Kitchen Tips & Tricks

1. How to keep celery fresh: Cut off the bottom and top ends. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil. It will easily keep for three weeks in the refrigerator when wrapped this way.

2. How to avoid overcooking steamed vegetables: Add a half inch of water to your pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, but make a note of where, exactly, the dial is set. Add the strainer and vegetables. Cover immediately and note the time (or use a timer). Exactly4 minutes later prick the vegetables with a fork to test doneness. Not ready? Cover, wait 30 seconds, and test again. Soon you will find the precise point at which the vegetables are ready. Write it on a piece of paper and tape on the inside face of a kitchen cabinet. Now you can repeat this every time. On our cooktop, for example, I set the heat to 6 bars and cook for exactly 5 minutes for green beans, carrots, and broccoli, which are the vegetables we cook most often.