It seems incredibly simple, so much so that you would think I wouldn’t have to write it up. However, I’ve seen plenty of people that do not know how to properly boil an ear of corn, so here goes. Shuck the ear of corn, removing all the outer leaves and all of the silk. Break off any of the stalk that may still be on the end. Fill a large pot with enough water to completely cover the corn to be cooked. Bring the water to a boil and add the ears of corn to the pot. Boil for five minutes, not one second more. Remove and enjoy. For a properly cooked ear of corn, butter and salt is very optional.

I have to thank my friend and blog reader Rob Haines for this tip. I’ve previously posted my recipe for Beer Can Chickenand it turns out that this is also my favorite method for roasting a chicken as well. Instead of using a beer can (it takes a 16 ounce can to do it properly) I purchased this upright chicken roaster from Weber that allows you to pour beer inside and props up the chicken. It is conceptually the same as using a beer can. An upright chicken allows the fat to drip out and provides even cooking all around the bird. The liquid in the beer center of the bird helps to keep the meat moist and succulent.

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When making a burger, use your fingers to make a dimple in the center of the patty. Since meat expands when heated, it will make the cooked burger a uniform thickness all the way around. This goes for all meats including beef, turkey, pork and lamb.

I know, I know. Peeling garlic is a real PITA. If you don’t know that acronym, look it up. However, some methods are easier than others. The easiest I’ve found so far is to take the flat side of a large knife and whack the garlic clove hard. Then just grab the papery outer skin shake out the now partially crushed clove of garlic. Works great as long as your not trying to use the cloves whole.

I am totally shocked at the number of people that don’t know how to make a good cup of coffee with their coffee brewing apparatus. If you’re one of the people that have graduated to a French Press then you already know what you’re doing (mostly). If however, you have the coffee maker sitting on the kitchen counter, this is for you.

There are only a couple of things you have to do right in order to make a good cup of coffee. First, start by filling the coffee maker with cold water. Second, only measure 1 tablespoon of coffee for every two cups of water in the coffee maker. That means if a full pot is 12 cups of water, you only use 6 tablespoons of coffee in the filter. Speaking of filters, use unbleached filters, they are more environmentally friendly. The final thing is to let the pot fully brew before grabbing a cup.

If you are serving a chilled wine on a hot day, freeze a bunch of grapes to use as ice cubes. They won’t melt down and dilute the wine or otherwise change the flavor and are a completely edible garnish.

When melting cheese, you should bring the cheese to room temperature before attempting to melt. Also, it should be melted over low heat to prevent toughening and to keep the oils and other liquids from separating.

When grilling meat, use tongs to flip the meat, not a fork. A fork will poke holes in the meat, leaving nice places for the juice to run out. This will in turn make your meat dry and tough.

When measuring sticky substances for a recipe such as honey or maple syrup, coat the measuring spoon or cup with oil before measuring the sticky substance. It will pour out easily with nothing left behind.

A roast with the bone in will cook faster than one with no bone. The bone allows heat to travel to the center of the cut faster.