CHOW Tips

Anne Le, co-owner of Tamarine restaurant in Palo Alto, California (and former co-owner of Bong Su in San Francisco), makes Vietnamese dipping sauce by combining fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, vinegar, and sambal chile paste. Also follow Le's sage counsel on how to soften the rice paper for spring rolls, how to assemble them, and how to keep them fresh.

Gabrielle Feuersinger, owner of San Francisco's Cake Coquette, demonstrates the proper way to use a piping bag (also known as a pastry bag) to frost a cake or cupcake. You shouldn't grab it from the middle, since that will just cause frosting to fall out of the back of the bag. Give the bag a twist for the most control.

Amy Sherman of Cookingwithamy.com shows an easy way to roast eggplant for things like baba ghanoush. The skin functions as a perfect containment device.

Kathy FitzHenry, founder of Juliet Mae Fine Spices & Herbs, mixes dry mustard (a.k.a. ground mustard) with different liquids to create a variety of condiments. Dry mustard plus vinegar makes a great hot dog mustard, while mixing beer with dry mustard results in a hot deli-style mustard. Dry mustard and wine makes a Dijon-style mustard, and dry mustard mixed with water produces a hot yellow mustard like you get in Chinese restaurants.

Danielle Svetcov, author of The Un-Constipated Gourmet, thinks you should never throw away old dried apricots, prunes, plums, and cranberries. Instead, boil them down with a bit of sugar and sherry to create a tasty compote for use on yogurt, ice cream, or oatmeal.

Jamie Purviance, author and grillmaster, knows that everyone wants to push the food around when grilling, but he urges you to fight that desire. Less movement equals more flavor.

Get over the idea of dessert wines-dessert wines are anytime wines. Robert Camuto, author of Corkscrewed, suggests that dessert wines go great with any part of a meal: at the beginning with charcuterie, at the end with cheese, and more. Or (he does not say), drink them alone, in bed, with a bowl of cereal.

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 says that while a lime may not look good on the outside, it will still taste fine on the inside.

A decanter is an important wine accessory, says Matt Skinner. A decanter oxidizes the wine quickly, bringing out the aromas and flavor. If you're decanting an older wine, Matt's got additional tips. To learn more from Matt, check out his new book, Heard It Through the Grapevine.

Karen Solomon, author of Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, makes her own flavored butter, also known as compound butter. She whips up a sweet butter using brown sugar, orange zest, and maple syrup (delicious on muffins!), and a savory pan-sauce-ready butter made by mixing caramelized onions and fresh thyme with butter.

When it comes to bacon, many people subscribe to the "even when it's bad it's good" philosophy. Scott Kveton, founder of Bacn.com, might agree, but he does warn consumers to check the ingredient lists on commercial bacon. If water is listed as one of the first ingredients, beware-when you cook your bacon, the water will boil out. And boiled bacon is not delicious.

CHOW Video Producer Meredith Arthur says that used coffee grounds should never go straight into the trash. Compost, maybe. Better yet, use them to help your plants thrive and your skin remain youthful. We've got more green tips, and though they won't all make your skin shine brightly, they will put a little ecofriendly spring in your step. Learn how to extend the use of scallions, veggie scraps, and a chicken carcass. Plus, how to do your dishes and clean your counters the environmental way.

Amelia Saltsman, author of The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook, urges shoppers to try the farmers' wares.

John Finger, co-owner of Hog Island Oyster Company, helps you avoid shell chips. He also keeps you from scrambling your oyster. Just make sure you start on the right side and the right end.

According to Salon editor-writer and backyard barbecue enthusiast Andrew Leonard, a metal glove protects you from stab wounds but not from burns.