CHOW Tips

Julie Chai, associate garden editor of Sunset magazine, picks herbs, not flowers, for her table's centerpiece. They look great, and their scent complements food nicely. Sunset also shares this set of one-pot garden ideas, which can be lovely centerpieces as well.

Julie Chai, associate garden editor of Sunset magazine, suggests that you harvest your garden's herbs in the morning, when they are at their most flavorful. And be sure to leave enough in the ground to repopulate the plant.

Maria Cleaveland of Equator Estate Coffees & Teas describes the perils of grinding coffee the wrong way for the brewing method you plan to use: clogged brewers, sludgy coffee, and overextraction. Make sure to use a fine grind for espresso, a medium grind for drip, and a course grind for French press.

Janine Falvo, chef de cuisine of Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar in Sonoma, California, sears a pork shoulder, covers it with Dr Pepper, and then adds aromatics like garlic, onion, and star anise before putting it in the oven for two to three hours at a low temperature.

Julie Chai, associate garden editor of Sunset magazine, demonstrates how to dry herbs that you've grown in your garden. Wash and dry them, then hang them upside down. Once they're completely dry, you can crumble them into a jar. They are then ready to use. And here's a great article from Sunset about which herbs are best to grow for cooking.

Maria Cleaveland of Equator Estate Coffees & Teas shares a tip for brewing great coffee: You should clean your coffee maker at least once a year using a product called Cleancaf or by running vinegar and water through the machine. If you do the latter, you'll need to scrub the brew basket as well to make sure all the coffee buildup is gone.

Julie Chai, associate garden editor of Sunset magazine, suggests that home gardeners remove the flowers from basil plants as they appear. By plucking the flowers you are keeping the herb in a prepubescent state, which will taste a lot better, and less bitter, than "older" basil.

Will This $20 Change Your Mind? Bribing the host or hostess for a table.

Yelling out your order at a bartender won't get you a drink any quicker; it will get you an annoyed bartender.

How to Deal with Sediment in Wine

Jamie Purviance, author and grillmaster, uses the 70/30 rule when grilling fish: Cook it flesh side down for 70 percent of the cooking time, and skin side down the last 30 percent. The crust that forms on the flesh will keep the fish from sticking to the grill.

Fish don't exactly grow their fillets to be cooperative with a pan-the fillets are thick in some places, thin in others. Craig von Foerster, executive chef of the Post Ranch Inn's Sierra Mar Restaurant, has a solution: fold and tie.

Citrus is dear to Michael Cecconi, mixologist at New York's Back Forty (he also works at the Savoy and teaches at the Institute of Culinary Education). His advice is to use up every last bit of your lemons and limes. The day before a party, zest some citrus and let the zest sit in a Mason jar with an alcohol like bourbon or tequila. The next day, juice the fruit and add it and the zest to your liquor. Then enjoy.

Karen Solomon, author of Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, starts with 32 ounces of yogurt, which she strings up like an outlaw. Once the liquid has drained you're left with a tangy, spreadable cheese.

Kathy FitzHenry, founder of Juliet Mae Fine Spices & Herbs, recommends buying whole spices from the supermarket, especially in the case of nutmeg. You buy the nut whole and then use a Microplane to grind it down. It costs a bit more, but tastes much, much better.