Why hot bread isn't good for you

Always let your bread cool down properly after you take it out of the oven before you eat it, or it can be indigestible.

When it first comes out of the oven, bread is full of moisture from the steam generated during baking.

The more dense the loaf, the longer it will take to cool down, so if you want bread to eat quickly, choose one with a high ratio of crust to crumb.

In scientific terms, the starch molecules in hot bread are tightly grouped together and difficult for the enzymes in our saliva to break down.

This means that they go into the stomach still clumped together, putting the digestive system under pressure and often causing discomfort, which many people mistake for wheat allergy.

How to make & freeze breadcrumb

Fresh breadcrumbs freeze well and are a great way to use up leftover bread.

How to make your own breadcrumbs:
You can use bought breadcrumbs to crumb foods, but if you have a food processor it's easy to make your own. Remove the crusts from day-old white bread slices and cut into cubes. Transfer the cubes to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.

Freezing breadcrumbs:
Once you've made your breadcrumbs, transfer to a sealable plastic bag. Label, date and freeze for up to three months. Place the frozen breadcrumbs in the fridge until thawed, then use instead of bought breadcrumbs in recipes.

Creative crumbing combinations:
Now that you know the basics of crumbing, you can vary the flavours in your coating to create a range of delicious meals. Try these ideas.
1. Add ground spices, such as cumin, paprika or cayenne pepper, to the flour mixture.
A little finely grated cheese, such as parmesan or cheddar, combines well with fresh or dried (packaged) breadcrumbs.

2. Add other flavouring ingredients, such as finely chopped pitted black or green olives, sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped capers or lightly toasted sesame seeds to the breadcrumb mixture.

3. Add finely chopped fresh herbs, such as continental parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and dill, to the breadcrumb mixture. You could also use dried herbs.

4. Add finely grated lemon, lime or orange rind to the breadcrumb mixture. As a guide, lemon rind works well with lamb, veal, chicken and seafood; lime rind is a good match for chicken and seafood; while orange rind is delicious with pork and veal.

5. Instead of breadcrumbs, coat the food with other dried ingredients, such as rolled oats, cornflake crumbs, crushed corn chips, polenta (cornmeal) or cooked couscous.

Masalah kek lapis

Lapisan pertama/bawah sekali, dibakar dengan api atas dan bawah, suhu 180C. untuk gril, bergantung pada jenis oven. Jika brand Europa, tak perlu set suhu. Jika oven lain, 250C untuk 3 minit saja atau hingga permukaannya nampak masak.

Gril bukan api atas. ia memang ada elemen pemanas khas yang akan nampak kemerah-merahan bila ia cukup panas. tin kek lapis di letakkan di floor oven kerana kepanasan pada tahap itu paling sesuai. pastikan gril hanya 3-5 minit. jika terlalu lama, letakkan tin atas rak paling bawah sekali.

lapisan akhir mestilah dibakar dengan api atas dan bawah semula pada suhu 180C. ini untuk memastikan kek masak sempurna. jika tidak, ia tidak tahan lama. bila lapisan akhir nampak keperangan, bolehlah diangkat. selalunya mengambil masa 10-12 min sahaja

How to Buy and Store Chicken

Look for plump birds with smooth, unblemished skin, in secure packaging. When buying birds that are not packaged, buy them from a clean and reputable shop. Do not accept a bird that has changed color or has an unpleasant odor.

It should look slightly pink rather than grey, and it should be slightly warm if it has just been slaughtered. Chicken is highly perishable. Always check the ‘sell-by’ date on the package label.

When buying chicken don’t plan to go anywhere after that – go home directly and refrigerated the chicken immediately. Never leave it in your car for more than 1 hour except in an ice chest.

Chicken is difficult to keep fresh in a home refrigerator, so if you do not plan to cook it within two days of purchase it is wise to freeze it. Promptly discard raw chicken if there is even a hint of an odor.

Rubbing plain (all purpose) flour or lime juice on chicken that has begun to spoil will never make it safe to eat. After handling raw chicken, be sure to wash your hands, countertops, cutting board and knives in hot, soapy water.

Masalah baking

Masalah yang sering dihadapi:

Jarang sekali kita dapat menentukan kenapa kek tidak menjadi seperti pada gambar resipi. Perlu diingat, semua bahan hendaklah ditimbang dengan betul dan gunakan penimbang serta camca penyukat dan acuan tin yang ditetapkan dalam resipi.

