CHOW Tips

Author and television host Amelia Saltsman shares artichoke knowledge from her favorite market, the Santa Monica Farmers' Market.

It's not just about a pretty twist of lemon peel; it's about the lemon zest and the citrusy oil, and all of that nestling in your glass and interacting with your cocktail's ingredients.

Matthew Accarrino of Craft Los Angeles revives the herbs with ice water before mixing them in with greens or using them to top pasta.

You've prepped your house cocktail. Make sure that for your next party, you also have something salty, greasy, and proteiny to satisfy hungry guests. Lessley Anderson shows how it's done.

Irritating chemicals and toxic fumes don't make for a pleasant kitchen or pleasant cleaning. Mix up your own effective surface cleaner from natural ingredients.

Shake your melons and check for veins.

No plastic, no tinfoil: Don't suffocate your cheese.

Could there be anything more simple? You have leftover wine. You pour it into a jar. You leave it alone. You dress your salad and call it "artisanal."

Ah, what amazing legs-And other pretentious comments.

David Myers of Sona Restaurant makes his dressing right in the bowl with his greens.

Store-bought vanilla extract is expensive; homemade vanilla extract is easy.

Daniel Duane goes panning for golden walnut nuggets.

CHOW Food Editor Aïda Mollenkamp has learned from experience that metal-on-metal can work wonders. This defrosting method is controversial-it's not how the USDA would have you do it-so choose small cuts of meat that can defrost within two hours. In any case, use this method at your own risk.

It's a function of the coffee-to-milk ratio.

Food Editor Aïda Mollenkamp submerges food using a Ziploc bag.