Yesterday while walking a friend through the process of making the corn maque choux recipe, she thought I should share a few tips I have found helpful while cooking.

1. When peeling an onion to dice, cut off both ends, then stand the onion up on one of the flat ends. Cut the onion in half before peeling each half.
2. Cut off a thin slice of the bottom of a tomato to stablize it for slicing.
3. Buy a box of latex-free gloves for use when peeling shrimp, chopping hot peppers or handling protein.
4. Stock up on sandwich, quart and gallon-sized storage bags. Those are very useful for freezing extra diced onion for later use, or chicken breasts or thighs in appropriate servings. i.e. A single person may freeze two pieces together (dinner and lunch), whereas a family of 2 may have four pieces per bag.
5. Lightly sprinkle seasoning on a dish to allow even distribution.
6. When searing fish or other proteins, allow the pan to get hot with the oil to get the best sear or color on your meat.

As before, feel free to share your thoughts, or any other tips you have found useful that others may as well.