Jangan sekali menggunakan cawan kopi atau cawan tetapi gunalah cawan sukatan metrik dan janganlah menggunakan camca teh atau camca makan di rumah tetapi gunalah camca sukatan.

Apabila kek sedang dibakar, jangan sekali-kali membuka pintu ketuhar sebelum tiga suku membakar kerana angin yang berlainan hawa akan membuatkan kek mendap di tengah-tengahnya.

Di bawah disenaraikan masalah lain dan sebabnya.

Kek terlalu lembab dan leper:
- terlampau banyak cecair
- bahan penaik tidak mencukupi atau sudah luput tarikh penggunaannya
- lemak dan gula tidak dipukul secukupnya
- adunan mentega berketul-ketul dan tidak halus

Kek merekah di atas:
- ketuhar terlampau panas atau acuan kek tidak diletakkan di tengah-tengah ketuhar
- kekurangan cecair
- acuan tin terlalu kecil

Kek yang mendap di tengahnya:
- ukuran acuan tin tidak betul
- sukatan bahan tidak tepat
- ketuhar terlalu panas, terlalu sejuk atau dibakar dalam jangka masa singkat
- pintu ketuhar dibuka terlalu awal

Stocking your refrigerator

Fridge Tip #1: Check out expiration dates

The most important thing to remember when stocking a refrigerator is to check the "sell by" dates on ALL perishable items. But it is up to you to check the date.

Fridge Tip #2: Storing eggs & dairy products

The three basics in just about everyone's refrigerator are:

Eggs: Open the carton and check to make sure none of your eggs are broken. It is best to keep eggs stored in their original carton.

Milk: You get to choose between whole milk, 2%, or 1%. The numbers indicate fat content.

Butter: Butter should be kept covered or wrapped, as it does absorb odors.

Fridge Tip #3: Storing other fridge and freezer foods

Some additional (optional) refrigerator staple foods, if you like them, are:

Yogurt
Cottage cheese
Sliced cheese
Parmesan Cheese

Vegetables: A beginning cook can take advantage of the availability of frozen vegetables, many of which are fantastic. Vegetables are often taken at their most ripe and flavorful and fast frozen to preserve taste and color. It is really handy to keep some of your favorites in the freezer. For example, broccolli can be zapped in the microwave in less then five minutes. How can you go wrong?

Fruits: There are quite a few frozen fruits, like peaches, mango, blueberries and strawberries, available at the grocery store. Fast-frozen fruits work really well in smoothies. Toss some frozen blueberries, and strawberries in a blender with some yogurt or milk and you've got yourself a great snack or breakfast!

Bread: Keep a loaf of bread/bagels/English muffins in the freezer. Be sure to use it within about 4-6 weeks. You can put a slice of frozen bread directly into the toaster. It will only take a few extra seconds to toast when it's frozen.

Many foods from the cupboard, once opened, need to be put in the refrigerator. This applies to mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, relish, and pickles. These sorts of condiments will last several months in the refrigerator.

Hormel, a food products company, has a fantastic shelf-life food chart with just about every food in existence listed. It is worth going there to check out how long food will keep in the refrigerator!

Fridge Tip #4: Know your cold and warm spots

The inside of your refrigerator does not have the same temperature everywhere. There is usually a separate bin for fruits and vegetables. These bins are generally not as cold as the main part of the refrigerator.

Neither is the storage space on the door. It is really convenient, though, to store things that are used often on the door.

Do remember foods in both the refrigerator and the freezer are (ultimately) perishable and need to be properly wrapped to make them last. When storing leftovers, they should get wrapped in plastic wrap or tin foil. Most leftovers should be eaten within two days or tossed. No point in taking chances!

How to Buy and Store Onions

The lowly onion has a ton of uses. Did you know that it’s the only basic ingredient found in every single solitary cuisine around the world? It adds a wonderful flavor and a pungent aroma to every recipe it’s in.

When you buy onions, be sure to look for firm onions that are free of cuts and blemishes.

Types
There are two main classifications of onions: the green onion (or scallion) and the dry onion.

Green onions are often eaten raw on salads or used as a garnish.

The dry onions have a juicy flesh and are covered with a dry papery skin. They come in a wide range of sizes, shapes and flavors.

If a recipe just says “chopped onions” buy the “yellow”onions. 88% of all onions eaten are the yellow onion. (It’s not the most original name but it certainly is descriptive!)

