Helpful Kitchen Hints

Jan. 4 -- Sara Moulton is Good Morning America’s “kitchen aid.” She’s got clever fixes for common cooking catastrophes.

Last time she was on the show, she taught us to cut cheesecake with dental floss and to keep brown sugar soft with foil. And she has come up with some more tips. And GMA is asking you to e-mail us your tips.

Here are tips from Sara:

1. Freeze leftovers in ice cube trays. For example, if you open a bottle of wine, a can of tomato sauce or a bottle of pesto and only use a small amount, freeze them for later use.

2. Run a knife around the edges of a cheesecake when it comes out of the oven to prevent cracks from forming.

3. Liquefy onions in a blender before adding to your tomato sauce so kids won’t see the onion and will eat them. You can use a blender, a food processor, or any chopper you prefer.

4. Soak fish in milk half an hour before cooking to remove iodine taste and fishy smell. To remove the flavor or taste out of the shrimp or fish you bought, soak it in milk for about a half hour before cooking.

5. Bake a double crusted pie with two strands of spaghetti sticking up in it to absorb any excess liquid. Let the top part of the spaghetti stick up a few inches. When the pie bakes, if there is any excess liquid inside of it, the liquid will climb up the spaghetti instead of pouring out the of the sides or the top.

6. Remove hot chili burns from your skin by rubbing your hand with half a tomato. Try to use gloves when working with hot jalapenos or habaneros, but it will still get on your hands, so the tomato helps.

7. Stick a wooden spoon handle into hot oil. If it bubbles around the handle, it is ready.

8. Cook bacon on a meat rack in a roasting pan for 20 minutes at 350 degrees to allow greases and oils to drip below. The oil will drip to the bottom it provides for perfect bacon (and crispness) every time.

9. Microwave a lemon for 20 seconds and you will triple the amount of liquid you can get out of it and make it very easy to squeeze.