That’s “ghee” with a hard “g” and silent “h”. Ghee is clarified butter or butter that has been cooked and strained to remove all water. With the same buttery taste, ghee has a higher smoke point (482º F compared to butter’s 302º) making it the perfect cooking oil. Ghee is also good for those with dairy sensitivities since the clarifying process removes milk solids (think casein and lactose). Find it in the baking aisle with other oils, as It doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

The secret (and inexpensive) Pampered Chef item you didn’t know you needed. These scrapers come in handy nearly every day. Scrape pots and pans and stubborn dried-on bits in your casserole dishes. Plus they’re great for gently scraping food off granite countertops and wood cutting boards, or even scraping up a bit of garlic. Put them on your stocking-stuffer list now. Scrape, scrape, scrape.

Chif·fo·nade. It’s a fancy French word for cutting leafy greens into long, thin, fine strips or ribbon-like shreds. Chiffonade is most commonly associated with basil. Gather your basil leaves into a stack, roll them up tightly, then starting at one end (perpendicular to the roll) slice the leaves into strips. Fluff ‘em up and voilà you have pretty strips for garnishing your bruschetta or frittata or pasta alla vodka! (Extra points if you do this with other leafy green veggies like spinach.)

Eggs purchased from a grocery store in the U.S. have been washed, which makes it easier for yucky bacteria to get in there. So if a recipe calls for room-temperature eggs, the best method is to place your eggs in a bowl of hot tap water for 3-4 minutes before breaking and adding to your cake batter — or that big pot of spaghetti carbonara.

No. Unless you live in Phoenix and want to lick butter from your counter in the summertime. Seriously, most of us can safely store a small amount of butter on the counter so it’s always ready for spreading. You don’t really need a fancy butter crock, but that’s a fine option. What I’ve found helpful is a small butter dish that holds half a stick of butter. That way it gets used quickly. 

It’s easier than you think. Hold the ginger in one hand and hold a spoon in the other hand, between your thumb and forefinger like pictured and scrape the skin off the ginger root. The spoon lets you get in the nooks and crannies. Yep. Just you, the Professor and Marianne. No special tool needed. And, if you want to be a rebel, opt out, and don’t peel your ginger.

Rarely do I find myself needing a pint or more of buttermilk, which means I use 1/3 cup and the rest ends up going to waste. A simple fall back is to squeeze 1 Tb. lemon juice or 1 Tbs. distilled vinegar into a 1 cup measure and fill it to the 1 cup line with milk. Gentle stir it and let it sit for 3-5 minutes, and you’re good to go. Pancakes, scones, here I come.