Another type of yellow onion is the Vidalia onion which is the sweetest and juiciest of them all.
It looks just like a regular yellow onion, but tastes quite different from the all-purpose onion. Look out for the sign at the grocery store.

Red or purple onions, another example of the dry onion, are often eaten raw or on salads and burgers.

They have a vibrant color and tend to be a bit sweeter than the yellow onion.

Storing Onions

Onions can last for several weeks (if not months) without compromising their taste or nutritional value. However, you must be sure to store them in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place.

Once you cut an onion, wrap whatever portion you don’t use in plastic wrap, and put it in the refrigerator. It will keep about 4 days.

Some onions make you cry like a baby, others seem to have no effect on your eyes.

Unfortunately, you can’t tell in advance which is which, just from looking at the onion. You just have to cut into it and hope for the best.

Peeling the onion under running water can help a little if the onion is really bothering your eyes

You could also try freezing the whole onion for about 20 minutes before you cut into it. That always works for everyone!

10 Tips to a Successful Stir-Fry

The cool thing about stir fry is that it's one of the most flexible meals you can make. You can pretty much toss in whatever combination of veggies, fish or meat that you have in the fridge and you're set!

As straightforward as making a stir fry is, here are some additional tips to get you rolling:

1. If you don't have a wok, don't freak out. You can use a big, flat-bottomed pan that gives the ingredients room to make contact with the heated surface.

2. There are different opinions on how high to keep the temperature, but you can opt for medium high because it gives you a little more time to cook without having to worry that everything will burn.

3. Always let the pan heat for a few minutes before putting ingredients in it. Two or 3 tablespoons of any vegetable oil is all you need, and give the oil at least a minute to heat up, too.

4. Stir-frying is quick and you're throwing things in the pan one after the other, so it's critical to make sure you have the ingredients chopped and at your fingertips. The last thing you want to do is start cutting onions while other ingredients are sitting over high heat.

5. Speaking of chopping, make sure all your ingredients are more or less the same size. A hunk of red pepper is going to take way longer to cook than a tiny minced onion. If you cut everything roughly the same size, it will all cook at about the same rate. Bite-sized pieces work best — you won't even have to use a knife while eating.

6. If your stir fry contains meat, chicken or fish, cook that first and then remove and set it aside on a plate when it's about 80 per cent done. Later, when your vegetables are done, just add your meat back in for the final heating. This will prevent the meat from getting over-cooked, and it will retain the flavor of your meat and not having everything in your stir fry tasting exactly the same.

7. Pay attention to your veggies before tossing 'em into the pan. Cook thicker and harder vegetables first, since they take longer. For example, tomatoes or thin slices of garlic will burn while sturdy carrots and broccoli are taking their time getting tender.

8. The key to stir fry is to keep it moving. Stir your ingredients continually in the pan with a wooden spatula. Veggies will need more tossing than meat, however.

9. Always serve the stir-fried dish immediately, since the bite-sized pieces cool down quickly.

10. You can always cook rice when you are making stir fry, because it complements the meal and gives your veggies and meat a nice bed to sit on. But, if you have no rice available, you will be just fine without it.

How to Cook With Less Mess

Some days you might wonder whether cooking is worth all the effort. Sure, you can put a great meal on the table, but your kitchen can end up looking like a cyclone hit it, with a trail dirty dishes, pots and silverware. You might think to yourself - It’s going to take longer to clean up than to eat!

The key to keeping things tidy while cooking is to clean up as you go.

Here are some tips:

1. Measure ingredients over the sink and put away each ingredient right after you’ve used it, so that the counter isn't cluttered with packages. When making dishes like stir fries, it’s important to get all the ingredients measured and ready before you turn on the stove.

2. If you use a spoon or measuring cup, quickly give it a rinse or stick it in the dishwasher. It’s also not a bad idea to fill one sink halfway with warm, soapy water so you have a place to put used dishes and utensils.

3. Wipe up spills on the counter as they happen. That keeps your counters from turning into a mess that will only be harder to clean up later. Plus, it immediately opens up counter space.

4. Keep a spray bottle of water mixed with dishwashing liquid handy for counter spills.

5. Store often-used ingredients and kitchenware in easy-to-reach places and clean out your kitchen cuboards and refrigerator periodically. Then there's no need to empty an entire cabinet to find what you need.

Use fewer dishes:

1. One way you cut down on mess is by using paper plates to hold ingredients as you prepare them. You might use one to hold chopped onions, for example, then just toss it once they’ve been added to the pot — so there’s nothing to wash.

