Cooking Tips

A cupcake that can induce amorous feelings, chocolates in the shape of lips and the Taj Mahal, and a heart-shaped sandwich are what bakers and chocolatiers are lining up for their customers for Valentine’s Day Feb 14.

1. Preserve the nutrients and colors in veggies. Cook them quickly by steaming or stir-frying.
2. Use herbs, vinegar, tomatoes, onions and/or fat-free or low-fat sauces or salad dressings for better health, especially if you have high blood pressure orhigh cholesterol.

Though much of my knowledge of cooking is rooted in my mother, there were certainly trials and tribulations along the way. Mistakes were made, sometimes big and sometimes small, but each shortcoming taught me a lesson.

My pet peeve is when people say I’m not good at cooking. This isn’t an accurate statement in the least because cooking is a learning activity. That is–you learn from every meal that you make. You learn to make food better each time. You learn to be even more particular about the way you put a recipe together or the way that you read a recipe you got from someone else. There’s no shame in any of it. It should be fun, but you can’t learn anything when you’re not cooking. Even still, shortcuts here and there can make all the difference in the world.