A small stiff fingernail brush works terrific for cleaning a garlic press, cheese or ginger graters, sieves and any other tool with tiny pesky holes and crevices.
Freeze leftover coffee or tea in ice-cube trays; the cubes let you chill your iced tea or coffee without diluting it.
A pint-size, wide-mouth canning jar with screening wire fitted into the screw-on band makes a good shaker for dry barbecue spices, jerks, and rubs. It dispenses a wide, even shake and can also be used to store the spices if it's sealed in plastic to keep out moisture. Regular screening wire is sold in hardware stores (just be careful when cutting the sharp edges).
Professional chefs toss food in their skillets with just a flick of the wrist. To practice this technique at home, fill a zip-top bag with rice or dried beans. (About three-quarters full is sufficient.) Toss the weighted bag in a skillet until you feel confident enough to try it with real food, minus the bag.
Write the date on a jar or bag of spices, when you buy it, so you can easily gauge the freshness. After six months to a year, most spices have lost so much potency that they should be replaced.
When deep-frying foods, let them drain in a sieve set over a bowl, rather than on paper towels. They cool faster, and this method can be used for any foods that are deep-fried.
A "proofing box" can be made using a large picnic cooler. Pour a quart of very hot or boiling water into the bottom. Set a rack in the cooler so it sits above the water level. Set the bowl with the bread dough in, on the rack and close the lid. This produces a perfect proofing environment.
      
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