2. If you need to peel some potatoes or carrots, you do it right over the garbage pail so all the mess goes directly where it’s supposed to. Peeling shrimp? That bag that they came in is exactly where you put the shells and then out it goes without having to use an extra plate.

3. Whenever possible, line baking pans and dishes with tin foil so that you're not stuck scrubbing a stuck-on mess. Tin foil really helps minimize the mess when baking fish, meat or roasting vegetables. If you do end up with a stuck-on mess, soaking the pan or dish in hot, soapy water will make it much easier to clean.

4. On days when you’re really pressed for time, stick to simple meals that don’t require a lot of pots and pans. Look for recipes where all the ingredients are cooked in one pot or dish, like soups, stews and hearty salads.

5. Divide your work: If you’re planning a big meal with lots of courses, decide what you can do the night before. This will minimize the work and mess while you’re juggling a bunch of plates at meal time. If you're serving a green bean casserole, for example, wash, remove the tips and halve the beans the night before. Then leave them sitting in the fridge, until ready to cook them.

Reduce counter-top clutter

1. This makes it much easier to clean up your kitchen. If you have decorative items, a bunch of small appliances, a dish drainer and cooking utensils on your counters, there’s a lot going on! If you’ve got to lift up all that stuff to keep things clean, you’re working too hard. The rule is to have no appliances on the counter (or just one if you use it daily, like the toaster). You only take appliances out when you need them.

2. Don’t like put utensils out in the open, collecting dust and spattered grease. Put your utensils in the drawer closest to your stove, so you have easy access. They don’t have to be on your counter, eating up valuable real estate.

3. If you’ve got a small kitchen, resist the urge to buy a pile of kitchen gadgets. It might seem like high-powered appliances, with all kinds of bells and whistles, will save time in the kitchen. But remember that these contraptions and all their attachments have to be cleaned after each use.

Honey

Nature’s ‘liquid gold’ creates a buzz in the kitchen. Explore different types of honey and their uses.

Honey was the main sweetener before sugar cane was introduced. Well known for its medicinal powers, honey's use in cooking is irreplaceable.

This sweet, sticky, gold liquid is made from the nectar collected by the honeybee from flowers. The bee collects the liquid nectar with its tongue and stores it in the hive. Worker bees add enzymes to the nectar and transfer it to the honeycomb. During this process, water is added and the nectar becomes honey.

Varieties
There are many varieties of honey available, from single-flower sources, such as clover or bluegum, to herb-flower varieties, such as lavender and fennel.

All-purpose regular honey is generally mild-flavoured. It is blended to achieve consistency in flavour, colour and texture.

Leatherwood honey is deep golden and is available in both its natural form and creamed. Unblended leatherwood honey has a unique spicy flavour and smell, quite different from that of regular honey.

Yellowbox honey is widely regarded as Australia's premium honey. It's an all-purpose, mild-flavoured honey, great for sweet baking and savoury glazes, marinades or stir-fries.

Manuka honey is produced from flowers of the manuka bush, which is indigenous to New Zealand. Not only delicious to eat, manuka honey is renowned as a natural remedy for an array of ailments.

Creamed honey is pure honey with nothing added. Its thick, 'candied' texture is due to controlled crystallisation. Packaged creamed honey can be hard to use once it has set in the jar. To soften, microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM (50%) for 20 to 40 seconds.

Honeycomb, one of the purest foods available, contains honey in an edible wax which has immunity-boosting properties.

Cooking

Use a mild honey for pastry cooking. Stronger varieties, such as leatherwood, are good in syrups for poaching fruit. Darker honey, such as clover, suits Christmas puddings, slices and fruit loaves.
To make a quick topping, warm honey and add a little ground nutmeg or cinnamon. Spread over toast, drizzle over pancakes, waffles or ice-cream, or swirl through thick, plain yoghurt.

To make a honey and soy dressing for Asian-style salads, combine 1/3 cup peanut oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, juice from 1 lime, 2 tablespoons honey and 1 crushed garlic clove in a screw-top jar. Secure the lid and shake well.

Yogurt

It’s not just good for you – yoghurt is meant to be enjoyed as a flavour in its own right.

Infamous warrior Ghengis Khan proclaimed yoghurt his 'secret weapon', and kept goatskins full of this fermented strength-giver handy at all times.

