1. Before you start, prepare all the ingredients. Place them adjacent to where you will be mixing, cutting or otherwise preparing your dishes. This way you can be sure you have everything you need right at hand.
2. Avoid so-called "cooking wine" and instead use a less-expensive but still quality wine for cooking.
3. Instead of an aerosol "cooking spray," try using olive oil from a pump spray bottle instead. You'll avoid chemicals and use less oil.
4. Whenever possible, use fresh herbs and spices instead of the dried version. Try this experiment: Substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves for 1 teaspoon of dried leaves, and then notice the different in the flavor of the food.
5. When broiling steaks in the oven, pre-heat until the broiler is really hot. The high heat will sear the outside of the meat and keep juices inside. Use tongs or a spatula instead of a fork to turn the meat so the juices won't leak out.
6. For smooth and airy mashed potatoes, buy a ricer. It looks like a big garlic press and it mashes potatoes better than any other gadget.
7. Buy a folding steamer insert that works in any pot. With this gadget, there's no excuse for not producing delectable steamed vegetables that are tender but still crisp. Great for vegetables such as broccoli, squash and celery.
8. Improve your salads in two ways: buy a salad spinner and try something other than iceberg lettuce. Salad spinners are plastic devices with an inner basket and an outer cover. A crank or a pulley turns the inner basket, and any water on the greens spins into the outer cover. No more soggy lettuce. Then add some zest to the salad with different varieties, such as red, green or Romaine lettuces.
9. Use roasted garlic instead of butter on bread. It's delicious and brimming with health benefits. To roast a garlic bulb, sprinkle it with a mixture of white wine, olive oil, salt and pepper. Then wrap the bulb in aluminum foil and roast it for an hour at 350 degrees.
10. Instead of transferring hot soup to a food processor, use a hand blender or hand mixer to puree. Much easier.
11. Don't wash mushrooms under the faucet. Mushrooms are as porous as sponges and will absorb a whole lot of water.
12. To get hard-to-reach dirt out of leeks, chop them first and then place in a cold water bath. Drain in a colander until you're sure they're clean.
13. Choose cabbage with crisp leaves and heads that feel heavier than their size would indicate.
14. If you don't have a pepper grinder, you can crack peppercorns by placing them inside a plastic zipper bag and whacking them on top of a wooden cutting board using a hammer. It will be noisy but it also serves as a great way to get rid of some of your frustrations. Then serve the cracked peppercorns in a condiment bowl with a small spoon.
15. For great grilling, clean the grill thoroughly before cooking. Then spray or brush it with cooking oil to prevent sticking.
There you have it- 15 tips that will help you make the jump from cook to chef!