I need your wild and crazy cooking tips?

if you ever add too much salt to a soup/stew/broth…just add some potatoes and boil for 15 min…the potatoes will absorb all of the extra salt!!!

For fluffier omelette's add a pinch of baking soda.

When a recipe calls for eggs, always break them in a separate bowl. (A bad egg can ruin other ingredients!)

Sorry but I couldn't think of anything particularly wild and crazy that I do, but what did come to mind was cooking trivia questions. I did a web search for cooking trivia and these are only the first four I came across. Looks like some interesting stuff in some of it

After you have used a stick of margarine or butter, save the wrappers and put in a ziploc bag and throw in the freezer. The next time one of your recipes call for greasing a cake pan,etc. pull out one of these wrappers and use it for that purpose. It works great and is economical too!!

Old wives' tales? Maybe. Lower uncooked eggs into a bowl of water. If the egg settles horizontally, the egg is fresh enough for human consumption. If it settles vertically, feed it to the dog. If it rises to the top, feed it to the hydrangeas.

Make your own CELERY SALT for a fraction of what you'd pay at the store. Dry celery leaves thoroughly, crush to a powder or rub them through a sieve and mix with salt.

DID YOU KNOW THAT BAKING POWDER loses its potency when stored for too long? We recommend keeping it in a cool cabinet for not longer than 12 months. If not sure whether it's still good, try this test: Stir 1 teaspoon baking powder with 1/3 cup hot tap water–if the mixture bubbles vigorously, the powder is still active; if the bubbling action is weak or nonexistent, the powder has lost its leavening power and should be replaced.
BAKE A HEART-SHAPED CAKE FOR VALENTINE'S DAY–EVEN WITHOUT A HEART-SHAPED PAN! Here's how: Prepare batter for your favorite 2-layer cake from mix or from scratch, then bake 1 layer in an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan, the second layer in the same-size square cake pan. Arrange the square layer on cake plate, diamond- fashion; cut the round layer in half to form 2 semi-circles; place, cut edges in, on upper sides of square layer, as shown in diagram above, to form a heart (trim with knife, if uneven). Frost and decorate as desired.

WHEN MEASURING INGREDIENTS TO ADD to those already in bowl, never hold the measuring spoon or cup over the bowl–one slip of the hand, and your recipe can be ruined by too much salt, pepper, sugar, salad oil, etc.

FOOLPROOF TIPS FOR VELVETY SMOOTH CHEESE SAUCE: Keep heat on low when adding cheese to a sauce mixture. Cooking cheese at too high a temperature or cooking it too long can make it tough and stringy. Cheese will melt more quickly if it's cut into small pieces or grated. Add the cut-up cheese to the sauce at the very end of cooking time, stirring constantly until cheese is melted, sauce is smooth.

After you pour cake batter into a baking pan, gently tap the bottom of the pan on the countertop. This makes air bubbles to come to the surface for a more even texture.

If you don't have a mallet to tenderize meat, you can use a spaghetti spoon, a metal one works best.

Every Pampered Chef party I have attended has been a great learning experience. I love the recipes in the brochures. Maybe you can incorporate tips with the different types of supplies you are selling.

Not everyone cooks using alcoholic beverages so here are a few ideas for substitutions for alcoholic beverages in recipes. Best of luck with your new cooking adventures!

White Wine substitutes in recipes
Apple or carrot juice
Vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon white grape juice

Red Wine substitutes in recipes
1/2 cup grape juice with 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup water and 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Beef or chicken stock

Champagne substitutes in recipes
Ginger ale, sparkling grape juice

Brandy substitutes in recipes
Apple, peach, pear or white grape juices

Marsala substitutes in recipes
Orange, peach or pear juice

Orange Liqueur substitutes in recipes
Frozen orange juice concentrate

Beer substitutes in recipes
Chicken, beef broth, or ginger ale

I sold Pampered Chef - it was a blast!!!! This is a great idea, btw.

One thing I loved to do was to show the power of that little paring knife with the white handle - it costs $1.00 or something like that. I usually sold a ton of them because I told the guests that I used it for everything. Literally, I still keep one in the car. I used to keep 3 or 4 at work when I had a desk job. I always keep one in the gardening stuff for cutting twine, etc. You can buy these as favors and people LOVE getting one of these at a party as a gift.

The best thing to do is to have every single tip take you right back to a product. Talk about the lifetime guarantee on the pots and pans and add a line like "and that's a good thing to know if I ever have to throw one of these suckers at my husband!" My friend actually DID throw her small sauce pan at her husband, dented it, and got a new one.

Every product has a tip. The liquid/solid measureing tool - if you are measuring peanut butter or kayro syrup, spray it with nonstick spray first - helps the gunk slide out.

Also - start cooking with your stuff. Use those stones and everything else in your kit! If they are used, they will be more believable to your customers.

Have fun and good luck! You are going to love it.