By Rita Simonetta

What are the do’s and don’ts of cooking with wine? Can you slice an onion and keep from crying? How do you cook steaks with sizzle? Here is a simple guide to knowing some tricks of the culinary trade:

CRISPY OVEN-COOKED CHICKEN
If you want the taste of crispy chicken but you want to avoid the extra calories that comeswhen frying it, simply let the chicken (wings or legs) sit uncovered in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. This will dry the skin out, which results in a crispy, crunchy texture.

KEEPING CHEESE FRESH
To maintain the freshness of cheese, forget about wrapping it in plastic wrap, which is a common tendency. That doesn’t allow the cheese to breathe. The best option is to wrap it loosely in parchment paper and then store it in the crisper section of your refrigerator.

PERFECT BREAD
STUFFING
A tasty bread stuffing for your chicken or turkey is a matter of temperature level. After combining the ingredients together, chill the stuffing for an hour or two before baking. Cooling the mixture ensures that the bread soaks up the liquid, which leads to a stuffing that is moist inside and crispy on on top.

SUCCULENT STEAK
To cook a steak fit for a king or queen, season it with sea salt instead of regular table salt. The sea salt adds an intense flavour to the meat. After grilling it, let it sit on a cutting board for a few minutes so that the juices can settle. In fact, you want to do this with any kind of meat or foul. Your patience will be rewarded.

ONIONS –
THE CRYING GAME
The ancient Greeks and Romans were quite fond of the humble onion. Greek athletes made sure their diets included a generous amount of cipolle in order to ensure optimal stamina during the Olympic Games. The Romans used onions for a number of illnesses including insomnia and toothaches. But you know the story — you are chopping onions and you start to cry. That’s because cutting the veggie releases sulfur compounds, which irritate your eyes and make you tear up. How do you avoid this? Refrigerate the peeled onion for about 30 minutes. This will decrease the release of the irritant gas from the onions. You can also try cutting the onion under water as you slice. Some people swear that if you hold a piece of bread or a sugar cube in your mouth, the food will absorb the gas before it reaches your eyes. And lastly, try to breathe with your mouth instead of your nose.

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