• It is fine to wash mushrooms. Just don’t soak them forever.
• You don’t need gallons of water to cook pasta; you just need a little more than the pasta will absorb.
• You can start to fry things in cold oil or other fat. Just not deep frying.
• You don’t need to chill most cookie doughs before rolling. Roll first, cut out or shape, and then chill before baking.
• You don’t have to use a cake tester to tell if your baked goods are ready. Put your ear down and listen to them. They will slow down their little pops as they finish baking just like popcorn slows down its popping.
• You can make soft creamy scrambled eggs without cooking forever over low heat. Heat pan to medium high, pour in prepared eggs, and immediately remove from heat, stirring constantly until they reach the consistency you like, probably no more than a minute or two, depending on how many eggs you are cooking.
• Risotto can be made in an oven with almost no stirring and have the same creamy texture as that cooked on the stovetop.
• For most recipes, the depth of flavor you get from slicing, mincing, or pureeing garlic will not vary much.
• You can cook meat and poultry that haven’t thawed completely. You just have to cook them longer and rely on a thermometer to tell you when they have reached the right temperature.
• Pie crusts and shortbread cookies can be made in the food processor rather than cutting in by hand. There is no discernible difference.
• You can freeze onions as long as you use them for cooking, not in salads. Once the tears are flowing, you might as well chop a lot!

More later.