips & tricks
Tricks you can't learn in books
Four so far. Short on purpose.
The small moves that make a recipe easier. Each one takes a minute or two to read, and I link them from the recipes that need them.
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Prep
How to Separate Egg Yolks from Egg Whites
To separate egg yolks from egg whites, crack the eggs onto a plate and squeeze an empty water bottle. Touch it to a yolk and let go, and the yolk gets sucked up whole. Squeeze it out onto another plate.
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Knife work
How To Finely Chop An Onion by Gordon Ramsay
To finely chop or dice an onion like Gordon Ramsay, peel it and cut it in half, but keep the root on. Slice toward the root, push the knife in from the side, then cut across into small cubes.
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Prep
How to peel Tomatoes
To peel tomatoes, cut a small cross in the skin and boil them until the skin starts to split, no more than 5 minutes once the water boils. Then put them in cold water and the skin slides off.
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Knife work
How to Chiffonade Basil or Mint
Chiffonade is basil, mint or other flat leaves cut into long, thin strips, mostly as a garnish. Stack the leaves from biggest to smallest, roll them tight like a cigar and slice the roll thin with a sharp knife.
Stuck on a step that isn't here?
Tell me which one, and what went wrong. A photo helps.