Rules of Thumb

I don't have that many rules about what to eat; in fact, I think it's pretty healthy to let yourself eat just about whatever you want, whenever you want, especially when you love vegetables as much as I do.

But I've come to realize that I do have some rules of thumb that I use when cooking and eating. It's funny how you develop these things without even realizing it.

• Heat the pan up thoroughly before you start to cook (most cooks don't do this nearly well enough)
• Most foods taste better with freshly-ground pepper, slightly more salt than you thought it needed, and a splash of something acidic (lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, white wine, etc.)
• Eggs and cheese and bread. If you have these in your house, you can always make a tasty meal.
• My parents raised us that you eat a cooked vegetable and a salad with every dinner. I still think that's a pretty good goal.
• Bread goes stale fastest in the refrigerator. It does really well in the freezer, though, defrosted a slice at a time by toasting in a toaster oven.
• Don't buy juice or soda; it's expensive and doesn't really bring you anything (and for those who care, they're fully of sugary, empty calories that add up quickly when you're always drinking something). And if you ask me, the same thing applies to breakfast cereals (expensive, sugary, nutritionally questionable), but I know better than to try to get between some people and their cereal.
• Many foods taste better with just a touch of alcohol, either white wine, vermouth, sherry, madeira, marsala...play around and see what you think! (E.g. cream of tomato soup with a splash of madeira)
• When it comes to cheese, you get what you pay for, and quality is more delicious than you know.
• Garlic shouldn't be overcooked. Add it at the end of the onion cooking time, for just 30 seconds or so, and then add your other ingredients. No more burnt, chewy garlic bits!
• Speaking of garlic, if your cloves have a green sprout, it should be removed before cooking; it's bitter.
• When potatoes go green, they are producing small quantities of a toxic substance in their skin. If it's not too far gone, you can still use them, but peel them well before cooking.
• If you have a food processor, you have instant carrot salad. Shred the carrots, then make a quick dressing of lemon juice, dijon, olive oil, and freshly-ground pepper.