Connecticut Chefs Share Their Best Home Cooking & Food Hacks

Martha StewartPhoto byCindy Ord/Getty

Connecticut’s culinary scene has definitely been exciting these days. While many home cooks may enjoy cooking for themselves and their families, there are always little helpful tips & tricks of the trade that can be shared and learned to make life easier. These great ideas from some accomplished Connecticut chefs can definitely make your culinary experience in the kitchen much more pleasant.

I'll start with one-time resident of Turkey Hill Farm (for 36 years), located in Westport Connecticut, The lifestyle brand goddess, Martha Stewart. One thing Martha swears by in her pantry is Apple Cider. ''A little bit of sweetness can go a long way in the kitchen. Martha Stewart's favorite way to add sweetness to her food is to incorporate apples. Stewart also pairs the flavors of apples with her pork loin; she loves to stuff her roast with apples, white wine, and butter to impart a boost of autumnal flavors. We can also see apple cider glazed pork in her future,'' as stated on the Tasting Table.

Renowned food science & cooking writer Harold McGee, a native New Englander, says he has a great tip for Hard Boiled Eggs ''To make peeling hard-boiled eggs easier, add baking soda to the water and let them cool in the fridge so the whites firm up. ''McGee suggests adding a half teaspoon of baking soda to a quart of water to make it alkaline, thus making the shells easier to peel off. "It also helps to cook fresh eggs somewhat longer," explains McGee, "to make the white more cohesive, and to allow the white to firm up in the refrigerator before peeling," according to Buzz Feed.

And lastly, is the multi-talented Kathleen Ashmore, aka 'Kat Can Cook' who currently lives in Southport Connecticut, is a professionally trained private chef, former producer & recipe developer for Martha Stewart. She has the best hack on her website for Garlic lovers. She says to mince it and then freeze it.

Here is Kathleen Ashmore's recipe to Mince & Freeze Garlic.

Roll the head of garlic in your palms a few times, this helps the cloves release. Remove each clove and using a large chef’s knife, slice of the small brown root at the end of each clove. It’s not particularly tasty or pleasant to eat.

Using the side of the knife, smash down gently on each clove to loosen the skin. It should practically peel right off. If it doesn’t, give it another smash. Add the garlic cloves to a food processor fitted with a metal blade.

Process in short pulses until the garlic is evenly minced. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides as needed. You can stop when its minced to the size you like… finely minced is most useful to have on hand.

Transfer the garlic to the cavities of an ice cube tray, each will hold about 1 Tablespoon, or scoop into small freezer safe storage bags.