cooking tips

Peanut sauce is good for more than just pad thai, so if you're a fan of the Asian staple, we're highlighting a variety of ways to incorporate the sauce in different dishes. Whether you prefer to make it yourself or buy it at the store, these ideas are sure to help you come up with new, original recipes. In honor of National Sauce Month, check out these five different ways to use peanut sauce:

1. In a wrap: Spice up your next lunch wrap by spreading a thin layer of peanut sauce over the tortilla, then sprinkle crushed peanuts on top for an extra nutty flavor.
2. On a salad: Toss basic peanut sauce over your salad for a sweet, creamy dressing, or give it an extra boost by adding fresh ginger, chopped green onions, and dry-roasted peanuts.
3. For pasta sauce: Before you top your favorite noodle dish with peanut sauce, try thinning it out a bit by mixing it with chicken broth.
4. As a dip: Peanut sauce is the perfect dip for fresh vegetables, crispy tofu, meats, and spring rolls, but you can also venture out with seafood skewers or dumplings.
5. In a marinade: Blend peanut sauce with soy sauce, ginger, onions, and a dash of hot sauce for a delicious meat or vegetable marinade.

What do you use peanut sauce for?

Bobby Flay may have taken top honors at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival's Burger Bash this past weekend, but it was tacos — another category he's well versed in — that he tackled at a cooking demo on Sunday. His passion for the subject quickly became apparent as he made spicy jerk chicken tacos topped with red cabbage slaw and habañero hot sauce as well as an enticing stone crab and orange mojo stunner. He even proclaimed them a perfect food — "you can make anything a taco," he said — later admitting that they're a food he consistently craves, especially "late at night [after he's] had a few cocktails with friends." Here are a few tips and tricks the chef had to impart:

• Prioritize textural contrast: Both of Flay's tacos had a crunchy element: a red cabbage slaw for the jerk chicken and a deep-fried blue corn tortilla for the stone crab. He emphasized waiting until the last minute to dress the slaw so that it would stay crisp.
• Overseason taco fillings. "Otherwise, it's going to be fighting through the tortilla," he said. A bland tortilla can overpower the other components, making for an uninteresting bite.

Keep reading for two more taco tips.

Whether you're partial to Indian curries, homemade chili, warmly spiced granola, or all three, chances are you've accrued quite the spice collection, but do you know how best to store your flavorful bounty? Protect your investment by keeping a few simple guidelines in mind:

• Store spices in airtight containers away from direct heat and sunlight, preferably in a cupboard, pantry, or drawer, so as to avoid damage to their essential oils. If storing spices in a drawer, stock up on a brand whose lid is labeled on top, like Morton & Basset, for easy identification of the contents within, or label the lids yourself. If housing spices in a cupboard or pantry, try a tiered shelf or lazy Susan for the best access.
• When you first crack open a spice jar, make certain to label it somewhere — we typically mark the bottom of the jar — with the date using a permanent marker. This way you'll know when the contents' potency has dulled, avoiding bland, disappointing dishes ahead. Whole spices are typically good for up to three years, while preground should be discarded after one year.

Keep reading for two more indispensable spice storage tips.

Love the texture and flavor of nuts? Then take the time to toast them before adding them to dishes. The difference between regular and toasted nuts is noticeable: a short period of high heat will release the oils within the nuts, enhancing the nutty flavor and the crunchy texture.

If you're toasting a small amount of nuts, a cup or so, use a pan on the stove over medium-high heat. There's no need to add oil to the pan, as the nuts have enough themselves. Be sure to stir them around frequently so they don't burn. If you plan to toast up a bunch of nuts, spread them evenly on a baking sheet and roast them at 350°F for about 15 to 20 minutes. Use your toasted nuts however you want, like tossed in a salad, or just enjoy them on their own. What nuts do you toast?

Copper cookware requires upkeep: just like stainless steel, copper pots can become oxidized and dull with use. To get rid of black spots and restore that glossy, golden sheen, you'll need a powerful cleaning product. While you could scrub the pots by hand, sometimes it's easiest to use a cleaning product that will dissolve the caked-on stuff for you. Take a look at these three copper-cleaning products worthy of a gold (or copper) star.

Bobby Flay has a shining new accomplishment to put under his belt: winner of the Burger Bash people's choice award. The owner of Bobby's Burger Palace shared his elation with the crowd at a South Beach Wine and Food Festival demo yesterday, mostly about dethroning best friend and long-standing winner Michael Symon. "I've endured 36 straight months of razzing from Michael. The next 12 will be bliss . . . I'm going to give it back." Chef Flay also shared tips and his controversial opinions on what does — and does not — belong between two buns.

• Don't even bother with chicken burgers. When asked by an audience member why her chicken burgers never turn out quite right, Flay had a simple, definitive answer: "Don't make them!" Ground chicken breast doesn't work: it's too rubbery and dry. Instead, he offers customers a chicken breast sandwich and turkey burgers to satisfy those in need of a poultry fix.

Keep reading for a deeper glimpse into his burger philosophy.

Blessed with a glut of juicy citrus? Rather than only utilizing half of the precious flavor-enhancing parts of the fruit, zest and juice it, and freeze any extra for later. This is particularly worthwhile with varieties like Meyer lemons that are typically only available for a short window in the Winter.

How to freeze citrus zest: Zest the citrus before halving and juicing the fruit, and stockpile any extra in a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag. The zest will darken in color a bit, and mellow ever-so-slightly in flavor, but it can be substituted 1:1 for fresh. When it comes time to utilize the frozen zest, remove the amount you'll be using for the recipe, let it thaw (or add it directly the recipe), and stash the rest in the freezer for later. If you're a stickler for precision, portion out the zest before freezing — 1 teaspoon is a good place to start — and wrap each teaspoon of zest in bundles of plastic wrap and stow these in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag. After bagging the zest, write on the bag with a permanent marker the type of zest and portion size (if preportioning) for easy reference.

Learn the best way to freeze citrus juice.

Pastry bags are an indispensable tool when it comes to neatly piping cupcake fillings, frosting, icing, and even pâte à choux pastry treats like gougères. That is, if you know a few simple steps that'll transform filling a pastry bag from a messy endeavor to an easy task that requires little cleanup.

To get started, you'll need a pastry bag — a large resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off works in a pinch — a pastry tip (if using), and a pint glass.

1. First, if you're working with a pastry tip, nestle it into place. If you're not, or if you're using a disposable or reusable bag, don't bother snipping off the tip of the bag just yet; that'll come later.
2. Place the pastry bag in the pint glass, pushing the bag's tip down until it hits the bottom of the glass, then fold the top of the bag over the rim of the glass. This way you'll have some wiggle room between the filling and the top of the bag, which makes it far less likely for the filling to overflow when in use.
3. Load the bag to the brim of the glass with your filling, and then unfold the bag and twist it until it's taut and no air bubbles remain. If working without a pastry tip, snip off the tip of the bag and get to work piping!

Bonus: the pint glass makes for a great resting place for the filled bag when not in use.

When you're planning to make s'mores sans a campfire or to caramelize the tops of crème brulée, you'll need a blowtorch. However, this gas-powered flame is a dangerous kitchen tool if you're not careful. Learn the most important blowtorch safety tips.