14 chef tips for restaurant-style cooking at home

Soak raw onions in ice water before adding them to a dish. They will lose some of their sharpness and will not leave an unpleasant odor on your breath.

If coffee is too strong and bitter, add a pinch of salt and a little cinnamon before brewing. It will taste milder and have a pleasant aroma.

Salt salads made with juicy vegetables just before serving; otherwise, the vegetables will release too much liquid.

To keep meat tender when frying, coat the slices in cornstarch and egg white. They will stay juicy and tender.

You do not even need a recipe for cake batter: use as much flour as sugar and as much egg as butter. Measure these proportions by weight, not volume. The weights of the eggs and butter should differ by no more than 20%.

Always add a little salt to dough or batter for baking. Just ½ tsp will bring out the flavor of the other ingredients and spices, regardless of the type of salt.

For a fuller flavor and aroma, stir 1 tsp of peanut butter or mustard into a sauce. This is especially useful for dishes that simmer for a long time.

Add a little vodka to pie dough for a crisp, flaky crust after baking. The alcohol will evaporate during baking, so it will not affect the flavor of the pie. You can also use brandy or rum instead of vodka to give the pie a more pronounced flavor.

Add a pinch of baking soda to iced tea with fruit to neutralize the tannins.

Before roasting meat, pat it dry with a towel, salt it, and place it in a thoroughly heated skillet. Stainless steel or cast-iron skillets work best.

Add a little bread crumbs to ground meat to help meat patties hold their shape and turn out crispier.

Always warm plates in the oven or chill them in the refrigerator before serving to help the food retain its temperature and flavor.

If you do not have corn flour on hand, thicken chili sauce with crushed potato chips. Mix the chips with beer first, then add the spices.

Add a little cornstarch to scrambled eggs or an omelet. They will be fluffier and more tender and will not scorch as easily.