More of my grandma’s list of quick kitchen cooking aids over the years. I know almost any grandmother or mom had figured these out over the years. However, for the beginners working in the “new Normal” these may be of assistance. Namaste, The Queen Cronista

 “Any time that a recipe calls for water, I always use chicken broth instead. It makes just about anything taste richer, more complex, and better.”

 “Add a little bit of soy sauce to your tuna or chicken salad. It gives it that extra salty tanginess. I worked at Jimmy John’s for a while and that was their secret. I’ve been making mine this way for 10 years now, and I could never go back.”

 “I substitute half of the sugar I put into boxed cookie, cake, and cupcake mix for a packet of Jello vanilla pudding powder. It keeps baked goods super soft and moist for days.”

 “Most people use overripe bananas for banana bread, but I have another great trick. I freeze the overripe bananas first, then I thaw them when it’s time to bake. Freezing them first somehow makes them taste even sweeter.”

 “Crack an egg into your mashed potatoes when they’re almost ready. Forget about cream and butter, the secret to super creamy mashed potatoes is adding an egg into the mix. (It works for pasta carbonara so why not for mashed potatoes?). The heat of the mashed potatoes cooks the egg so it’s safe to eat, but imparts a delicious richness.”

 “For mac ‘n’ cheese that stays creamy even after it’s been refrigerated, add some cream cheese when you’re making the sauce. You can’t even taste the cream cheese, but the sauce stays moist and thick instead of being totally absorbed into the pasta.”

 “Use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth to cook any grains that don’t need to be strained like quinoa, rice, couscous, etc. It makes them taste so much more flavorful than simply cooking them in water.”

“Add a bit of mayonnaise to your beaten eggs before scrambling them or making an omelette or quiche. It adds volume and makes them light and fluffy.”

 “Adding a pinch of baking soda to grits or polenta cuts the cooking time in half. It’s my favorite dinner time-saver.”

“Substitute some of the liquid in your waffle batter with seltzer or another carbonated beverage like ginger ale. It’s the key to the the fluffiest, airiest waffles ever.”