Get these great kitchen safety tips
from celebrity chefs, from never using tea towels to kicking out the dog.

Celebrity chefs like Delia Smith share their favorite kitchen tips, from how to cut onions without crying, or boil eggs without cracking. All are remarkably easy to follow — and best of all, come with a scientific explanation on why it works.

Ellie Krieger, a celebrity chef who specializes in healthy, nutritious meals, shares this delicious recipe for Grilled Chicken Caesar. This is just one of the many recipes she demonstrates on her show on the Food Network — a must for any person embarking on the seemingly hopeless task of getting a bikini ready body in the next few weeks. Get more ideas from her website, Healthy Living with Ellie Krieger.

Ingredients

1/4 cup pasteurized egg product
1 clove of garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups coarsely torn romaine lettuce
2 cups of baby spinach leaves
2 cups of whole-grain croutons
4 grilled chicken breast halves (about 4 ounces each), sliced

Steps

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg product, garlic, anchovy paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice. Slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking the whole time. Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, toss the dressing with the lettuce and spinach until well coated. Add the croutons and toss to combine. Divide the salad onto 4 plates and top each plate with grilled chicken slices.

Bethenny Frankel is a celebrity chef who focuses on “natural food.” She is one of Hollywood’s favorite nutritionists, having created healthy meals for SheParis Hilton, Mariska Hargitay, Brooke Hogan, Alicia Silverstone and Michael J. Fox. Her book “The Thin Book - The 25 Rules to Being Thin, Without Dieting” includes tips on working with your natural eating preferences while making smarter, more sensible choices.

For example, Alicia Silverstone has a strict vegetarian diet. Paris Hilton eats whatever she wants, but in controlled quantities, stopping when satisfied. It’s a “Taste everything. Eat nothing” principle where “food is not the enemy.” Mariska Hargitay of “Law and Order” leans towards Mediterranean food, and only follows one rule — no preservatives.

The lesson? Find a diet that works for you.

Gordon Ramsay says that the true test of any cook is how he or she can scramble eggs. Check out this blog with tips and a video demonstration.

Ted Allen from Top Chef gives a fun, thorough and easy-to-follow video on how to cook a bone-in-shoulder. “The secret,” he says, “is to cook it long and slow.” It’s worth the wait. That roast looks heavenly!
Plus, it takes just minutes to marinate, and you can go on with the rest of your life while the food cooks.

Ming Tsai teaches you everything from how to fillet a salmon to opening a bottle of wine in his free podcasts. While many of the tips are geared towards beginners, even the experienced kitchen diva will enjoy the show. Why? Because… he’s kinda cute.

Italian chefs always have a signature pasta dish, and this is one of Roberto Donna’s favorites. It’s delicious, gourmet enough to serve guests, but fuss-free for days when you’re too tired from holiday shopping to cook.

One of the most popular chefs in the Washington DC area, Donna actually hails from Italy, and aims to teach what “real” Italian food is (as opposed to the watered-down stuff they sell at steakhouses).

Serve this dish with a Pinet Noir, he suggests, and a bowl of light chicken broth.

Ingredients
1/2 loaf Italian bread, crust removed and sliced (preferably day old bread)
1 onion, very thinly sliced
6 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, peeled, quartered, seeds removed, and thinly sliced
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, quartered
1 bunch basil, shredded
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Soak the bread in cold water for 15 minutes. Then, in a separate container, soak the onion in water as well (place on paper towels when done).

Mix celery, cucumber, tomatoes, basil and onion. Throw in the the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the bread and toss well to combine.

We mean that in a good way.

This is Rachael Ray’s recipe for spiced nuts, taken from Food Network which hosts her show. If you’re making this in bulk buy nuts from the market.

Ingredients

2 cups walnut halves
1 cup peeled hazelnuts
1 cup whole unsalted cashews
1 cup whole pecan halves
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon ground anise
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
1 cup smoked almonds (recommended: Diamond Smokehouse almonds)

What’s Next

Toast nuts in a pan. This usually takes 7 minutes but use your nose as your judge. Transfer to a plate when done. Then, melt butter in the pan, adding your spices. Pour back the nuts. You’re done!

Celebrity chefs have huge pantries at their disposal—but what’s the one ingredient they can’t live without? Six of them share their secret.

Clarissa Dickson-Wright: Heinz tomato soup. She also depends on chicken stock, but prefers to make her own. For regular blokes, she says, “”There’s a place for the stock cube in every kitchen.”

Richard Corrigan: Organic Swiss vegetable bouillon. This is something he only uses at home, since he makes his own stock from scratch in the kitchen.

Antony Worrall Thompson: ketchup, worcester sauce and anchovy essence

Delia Smith: Sainsbury’s fresh bolognese and freshly made gnocchi. “This is a total cheat - but utterly gorgeous”

James Martin: Supermarket’s own-brand fresh stock. “It’s my favourite thing at the moment. It makes a great sauce”

Sam Stern: Marmite. “The best shortcut for stock is having the real thing around in your freezer whenever you want it”