Doctors of old considered it an indispensable cure-all. These days, yoghurt's health benefits are a given, and its creamy texture and slightly tangy flavour form the centrepiece of Middle Easternmarinades, Indian curries and Greek dips. And in its many forms yoghurt is also a blissful treat on its own.

Yoghurt is a creamy curd produced when two 'friendly' bacteria (lactobacillus and streptococcus) are added to pasteurised milk from cows, goats or sheep. The bacteria convert the lactose (natural sugar found in milk) into lactic acid, resulting in coagulation, or thickening of the milk.

Varieties

Tub/natural or pot-set yoghurt is produced when the bacteria-inoculated milk and any flavourings are poured into individual tubs. The tubs are left in a warm environment for the active cultures to ferment and 'set' the product. The tubs are then refrigerated and sold in shops and supermarkets.

Natural stirred yoghurt is blended in large vats, allowed to ferment, then packaged and sold. Some stirred yoghurts have thickening agents or stabilisers added to produce the desired thick,creamy product.

Greek-style yoghurt has a thick, almost creamy consistency due to its production method and slightly higher fat content (about 10%). It is the best variety for cooked dishes, such as casseroles, curries and potato or pasta bakes.

Flavoured yoghurt is available in many styles. It contains added sugar or artificial sweeteners to enhance flavour, and stabilisers/thickeners, such as gelatine, to achieve a creamy, almost custard-like texture.

Drinking yoghurt is produced in a similar way to stirred yoghurt. Once cooled, the yoghurt is blended with fruit puree or juice. Soft-serve or frozen yoghurt also starts from a stirred yoghurt base. Sugar syrups, flavours, stabilisers and emulsifiers are added so the product maintains a texture suitable for scooping.

Natural low-fat/reduced-fat yoghurt is made from skim or reduced-fat milk and is available in stirred or tub-set styles. Its texture is softer and slightly grainier than that of full-fat yoghurt.

Cooking

Combine yoghurt with fresh fruit juice and use on cereal instead of milk.

Make your own labna (Middle Eastern soft cheese) by lining a sieve with muslin cloth and placing it over a bowl. Stir a pinch of salt into Greek-style yoghurt. Spoon into muslin. Cover and refrigerate for 48 hours. Discard the whey and roll the 'cheese' in finely-chopped herbs or ground spices. Serve with crackers.

Combine yoghurt with curry paste and use as a marinade for chicken or lamb.

Vanilla

Vanilla has long been popular for its aroma and flavour. Read our guide to what’s available plus quick ideas and recipes.

Vanilla is one of the world's favourite culinary flavours. The beans grow on a tropical orchid of which there are more than 100 varieties.

Vanilla beans
Producing vanilla beans is a labour-intensive process, mainly carried out by hand. Fresh beans are green in colour and have no flavour or aroma. The beans go through a drying and curing process that can take up to 6 months and it's only then that they develop their dark brown/black colour and intense flavour. The inside of the bean or pod contains lots of thick, black sticky seeds. Both the pod and beans are used in cooking. Split vanilla beans can be re-used to make vanilla sugar.

Natural vanilla extract
An extract from vanilla is made by macerating chopped vanilla beans in alcohol. A proportion of the alcohol is then distilled, leaving a thick, strong vanilla solution containing up to 35% alcohol. There are various grades and strengths - tasting them is the best method to determine which you prefer.

Pure vanilla essence
This is made the same way as vanilla extract, using vanilla beans. It has a slightly thinner consistency and not such a strong flavour. As with extract, the quality can vary so check the label to determine what ingredients have been used.
Imitation vanilla essence
This vanilla flavouring is made from all artificial ingredients, one of which is artificial vanillin (no vanilla bean used).

Vanilla sugar
Vanilla sugar is caster sugar that has been flavoured with vanilla. To make your own, take a split vanilla bean after it's been used. Rinse under water then dry on a wire rack. Place into a glass jar filled with caster sugar. Secure lid then stand for at least 1 month.

Storing
All vanilla (beans and liquid) should be stored in airtight jars in a cool, dark, dry place for up to 18 months.

All about yeast

Testing Yeast:
Sugar is used in testing yeast. To test yeast: Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the yeast when stirring it into the water to dissolve. If it foams and bubbles within 10 minutes, you know the yeast is alive and active.

Measuring Yeast:
You do not need to be exact in measuring yeast. Remember it's going to multiply like crazy anyway. A little less is fine; the dough will rise more slowly and may taste better.

