Great Cooks Have Great Tips and Tricks to Make Their Cooking Faster and Easier

A good cook is a prepared for anything cook. What does that mean? It means having a well stocked pantry of items you need to whip things together quickly and with a minimum of effort. Every cook I know has their own list of tips and tricks to make life easier for those of us pulling KP duty day after day. Feel free to add to the list and keep it growing! Cooks like gardeners, learn best by sharing recipes and ideas to overcome those annoying little problems we all experience in our kitchens.

Here are a few more handy tips to make your holiday season much less stressful, and a whole lot more fun:)

1: When using lots of herbs and spices, particularly rosemary, bay leaves, peppercorns and whole cloves, it helps to create a little bag out of cheesecloth and place the herbs inside them tied with kitchen twine, then dropped in your soup, sauce or gravy. This is especially useful when small children, or the very elderly will be joining you, as they can choke very easily on some of these items. It also creates very clear clean broths and soup stocks. Once the broth is through cooking, simply toss the bag away.

2: Always wash your turkey thoroughly, inside and out, until the water runs clear. Then pat it dry with paper towelling before seasoning. Trim off extra fat and the "pope's nose" at the rear of the turkey. Make certain you remove all giblets, neck bones or other bits from the turkey before cooking.

3: Since it's not recommended you bake your bird with dressing inside, you can season the interior with a bit of sea salt, crushed black pepper, thyme, and basil. I also quarter either 2 whole apples or potatoes in the cavity to absorb extra fat.

4: Though it is recommended you roast your turkey breast side up, I begin my cooking with it breast down. This gives the bottom of the turkey a nice crunchy crust, avoiding the usual pale mushy wet meat on the bottom. Once it's browned, remove it from the oven, placing it on a stable surface, and with help lift the turkey over breast side up to continue the rest of the cooking.

5: To save calories and reduce fat, I use a bulb syringe to periodically remove greasy drippings from the bottom of the pan. I save a cup for gravy, letting it cool until I can easily skim off the fat. Baste the turkey with turkey broth which adds a delicious flavor without the calories.

6: Spray your roaster with olive oil cooking spray thoroughly, covering bottom, sides and the rack the bird rests on. If you're really on a strict cardiac/high cholesterol regimen, you can also use this to oil the bird, rather than using butter or olive oil. If not, use a premixed blend of softened butter and seasonings, and tuck it under the breast skin to season the meat.

7: When buying herbs and spices, buy the best you can find. It's worth the extra cost. The differences in taste alone are worth it.

8: Don't cook anything, especially high fat foods in the microwave, using plastic containers. Johns Hopkins discovered that the plastics weep dioxins which are highly carcinogenic into the foods being heated. Cover your bowls or plates with paper towels, and only using ceramic or Pyrex ware to cook or reheat your dishes in.

9: To add an extra flavor dimension to dishes using nuts-especially walnuts, pecans or almonds, toast them lightly first to bring out all their nutty richness.

10: Many people think margarine is much healthier for you than butter. Wrong. Margarines are filled with hydrogenated oils and often high in transfats. Unless they're the new "heart smart" brands, stick with real butter. The small amounts used in cooking can be balanced by using good olive, grape or safflower oils, and an all round healthier diet.

11: Soften raisins for cookies and cakes by soaking them in pure vanilla for an hour or so.

12: Use Bakers sugar for your dessert recipes. It's finer, and blends much more smoothly then ordinary granulated sugar. This is super important when making candies or caramels, and you get that annoying crystallization during cooking.

13: When measuring fats such as butter or Crisco, I spray my measuring cup with cooking spray to avoid sticking. I also spray my cheese cutters and knives when cutting cheeses or other sticky items. It makes both slicing and cleanup so much easier.

14: When cooking, get in the habit of cleaning up as you go. It will save you so much time, your kitchen will be cleaner, and much more pleasant to face after a big meal.

15: If you have sterling silver flatware, use it often. The more it's used, the lovelier it becomes, developing a soft patina and glow. Clean it periodically with catsup. Yup, I know I'm the Mad Housewife, but catsup really does clean copper and silver beautifully.

Just remember, there are always going to be kitchen disasters, failures and mistakes. But that's ok. The only way good cooks learn is by experimenting to find out what works and what doesn't. Don't be afraid to step out there and experiment with different herbs and spices. You might surprise yourself by some of the truly unique dishes you create!