CHOW Tips

CHOW Associate Editor Roxanne Webber has learned to avoid burning simmering sauces in a thin-bottomed pan by using a second pan to diffuse the heat.

Rinsing the outside of a leek will get you a shiny leek that's still stuffed full of grit. CHOW Associate Editor Roxanne Webber shows a simple way to trim a leek for maximum dirt access.

Craig von Foerster, executive chef of the Post Ranch Inn's Sierra Mar Restaurant, sears his salmon on one side to lock in the juices; this technique works on halibut, sea bass, or any other dense-fleshed fish.

Author Amelia Saltsman wants to convince you to check out your local farmers' markets, if you haven't already.

CHOW contributor Daniel Duane shares his trick for keeping farmers' market strawberries fresh.

No lost digits: It's one of the cardinal rules of kitchen safety. So keep your cutting board stable.

Chowhound Jed Kolko, a Chinese-food autodidact, lays out the process: Wash out your wok, put it over high heat till it smokes, oil it, and heat it again. You're looking for the shine that suggests a nonstick surface.

Author Amelia Saltsman wrote the book on farmers' markets; she's a reliable source for market etiquette.

Chowhound fayehess, also known as Faye Delicious of Blip.tv, shares her bag-and-freeze method.

Norbert Wabnig, owner of the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, knows that sometimes you'll end up with more cheese than you can eat. Here's how to hold on to it a little longer.

Stephen Gibbs, executive chef of Hands On Gourmet, a team-building cooking event company based in San Francisco, teaches people to make their own mayonnaise all the time. He shows how to recycle a messed-up mayo into a perfect new batch.

For easy rolling and transportation of dough, Anita Chu, author of Field Guide to Cookies, uses Silpat baking mats.

Anita Chu, author of Field Guide to Cookies, suggests stepping up your cookie game by using browned butter in recipes (like blondies) that call for melted butter.

Chef Deborah Schneider, author of ¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge, says that dried chiles need to be toasted before using them in recipes like her ancho chile salsa. (If you're cooking fresh peppers, check out this easy roasting method.)

Chef Deborah Schneider, author of ¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge, makes her ancho chile salsa recipe, sharing important information along the way like how Mexican oregano is different from oregano you'd normally find at the grocery store.