Favorite random kitchen tips

As I've said, I'm no professional chef, but I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. These little, simple pointers- garnered from watching others cook, cooking with friends, reading cookbooks, and my own trial and error- have become crucial in my cooking and make me look like I really know what I'm doing! Hope you'll find them helpful as well:

-Don't be afraid to really salt your food. Do you see how much salt the professional chefs on Food Network use? They will often grab a mini handful from a dish and sling it right in there! Salt will really help bring out the flavor of you food, don't be afraid of it.

-When you make pizza (whether homemade or frozen), allow it to sit out and rest for at least five, even 10 minutes. I used to cut into my pizza straight out of the oven, and the juices would run everywhere, taking with it a lot of the flavor and wonderful oils. Letting it rest allows the cheese to firm up a bit, keeping all the yummy flavor in.

-When making scrambled eggs, add in 1-2 TBL of sour cream instead of using milk. Your eggs won't be runny, but more fluffy and with an added zing.

-Ice cream tastes better when it is soft. Let it sit out and soften for at least five, even 10 minutes before you scoop it. If you don't believe me -test it out yourself. Try the ice cream rock hard out of the freezer and taste it again after its really softened up. The flavors are better and the ice cream feels better in your mouth when its really softened up.