14 of Our Best Cooking and Entertaining Tips From the Past 25 Years
REAL SIMPLE has been doling out advice for years—25, to be exact—and while not all of our tips have been slam dunks, we’d like to think that the vast majority of our pointers have made you better hosts, organizers, cooks, and more. Still, it’s nearly impossible to comb through 25 years of worthwhile guidance and consolidate it into one place, until now.
In honor of our silver anniversary, we scoured the archives to bring you the smartest, most effective and surprising tips directly from our pages. This roundup, which focuses specifically on our best cooking and entertaining advice, will share why you should always chill an onion before chopping it, how to serve any pie like a pro, and so much more.
Abbey Lossing
Start With a Clean Slate
When hosting a big holiday or dinner party, do whatever it takes to have an empty trash bin, dishwasher, sink, and dish rack when guests arrive. (This is an excellent job for kids or anyone who doesn’t cook.) With these areas clear, you can get waste in the garbage, plates in the dishwasher, and crusty pans soaking right away.
Chill Your Onions
If chopping an onion makes you tear up faster than Sarah McLachlan’s ASPCA commercial does, refrigerate the bulb for about an hour first. The coolness takes some sting out of the sulfur compounds responsible for the reaction.
Set Your Buffet Up for Success
To keep the line running smoothly, stack plates at the beginning, and put the silverware and napkins on the dining table, shares Elizabeth Van Lierde, author of Everyday Entertaining.
Make a Dessert Board
For a practically no-effort finisher that’ll please a crowd, assemble a dessert board just as you would cheese and charcuterie, only with store-bought baked goods, candy, and fruit.
Bake Pies on the Lowest Rack
Don’t let soggy crusts ruin a good dessert. For a golden brown bottom crust every time, put your pie dish on the lowest rack, where most ovens tend to concentrate heat.
Store Brown Sugar With an Orange Peel
You can let out some frustration by pounding that rock-hard brick of brown sugar against the counter—or you can save your granite. We choose the latter! To do so, add an orange peel. The moisture helps soften the sugar overnight. Or, take the preventive approach and add a peel to a newly opened bag.
Serve Pie Like a Pro
It’s hard to lift out that first slice without making a mess. Start by cutting two, says Jason Shreiber, author of Fruit Cake, who learned this trick from Martha Stewart. Then you’ll have wiggle room to get in there. (Two pie tips! We clearly love pie!)
Buy Enough Cheese
When building a charcuterie board for a party, plan on 2 to 4 ounces of cheese per person—less if the cheese is part of a larger spread, more if it’s the belle of the ball.
Poach Eggs in the Microwave
Breakfast in less than a minute? It’s possible if you follow this method from Steph Chen, founder of Anyday, a line of microwave cookware: Place a half cup of water in a microwave-safe bowl and crack in an egg, making sure it’s submerged. Microwave for 40 seconds, or until the yolk is cooked.
Unstick Sticky Ingredients
Before measuring honey, syrup, or other gooey substances, run hot water on the inside of the measuring spoon or cup, and don’t dry it off. Instead of clinging to the sides, the liquid will easily get where it’s going. A little spritz of oil will work too.
Soak Fillets of White Fish
Help eliminate the fishy or icy taste of your fresh or thawed fillets by soaking the pieces in a wide, shallow bowl of milk for about 20 minutes. (Proteins in dairy products can help neutralize certain odors.) Try it with cod, flounder, or even salmon.
Add a Raisin to Champagne
Restore bubbles to Champagne in five seconds flat: Drop a raisin into the open bottle and any last gasps of carbon dioxide that are left in the wine will stick to the fruit’s ridged surface, then release again as tiny bubbles.
Pare Down Your Knives
You can handle almost all kitchen tasks with just three good knives. You need a chef’s knife to do the slicing, chopping, and mincing; a paring knife to peel fruits and veggies; and a serrated knife to slice through tomatoes and bread.
Use a Rubber Band to Open Stubborn Jars
Raise your hand if you’ve ever waged (and lost) a battle with a pickle jar. Yep, thought so. Skip the struggle and wrap a wide rubber band around the lid. The elastic will help you get a good grip, and provide a bit more cushioning for your hands.
