CHOW Tips

When a recipe calls for both zest and juice, there's a particular protocol to follow, demonstrated here by Amy Sherman of the food blog Cooking with Amy. Zest first! Plus, those lemons need a little encouragement to give up all their juice. Roll your citrus on the counter or microwave it to get the most out of the fruit.

Danielle Svetcov, author of The Un-Constipated Gourmet, has some great ideas for ways to use up leftover ricotta. Add it to pesto sauce to make it creamier, she says. Or to a turkey burger to make it juicier. And if you add a bit to bruschetta, you'll have a more intense appetizer.

Spring rolls are great party food, and can be prepared ahead, says Anne Le, co-owner of Tamarine restaurant in Palo Alto, California (and former co-owner of Bong Su in San Francisco). She advises that a moist towel can prevent spring roll rigor mortis. Le also offers counsel on softening the rice paper, assembling the rolls, and what to dip them in.

CHOW Food Editor Aida Mollenkamp uses an ice cream maker to keep frozen margaritas colder for longer. Especially crucial for any Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Waterbar Executive Pastry Chef Emily Luchetti shows how to get rid of any woody parts and ensure every bite of a strawberry is sweet. Test your mad hulling skills in her recipes for Summer Pudding, Brown Butter Crepes, or Brown Sugar Meringues.

Amy Sherman of the food blog Cooking with Amy freezes herbs in ice cubes when she's not going to use them up right away. You can pop the cubes into your cooking (or your cocktail) as you need them.

Michael Cecconi is the mixologist at New York's Back Forty; he also works at the Savoy and teaches at the Institute of Culinary Education. He's seen a lot of hangovers in his day, and knows a thing or two about how to prevent them: Drink water. His advice is simple but sage.

Jamie Purviance, author and grillmaster, can tell if a grill is ready by how long he can hold his palm over the surface.

Jamie Purviance, author and grillmaster, keeps the lower vents of his charcoal grill open at all times. The top vents can be partially closed to reduce flare-ups or lower the temperature of the grill.

CHOW Associate Editor Roxanne Webber regenerates her green onions, creating an endless loop of onion tops to use in her cooking-like in this recipe for Sweet Corn with Scallions. We've got more green tips that will put a little ecofriendly spring in your step: Employ your leftover coffee grounds as an exfoliant. Learn how to extend the use of veggie scraps and a chicken carcass. Plus, how to do your dishes and clean your counters the environmental way.

Robert Camuto, author of Corkscrewed, explains the difference between a good year for growing grapes and a good year for drinking wine. What's good for the grapes is not automatically good for the drinker, until it is. And then it's good and gone.

Gabrielle Feuersinger, owner of San Francisco's Cake Coquette, demonstrates the art of the frosting rose. The only special equipment you'll need is a pastry bag, a rose tip, and a pastry nail (which looks like a small pedestal). It may take a little practice to perfect your rose, but playing with frosting is fun.

Kathy FitzHenry, founder of Juliet Mae Fine Spices & Herbs, suggests that you consider the method of preparation when deciding whether to use fresh or dried herbs. Fresh herbs are best in a fresh setting, like a caprese salad, whereas dried herbs are best in a long, slow cook like a stew. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.

You can find great bacon in bulk, but you might not be able to eat five pounds of it before it goes bad. Scott Kveton, founder of Bacn.com, recommends freezing your bacon as soon as you get it home. Separate the bacon into portion-sized plastic bags and defrost it as the need arises. One of Scott's favorite bulk bacons is available at Costco (as well as at Bacn.com); it's called Fletcher's Masterpiece Dry Cured Bacon, and at around $12 for four pounds, Scott says he "doesn't know how they manage to make a profit on it."

Gabrielle Feuersinger, owner of San Francisco's Cake Coquette, understands that there is a time for fondant on a cake; for example, when the weather is really hot and buttercream might melt. Or if the flavor of Play-Doh is something you are going for. She believes fondant is overused and is not nearly as good to eat as buttercream.