Marie Rama

Hone your knife skills and learn how to separate a whole chicken into eight pieces so you can leave the expensive, precut chicken pieces at the grocery store. Master the simple steps needed to cut a whole chicken into thighs, drumsticks, wings, and breasts. You’ll feel like a real kitchen pro!

To save money and boost your health, you may be doing more home cooking than ever before. You can use simple tips and tricks to cook healthy meals, bake yummy desserts, throw a fabulous party, and save time in the kitchen. With a bit of planning, some expert advice, and fresh ingredients, you’ll be cooking delicious meals in no time — even if you consider yourself a kitchen novice.

Grilling is one of the most popular and enjoyable social activities that combines the enjoyment of good food and friends. But if you’re just starting out in the wonderful world of grilling, it can seem intimidating at first. To help you get started, check out some guidelines on shopping for a grill, learn the two basic methods of grilling, and read some helpful tips for grilling success.

Most home cooks can get along with three versatile knives: a 10- to 12-inch chef’s knife, an 8- to 10-inch serrated (bread) knife, and a small paring knife.A chef’s knife can be used for all sorts of chopping, slicing, dicing, and mincing.This knife is really the workhorse of the kitchen, so investing in a quality chef’s knife always pays off.

If you really want to go to town with this pots-and-pans thing, you could probably buy a hundred different ones, each with its own specialized function. But is your kitchen really that big? You can do just about any cooking chore with some basic pots and pans However, if you want to take it to the next level, you may consider acquiring some of these additional handy pans.

The following list of different kinds of pots and pans isn’t exhaustive, but it will get you started. These are the pots and pans you’ll use the most.Skillets and sauté pansYou’ll probably use this skillet all the time, so get a good, heavy-duty one. You may wonder, as you browse through your options, why some skillets have rounded, curved sides and some have straight sides.

Steak on the grill may be one of summer’s nicest luxuries, as long as you cook the steak the right way! A dry, tough steak is disappointing, so don’t overcook. Medium or medium rare yields a more tender steak than well-done. You can also add flavor with a good marinade. Check out this recipe for The Perfect Steak.

If you want the perfect hamburger — juicy and meaty, moist and not fatty — you have to start with the right meat. The best all-around meat for hamburgers is ground chuck, which has about 15 to 20 percent fat, just enough to keep it moist. (Supermarkets usually list the percentage of fat on the label.) Also look for coarsely ground meat, which yields a looser patty.