CHOW Tips

Daniel Duane removes the stalk in the fastest way possible.

Chef Deborah Schneider, author of ¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge, suggests roasting poblanos over an open flame or in a cast iron pan to prepare them for recipes like her Ranch Chiles Rellenos.

An avocado pit just sits there, practically laughing at you, as you struggle to release it from the slippery grasp of the delicious fruit. Chef Deborah Schneider, author of ¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge, shows how easily it can be removed. She also shares two ways of prepping the avocado: the cube and the flare.

There are three chiles that often crop up in Mexican recipes: pasillas, guajillos, and chiles de arbol. Chef Deborah Schneider, author of ¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge, shows how to distinguish among them.

Coring tomatoes is something that doesn't take a lot of time as Chef Deborah Schneider, author of ¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge, shows here. But it can have a big payoff in your recipes.

Chef Deborah Schneider, author of ¡Baja! Cooking on the Edge, uses a lot of green bell peppers and jalapeno peppers in her cooking. She's a pro at separating the edible from the inedible parts.

CHOW Kitchen Editorial Assistant Amy Wisniewski rolls out her pie dough and then transfers it to the pie plate using the rolling pin.

Party-thrower Michael Gharabiklou knows that one key to a successful Super Bowl party is ample amounts of beer. And to make sure your guests can access that beer, he suggests a few ways for hosts to secure their bottle openers. Because you don't want anyone wandering around with an unopened bottle.

CHOW Food Editor Aida Mollenkamp gets tomato sauce and salsa out of delicate fabrics using fruit and some gentle rubbing.

CHOW copyeditor Keith Laidlaw shares a technique for opening a bottle of beer with a piece of paper. It's all a matter of leverage (and folding).

Marzio Cuomo of Mike's Liquors in San Francisco has delivered and set up many kegs in his day. He recommends that customers rent a jockey box when they buy a keg. It'll probably cost a little bit more, but you'll get longer-lasting beer that needs no special pumps.

The ice cream scoop proves its worth for anyone with a sweet tooth. Anita Chu, author of Field Guide to Cookies, shares a useful tip for managing your cookie dough.

Anita Chu, author of Field Guide to Cookies, doesn't want you to end up with flour all over your face; nor should your cookies be tough.

Everyone has a trick to opening a beer bottle when you don't have an opener handy, even CHOW's staff photographer, Chris Rochelle. Here he shows how to open your beer with a pen.

CHOW copyeditor Keith Laidlaw shows how to open a bottle of beer using another bottle of beer. It's a handy trick to break out, especially in the midst of a Super Bowl party (when you don't want to miss a crucial play) or any event where you're reluctant to leave your seat to hunt for an opener.