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    TaraTeaspoon » Ask Tara

    Tips + Techniques

    What is your best tip for a beginner cook?

    August 23, 2018

    Learn and practice knife skills. That’s all. When you have great knife skills you enjoy cooking more. When you enjoy cooking more you become confident and successful in the kitchen. ...

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    I waste so much food after buying specific ingredients for a recipe, but don’t use everything. Any tips on how to make a meal come together with random ingredients?

    August 23, 2018

    Don’t be scared to experiment! I also like to start my clean-out-the-fridge dinners with pasta or a healthy grain. Could those ingredients be tossed with pasta, roasted and stirred into a grain salad? This covers a lot of herbs and seasonings too! You don’t have to use all your leftover ingredients ...

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    What is your favorite brand of kitchen knives and why?

    August 23, 2018

    Kitchen knives should feel good in your hand. Test them out and hold various brands in your hand before buying. I like my Wusthof knives as well as Global. They fit my hand well and the weight is good. ...

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    Why do some recipes call for eggs to be room temperature before using them when baking?

    August 23, 2018

    When baking you want all of your ingredients at the same temperature. This allows them all to mix evenly and distribute well. For example if you were making a cake with butter, eggs and maybe some milk or buttermilk, you’d cream the butter then add the eggs. If your butter had been perfectly ...

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    Some recipes say to bake squash facing up, others say to bake squash facing down. Does it really make a difference in the end result?

    August 23, 2018

    It depends on what you are using the squash for and the needs of your recipe. If you slice a squash like butternut, acorn or spaghetti squash in half and then place it face down on a baking sheet to roast, you will essentially be steaming the insides. The steam is trapped in the cavity of the ...

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    Why is it suggested that mushrooms be cleaned off with a wet paper towel instead of rinsing them off under running water?

    August 23, 2018

    Mushrooms are like little sponges! Rinsing them in water, or worse, soaking them in a bowl of water, just gives them a chance to drink up excess water like a dry dish sponge would. Because mushrooms already have a lot of water in their makeup, you typically give the moisture time to cook off, or add ...

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    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a career as magazine Food Editor at Martha Stewart and then Entertaining Director at Ladies’ Home Journal. All in all, I’ve shared recipes, cooking tips, and DIY ideas with more than 24 MILLION people. Make that 24 million and one. Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

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