3 Fun Kitchen Tips for Summer Vacation Season
Sunshine and long days call for extra-hot quick tips.
Steadying Tipsy Tacos
The rounded base of a hard taco shell usually requires one hand to steady it while the other stuffs. You can free up both hands by wedging the shell between the tines of a fork to keep it upright.
A Hole New Way to Pluck Herbs
Plucking the leaves from a bunch of tender herbs like cilantro and dill can be tedious and time-consuming. Threading the stems through the holes of a colander (starting from the inside and pulling them through) makes quick work of the task—plus, the bowl collects the leaves.
Did Your Fridge Lose Power While You Were Gone?
Easy way to gauge whether your refrigerator lost power while you were on vacation: Place 3 ice cubes in a zipper-lock bag on a freezer shelf before leaving. If the cubes have melted together upon your return, it’s an surefire indicator that the power shut off while you were away.
All of these quick tips are from the newest issue (July/August 2014) of Cook’s Illustrated (learn more about print and iPad editions).
