Three foolproof cooking tips

  1. There's no need to finely chop onions, garlic, or herbs, says culinary writer Mark Bittman. “Fine chopping became trendy when French cooking became popular, but it's irrelevant.” Regular chopping is fine. 2. To locate the hottest spots in your oven (which are usually in the center and at the bottom), preheat the oven and cover a baking sheet with slices of white bread. When all the slices start to toast, take out the sheet and take a picture. If you stick this near the oven, you'll know how to rotate the sheet for even cooking. 3. Don't throw away the empty mustard jar. Instead of trying to scrape out every last bit, one suggestion could be to add oil, vinegar, and spices. Shake the jar, and you'll have a salad vinaigrette. Recommended oven recipes: - Roasted Chicken in the Oven - Baked Pasta with Eggplant and Mozzarella - Light Baked Pasta