Bell Peppers. MAs we all know the skin of the bell peppers is tough and hard to digest. You have a couple techniques to avoid this inconvenience. Char the peppers under the broiler, then remove the burnt skin (this method is a little time consuming.) The second one is to simply peel the bell peppers with a potato peeler. The peppers will taste so much better.

Anytime you have to flame a dish, use a safe approach. There is always a significant risk of burning your eyebrows or hair if you pour alcohol directly on a very hot dish that's still on a burner. It is going to ignite right immediately. A safer method is to pour the alcohol in a small saucepan and slowly warm it on a medium low burner. As soon as you see some smoke, carefully tilt the saucepan above the flame and ignite. Off the heat you can also ignite it with a match. Then pour the burning liquid on top of your dish (it is better to have the hot dish removed from the burner.) You are in control of the situation and - make sure your camera is ready for a memorable picture.

Previous Cooking Tips

How to boil water! - This is a no brainer. However, I am sure the last time you brought some water to a boil to cook your vegetables or pasta, you probably added some cold water. I used to do that until I found out that it is more time and cost effective to add salt when the water has come to a boil. The salt tends to slow down the water temperature from rising and stabilizes the boiling level.

Enjoy a cool coulis! - There is something incredibly simple you can do when serving your next dessert dish - prepare a coulis of berries. A coulis is similar to a sauce except the term "coulis" only applies to fruit. A coulis not only brings a nice added flavor but also helps to create a design on the plates by using a squeeze bottle through which you can drizzle the coulis into an artistic pattern. To prepare this elegant topping, in a food processor, blend together raspberries, blueberries or blackberries with powdered sugar and a little bit of lemon juice. Then strain the coulis of berries. To make your coulis even more appealing (shiny) to the eye, pour it into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil for only a few seconds before cooling down. It's that easy...

Garlic breath remedy! - If you are like me, you probably enjoy any dish combined with garlic. The problem is that sometimes we tend to have a heavy hand and over use the amount of garlic. Very soon your dish becomes garlic with pasta dish instead of a pasta dish with garlic. There is nothing worse to eat a dish that is way too garlicky. You pay the price for almost twenty-four hours and all the people around you tend to avoid you. A simple tip is to separate all the unpeeled cloves from the garlic heads. Poach the garlic cloves in simmering water for about 30 minutes or until tender. They become much sweeter and the taste is much more subtle. I served the whole cloves with my vegetables, pastas. The skin peels off like a caramel...

Don't cry over your onion! - I am sure, that on some occasions when peeling onions or shallots, even the Walla Walla onions, particularly if they were not sitting in the refrigerator, you found yourself very quickly sobbing, making your children wondering why you are suddenly so sad. A simple tip to prevent this dramatic scene is to clutch a match between your teeth. Of course, don't light the match or use a lighter instead. That will not work.

How to make a simple vinaigrette in less than 2 minutes? It will always taste better than the one you buy already pre-made at the store. The flavor of your vinaigrette will vary based on the quality and flavor of the ingredients chosen. Here is the base to make a vinaigrette to accompany your salads: Mix 2 tablespoons vinegar (white, red, balsamic, etc.) in a bowl with 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to combine and thicken. Slowly add 6 tablespoons oil (vegetable, canola, olive, walnut, etc.) whisking constantly until the dressing is smooth, thickened and well blended.

Sometimes, it does not take much to enhance the presentation of a dessert. One of the most common garnishes is to add some chocolate curls. They are very easy to make. Work over a piece of parchment paper. Hold a piece of dark chocolate in your hand and with a vegetable peeler or a very sharp knife, peel curls from the side of the chocolate. The curls should fall directly onto the paper. You can leave them at room temperature or put them in the refrigerator. They are ready to be scattered on your dessert. Enjoy.

If you want to enhance a piece of fish or meat with a versatile sauce, try making a Bercy sauce. It is quick, simple and very flavorful. Mince a large shallot and add it to 2/3 cup of dry white wine with 1/2 teaspoon coarse black peppercorns. In the meantime, precut a 1/4 pound stick (or less) of butter and keep in the refrigerator. In a small sauce pan, on medium high temperature, reduce all the ingredients until all the wine has evaporated. Remove from heat, whisk all the butter in at once, add some chopped parsley and ladle the sauce on top of the meat or fish. Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes maximum and hours of palate enjoyment.

Whenever you decide to roast a chicken or a cut of beef or pork, always sear the meat in a preheated skillet on top of the stove on medium high temperature to brown all sides of the meat. This will keep all the juices inside and make your meat more tender and moist. Then pop the meat in the oven to start the roasting process. Roasting means that your oven has to be at least set at 400 F.

Removing the garlic smell from your hands - I am sure you have experienced, like me, the inconvenience of smelling garlic whenever you smashed garlic with your chef's knife or peeled garlic. It first brings a wonderful flavor around you and then you begin to feel it's a bit too much. Very often, your hands hold the smell and even after a good soapy wash, the smell still persists. Try rubbing your hands against stainless steel, such as your sink or bowls, for example. You can now find, in kitchen store, a special stainless steel tool you can keep next to the sink which should do the trick and make the smell disappear.

The chef's hammer - Whenever, I need to pound some chicken breasts or veal scallopinis, crush some peppercorns, hazelnuts, almonds or any ingredients need to be crushed, I use the bottom of a heavy pan. I protect my ingredients and food with a plastic wrap and start pounding like a maniac! Effective results guaranteed!