Secret #9: Cooking Tips from Diane Mohilef

I attended a cooking class this morning and wanted to share a few tips I picked up from chef Diane Mohilef:

• Marinate skirt steak in baking soda and water overnight, rinse and dry.  Then soak in a canola/olive mixture with garlic and rosemary for a result that’s as tender and delicious as a Kobe steak.
• Cut and julienne fresh basil and keep in an airtight container.  This will keep it fresh for over a week as opposed to keeping it in the original plastic container.
• Refrigerate your onions prior to cutting them to reduce the burn and tears.
• Use a Microplane to grate garlic cloves for perfect garlic spread.
• When cutting a leek, cut off the top and roots, slice in half and quarters and chop before rinsing in a colander. This will save you lots of prep time.
• Spray your garnish and plate decorations with cooking spray to keep them shiny and beautiful all party long.

by Mandy Ellen, via Diane Mohilef