Misc Tips (Continued):

- Let raw potatoes stand in cold water for at least half an hour before frying to improve the crispness of french-fried potatoes.

- Buy mushrooms before they "open." When stems and caps are attached snugly, mushrooms are truly fresh.

- It's important to let a roast sit a little while before carving. That allows the juices to retreat back into the meat. If you carve a roast too soon, much of its goodness will spill out onto the carving board.

- Store freshly cut basil on your kitchen counter in a glass with the water level covering only the stems. Change the water occasionally. It will keep for weeks this way, even develop roots!

- To hasten the cooking of foods in a double boiler, add salt to the water in the outer boiler.

- To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

- Add a little lemon and lime to tuna to add zest and flavor to tuna sandwiches. Use cucumbers soaked in vinegar and pepper in sandwich instead of tomatoes. Use mustard instead of mayo to cut the fat and add a tang.

- Instead of the water your recipe calls for, try juices, bouillon, or water you've cooked vegetables in. Instead of milk, try buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream. It can add a whole new flavor and improve nutrition.

- Chefs pound meat not to tenderize the meat, but to help even the meat so it cooks evenly.

- Sunlight doesn't ripen tomatoes, warmth does. Store tomatoes with stems pointed down and they will stay fresher, longer.

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(For more simple cooking tips you can use every day, go to this great cooking website!)