Kitchen Hacks, Tips & Tricks

Tomato sauce by nature has some acidity but too much of it can be overwhelming and it can mean the difference between a delicious pasta dish versus a sour one so I use this cooking hack every single time to make sure my tomato sauce always has the best taste possible. Yes, I add sugar and I stand by it. Instructions Step 1: Once you are done preparing your tomato sauce meaning all the vegetables, meat, seasoning including salt have been added, mixed and cooked throughout, taste your sauce to determine if it is sour. Step 2: If the tomato sauce tastes sour, you will need to add sugar to it but the amount of sugar will depend on the amount of sauce you have. Step 3: The best way to handle it is by adding a very small amount of sugar, mix and taste the sauce. Repeat this step until your sauce no longer tastes sour. If you feel you added too much sugar and your sauce now tastes too sweet, add a little salt to break the sweetness. It’s all about the balance.

Are you a bread lover like me? Do you love a good sandwich on a French baguette or Cuban roll but do not want to be eating all those carbs? If so, this is the right trick for you. Some people might think it’s silly but it really works because your brain thinks you are eating the entire bread so you feel satisfied when in reality you are eating mostly the outside crust. Instructions Only One Step: Open the bread that you will be using to make your sandwich and remove the inside of the bread. The amount you remove is the amount you prefer to avoid eating.  The end result is a sandwich that is leaner with less carbs.  

I am sure there are many ways to cut open an avocado and remove the pit but here I’ll show you the way I do it which I learned it from my Peruvian family.  Instructions Step 1: Rinse a fresh avocado and dry it with a paper towel. Step 2: On a cutting board, slice the avocado lengthwise around the pit. Step 3: Then slightly twist the avocado to separate the two halves. Step 4: Carefully to avoid waste, use a tablespoon to scoop the pit out of the avocado by running the spoon under and around the pit. Once the pit is out, you can use the avocado for whatever you need. You can scoop the entire avocado half to slice it for salads or other dishes. You can also scoop it in small parts or smash it for sandwiches.  There are a million ways to eat avocado so have fun with it!