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Making your own sprinkles is easy, and cutting into them is a true ASMR experience. Listen at the 9-second mark to hear it for yourself. The sprinkles are made with simple ingredients: powdered sugar, vanilla extract, corn syrup, water, and food coloring. The best part is making them into whatever shapes and colors you like, and decorating your doughnuts, cookies, cupcakes, and more with truly unique sprinkles. Sprinkle Recipe: 1 ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons room temperature water 1 ½ tablespoons light corn syrup ½ teaspoon vanilla extract food coloring

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cutting board on top of green dish towel on wood counter
Use a damp towel to keep your cutting board from moving around.Uloog/Shutterstock
  • I have been a chef for many years and have picked up some tips for home cooks.

  • You can keep your cutting board in place with a damp towel.

  • Some dishes need butter, while others need an acidic touch.

Even though professional kitchens aren't for everyone, there are tips and tricks I learned in cooking school that often come in handy.

The most helpful tips to take your at- home cooking game to the next level are listed below.

Use a damp napkin or towel to keep your cutting board in place

Put a damp paper or dish towel underneath your cutting board to keep it stable.

This trick will keep the board in place if it is wood or plastic.

Prep everything that you can in advance

Hands cracking eggs into a bowl with already cracked eggs
Many restaurants crack eggs ahead of time.Mikel Allica/Shutterstock

The more you prepare, the more time you have to relax and cook.

If you are having people over for breakfast, you can keep your eggs in a container with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge. Most restaurants cook scrambled eggs the day before.

scallions and greens can be washed, sliced, and wrapped in paper towels or kept in an ice bath until used.

Keep your knives sharp

A sharp knife is a safe and effective tool, but dull ones can slip off food and cause injuries.

You can buy tools to make your knives sharper.

Salt each component of your dish

Gray bowl of salt on white countertop
Don't just salt the final plate.Hector Gomez Photography/Getty Images

The whole will also taste great if the parts taste good.

Salt each component of your dish, not just the finished product.

Use water to thin sauces or soups

If your soup is too thick or your sauce is too dry, simply turn on the tap.

Most restaurants serve water. So can you if they can do it.

You can always put more but you have to add a little bit at a time.

Be mindful about which oils and fats you choose to cook with

Some fats are created differently. If butter and olive oil burn at high temperatures, use a vegetable oil.

If you want to use butter, you can either clarify it or remove the milk solids to keep the flavor high and the risk of burning low.

Don't wait to boil your pasta water

Boiling pot of water and pasta on stovetop
You can multitask while the water boils.Sviluppo/Shutterstock

If you want to make pasta, make sure the pot of water is filled up and on the stove.

The water is boiling so everything else can be done.

Add butter to dishes like risotto at the end

The secret to a risotto that tastes good is butter, since it adds creaminess and tones down the acidity.

Add a pat of cold butter to a saucepan and stir until the mixture is thick and emulsified.

Add the fat to your meal at the end to make the most of it.

On the other hand, some meals may need an acidic touch

person squeezing lemon over a spoon on top of a bowl of food
Lemon is acidic.ffolas/Shutterstock

Acid may be the solution to your boring sauce.

Just a splash can make all the difference.

Don't overmix your batters

If you want the fluffiest pancakes and lightest cakes, mix all of the ingredients together.

Don't worry about the leftover lump. Those light-as-air baked goods will be a reality if they absorb and hydrate into the batter as it cooks.

Let meat and fish rest at room temperature before cooking it

It's a good idea to remove meat and fish from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to make it cook more evenly.

You can rest your meat on a paper towel to encourage an evenly cooked finished product.

Make sure you're properly using your oven's racks and settings

Several full muffin tins in the oven
You should use the middle rack for baked goods.Fatma_qatar/Getty Images

You should not cook everything in your oven the same way.

Roast veggies at high heat on the bottom rack for the most browning, and finish dishes under the broiled look.

If you want to bake, you should cook everything in the middle so the heat is evenly distributed.

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