If boiled in salted water, potatoes will absorb the salt taste. This is much more effective than adding salt to the recipe after the potatoes are boiled.

To easily peel tomatoes, drop in boiling water for 1 minute�the skin will slide off.

To maximize the green color of steamed vegetables, plunge in ice water after steaming.

As green vegetables cook, their color changes first to a bright green and then to a dull green. Bright green indicates that the vegetables are still crisp; dull green indicates that the vegetables are fully cooked.

When storing an unused portion of lettuce, completely wrap in a paper towel and place in a ziploc bag. Take a straw to suck out as much air as possible from the ziploc bag.

Onions stored in the refrigerator do not cause your eyes to tear when the onions are sliced or chopped.

When cooking rice, place a paper towel on the pan before covering. This keeps the condensation from falling back in the pan and makes the rice fluffier.