1. Stack Like the ProsChefs often arrange their refrigerators based on whether foods are ready to eat. Items like salads or dips are kept on top, and raw meats go on the bottom, where it’s usually coldest.
2. Invest In BinsClear containers are great for corralling things and keeping your fridge tidy. We love using them to hold packaged raw proteins; this helps prevent leaks and avoid cross contamination.
3. Learn To LabelUse masking tape and a permanent marker to easily and inexpensively note when items are opened or purchased so you’ll know how long you have to consume them.
4. Ditch the DoorMilk and eggs stay fresh longer on the middle shelves, which are consistently cooler than the door. Place your condiments there instead.
5. Stock Like a Grocer If you have multiples of the same product (who can resist a BOGO sale?), place the ones that expire sooner toward the front so you grab those first.
More frequently than you think—though it does depend on how they are used. If you’re cleaning up messes involving raw meat, they should be washed immediately. When you’re drying dishes, they should be changed out regularly—daily, if possible. It’s also more sanitary to have a separate cloth reserved for hand drying that you replace every week.
Scrubbing cooked-on grease and grime is a task no one enjoys. You could use a baking sheet to catch drips, but FitFabHome Non-Stick Liners are durable, can be reused, and go under exposed elements in electric ovens or on the lower rack of other models. The mats are easy to hand-wash in the sink. $14/set of three; amazon.com
by ALANA AL-HATLANI
ILLUSTRATIONS: KENDYLL HILLEGAS; PRODUCT: ROBBY LOZANO
Like many things, this all-purpose cleanser was discovered by accident. In 1882, chemist George William Hoff man was cooking rhubarb and realized that the spring favorite left his pan shinier. He set out to explain the reaction and found that the natural oxalic acid in the vegetable helped break down tarnish, rust, and lime stains. He developed a product using his findings and sold it as a polish for brass rails. Appreciative tavern owners called it “Bar Keepers Friend.” Here are four unexpected ways to use it.
■ Buff scratches off dishes.
■ Clean gunked-up grill grates.
■ Remove sticky label residue.
■ Erase scuff marks on sneakers.
COOK OF THE MONTHAnnie BradleySMITHFIELD, NORTH CAROLINASignature dish: “Baking is my jam, so I tend to bring more dessert items than meals. My go-to pick is Oreo Truffles.” Favorite food to cook: “I was born and raised in the South, so I love making family recipes and am converting my husband to Southern food...one dish at a time.” Proudest moment in the kitchen: “It has to be New Year’s 2013. This was right after my dad passed, and no one was in the mood to celebrate the holidays. We had skipped Christmas, but I was determined to get us back to feeling better and start the year off right. I hosted my mom, my sister, her husband, their son, and my fiancé. I remember staying up late and making individual cheesecakes. It was a great Southern New Year’s Day meal with ham, cabbage, black-eyed peas, and a healing family.”
