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temperature, butter and eggs bond and create

an emulsion that traps air. While baking, the air

expands, which creates a light and airy texture. In

addition, butter and coconut oil become harder

when combined with cold ingredients, as they are

saturated fats. If a recipe calls for melted butter or

coconut oil, and you whisk it with a cold egg, the fat

will solidify. I suggest taking ingredients out of the

refrigerator at least 30 minutes and ideally 1 hour

before baking. If you’re short on time, microwave

butter in 10 second intervals until just malleable

but not melted or place eggs in a bowl of lukewarm

water for 10 minutes.

Cooling Before Storing: No matter the recipe, I

highly recommend allowing it to cool completely,

uncovered, before storing in a sealed container,

whether on the counter, in the refrigerator, or

in the freezer. Any bit of residual heat will cause

condensation inside the container, which will make

your food mushy.

Tips for Freezing Food: Here are my tested tips and

tricks for using your freezer to your advantage.

Ensure that your freezer temperature is set to 0º F.

Freeze fruits, vegetables and soups in sealable plastic bags.

Use a silicone muffin pan or ice cube trays to freeze sauces. Once frozen, pop out the chunks, and store in a sealable plastic bag in the freezer.

If you plan for an item to be in the freezer for more than one week, double bag or wrap in plastic wrap before placing in the bag.

Label all your freezer bags with the name of the food and the date you froze it.

Thaw food in the refrigerator, not at room temperature, to avoid the possibility of harmful bacteria.

Freeze leftovers in individual portions, so you can grab exactly the amount you need without thawing the entire casserole or pot of soup. Plus, it takes less time to defrost and you don’t have to pack lunch!

Cooking Terms

Simmer versus Boil: When a liquid simmers, you will

see very small bubbles around the edges, but not in the

middle. When a liquid boils, you will see large rapidly

forming bubbles all over the surface of the liquid.

Mince versus Dice versus Chop: Starting with the

smallest, mincing, you will create tiny pieces (about

⅛ inch). Mincing is usually used for garlic, ginger,

and jalapeño. Dicing creates 1⁄4-inch pieces. Chopping

refers to ½-inch pieces or larger, and sometimes is a

more rough chop with pieces that aren’t necessarily

uniform. If ingredients are to be puréed, they can

often be roughly chopped.

Sauté: To sauté food means to cook it in a bit of fat

over medium to high heat while stirring.

Deglaze: To deglaze a pan, you add a bit of liquid

(often water or stock) to the pan after foods have

been sautéed to loosen and scrape up any browned

bits of food stuck to the bottom of the pan. This adds

flavor and richness to the dish.