IMPORTANT: WASH HANDS AFTER USING BAKER'S YEAST - People who bake bread and fail to wash their hands afterward are at risk of picking up a yeast infection. Baker's yeast is a live organism.

Cook the perfect steak

Rare, medium or well-done? Steak to order is not a problem with these helpful tips.

1. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat before adding the steak (this seals the surface, trapping in juices).
2. Rather than oiling the pan, brush the steak with oil to prevent it sticking.
3. Cook a 2cm-thick piece of steak for 2-3 minutes each side for rare, 4 minutes each side for medium, and 5-6 minutes each side for well-done.
4. Turn the steak only once, otherwise it will dry out. Always use tongs to handle steak as they won't pierce the meat, allowing the juices to escape.
5. To test if your steak is done, press the centre with the back of the tongs. The steak will feel soft if it's rare, slightly firmer and springy when it's medium and very firm when it's well-done.
6. Transfer steak to a plate, cover with foil and set aside for 3-5 minutes to rest. This allows the juices to settle and the muscle fibres to relax, which ensures the steak is tender.

Make thin vegie chips

Thin chips made from potatoes, parsnips or sweet potatoes make a tasty garnish or snack. Here's how to thinly slice them before baking or deep-frying.

Method 1: Use a sharp knife to trim the base of the potato. This helps to keep it stable on the work surface. Use the knife to thinly slice.

Method 2: Run a vegetable peeler down the length of the parsnip from root to tip to thinly slice. This also works well for carrots.

Method 3: Use a mandolin to cut vegies, such as sweet potato, into thin slices. Hold the mandolin over a bowl to catch the slices.

Separate an egg

When making certain dishes, such as mayonnaise and meringues, you have to separate egg yolks from the egg whites. It's a bit tricky (and messy) at first, but once you get the hang of it you'll be eggstatic!

Step 1: Using a single, sharp movement, crack the egg on the side of a bowl, as close to the middle of the shell as possible

Step 2: Hold the egg in both hands and use your thumbs to gently break the shell in half over the bowl. Turn the shells upright and allow the white to fall into the bowl

Step 3: Tilt the shells towards each other and slip the egg yolk from one shell to the other so that any remaining egg white falls into the bowl, taking care not to break the yolk. Continue until only the yolk remains. Tip the yolk into a separate bowl and discard the shells

Note: If you're separating whites for meringues, make sure you don't get any of the yolk in the egg whites as this may prevent them from whisking successfully

Fold ingredient

Learn how to fold with these simple step-by-step instructions.

Step 1: Folding is designed to combine ingredients without knocking air out of the mixture. Start by selecting the utensils you need. Rubber spatulas and large metal spoons are ideal.

Step 2: Add the lighter mixture (such as beaten eggwhites or cream) to the heavier mixture (such as chocolate). Make sure the heavier mixture comes no further than halfway up the mixing bowl to allow plenty of room for folding in the lighter mixture.

Step 3: In a single action, run the spatula or spoon around the side, then along the base, of the bowl. Now fold the mixture over onto itself. Rotate the bowl 90°. Repeat until just combined.

Keep asparagus crisp

Asparagus is at its best in spring and early summer, so here's a simple tip for keeping it fresh for longer.

Stand the spears upright in a glass containing 1-2cm of water, cover with a plastic bag and store in the fridge. If space is an issue, wrap the spears in a clean, damp tea towel and store in the crisper section of the fridge. This way your asparagus spears will stay crisp for up to three days.

Before using, snap or cut off the woody ends, then steam, boil, stir-fry or bake asparagus for 3-4 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp.

Hull strawberries

The hull or calyx is the green leafy top of the strawberry, which is generally removed before cooking or serving.

Step 1: Angle a small sharp knife and cut, in a circular motion, around the green leafy top of the strawberry and into the pale flesh directly underneath

Step 2: Remove the hull and discard. Wash strawberries thoroughly under cold running water before using

Cut mango cheeks

Love mango but don’t like wearing it? Follow these steps and you can enjoy this juicy fruit without getting sticky.

Step 1: Hold the mango in a vertical position and use a small sharp knife to cut down either side of the stone to remove the "cheeks".

Step 2: Hold a mango cheek, skin-side down, in the palm of your hand and use a small sharp knife to cut the flesh in a diamond pattern (taking care not to cut all the way through).

Step 3: Turn the cheek inside out and cut the cubes from the skin. Repeat with the remaining cheek and use as required.