Gordon Ramsay

World-renowned chef and TV personality, has been awarded a total of 12 Michelin Stars (third in history to achieve this); in 2007, became one of only three chefs in the United Kingdom to hold three Michelin stars at one time. Has starred in several award-winning primetime TV shows (Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares) in the US and the UK; he has written many popular cookbooks. Well known for his quick temper and verbal assaults of chefs in his kitchen.

"Given how popular sushi has become, I’m amazed at how squeamish people are about eating their fish anything other than nuked. Believe me, if the inside is a bright white, the outside will be dried out and woolly. No, you want the inside of your fish slightly translucent, like the inside of an oyster shell."

"The first thing you will notice when you watch a chef cook is how much salt he uses. That's because salt and pepper are the building blocks of any kitchen, and the art of seasoning is one of the most important skills that you can learn. To be able to do so with confidence will do more than anything else to elevate your cooking; to draw out and enhance the flavours of your main ingredients."

"The secret of cooking meat is in the resting. I find it so dispiriting when I cut into a steak and watch all the juices leak out on to the plate because it hasn't had time to relax and reabsorb all that goodness. Always start with your meat at room temperature. This is particularly true of thin cuts such as steak."

Extracted from: Times Online, "Chef's tips with Gordon Ramsay," (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/gordon_ramsay/article4685525.ece), September 8, 2008.

"Monkfish—it's quite a difficult fish to get right because it's a little watery fish. [Sprinkle on the fish] curry powder and salt... the salt starts to extract the water, so when we come to roasting it, it doesn't boil. We get a really nice color on there."

"Cooking with children is pure magic. I love to see the joy on their faces as they see the product of their work."

"I always think it's a shame that we have no proper tradition of eating pancakes. In France, Belgium, Holland, even in Italy and Spain, they treat crêpes as everyday snacks. It is to them what the bagel is to the Americans."

"Whatever sort of pancakes you're making (and I'm a big fan of savoury as much as sweet ones) the key ingredient isn't the eggs, and it isn't the flour - it's the nonstick pan. Get a good heavy one and you'll be able to produce wonderful, thin, beautifully coloured pancakes that only take seconds to cook."

"My only other tip is to make the mix well in advance, even the day before. As it rests, it thins out and that way it's much easier to spread in the pan."

Notes from the Chefs at America's Test Kitchen

"Mac and Cheese should be served with a spoon, not a knife. Baked macaroni and Cheese is the king of casseroles. At its finest, it emerges from the oven with a golden crumb topping covering tender pasta in a rich cheddar cheese sauce. Our experience with typical recipes however, has been a casserole with a texture so dense and dried out that it has to be cut with a knife and served like lasagna. We knew that we needed to add more moisture to achieve the creamy texture we wanted, but our initial attempts by simply adding more milk added an off taste. However, when we added chicken broth to the cheese sauce, we discovered the secret to satisfyingly tender and flavorful Mac and Cheese."

"Does the brand of black pepper matter when you need just a pinch? Once the hard shell of a peppercorn is cracked open, its aroma immediately starts to fade, and most of its coveted flavor disappears within half an hour. Which is why we recommend every kitchen ditch their peppershaker and procure a pepper mill; it is one of the simplest ways to enhance your cooking."

"The secrets to a perfect cup of home-brewed coffee: You can spend up to $20 a pound for premium coffee, but unless you're using proper brewing techniques, you're just wasting money. Over the course of several weeks we grinded, brewed, and tasted many pots of coffee. While our sleep patterns suffered, our cups of coffee just got better and better, and we learned some basic commandments: ALWAYS buy whole bean coffee, grind the beans right before brewing (because grinding speeds up oxidation and flavor loss), and NEVER store coffee in the fridge, as it will pick up smells and odors."

"Is the best Dijon mustard hand-crafted in France or mass-produced by Kraft®? Dijon mustard is a staple here in the test kitchen—it adds tons of flavor with almost zero calories and is a great light and healthy secret ingredient. We tested eight Dijon mustards and had our tasters rate them plain and in simple vinaigrette. In the end we went with the brand that brought the heat along with bold flavor—Grey Poupon, which bested brands from Europe including those from Dijon, France."

"A solution to soggy, sorry sweet potatoes: Roasting sweet potatoes sounds like a great way to bring out their natural sweetness. But sweet potatoes are naturally high in moisture, which can lead to wet and soggy potatoes. We solved the problem with a simple two-step cooking process. We start the sweet potatoes in a low temperature oven on a rack, so that they don’t stew in their own juices. We finish them in a blazing-hot 475-degree oven that allows the potatoes' natural sugars to caramelize on the outside and bring out their sweetness."

"Pepperoni slices from the package often leave unsightly puddles of grease when baked atop a pizza. To wick away excess oil, try this trick next time: Line a microwave-safe plate with a double layer of paper towels, place the pepperoni on top, then cover with two more paper towels and another plate to keep the meaty disks flat. Microwave for 30 seconds on high, remove the plate from the microwave, and uncover. Then, simply place the degreased pepperoni on the pizza and bake according to the recipe."

"Sticky spoons: To avoid sticky measuring spoons, run them under hot water before measuring ingredients like honey or corn syrup. The heated spoon keeps the liquids warmer, which helps it reelease more easily."

"Smart Prep: Eggstraordinarily Easy: When I make poached eggs for a crowd, I use a muffin pan. Grease the pan and then crack one egg into each cup. Place the muffin pan in a larger pan of gently simmering water on the stovetop (a roasting pan works well) and cover it with foil. Cook until the eggs are set, 6 to 8 minutes, then carefully remove them with a rubber spatula."

"Baked Manicotti: The secrets to a speedier Baked Manicotti. Baked Manicotti is a labor of love – it takes considerable time and effort to build a rich, meaty sauce and stuff the fragile pasta tubes with cheese filling. We wanted to eliminate the tricky steps and cut down on cooking time for a quicker, more foolproof recipe. So we ditched the tubes for no-boil lasagna noodles, which after a quick soak were simple to stuff and roll."

"No need to invest in a tandoor oven for Tandoori Chicken. Simply bake spiced, yogurt-dipped chicken at a low temperature, then finish with a run under the broiler. Baking the chicken keeps it tender and juicy, and the intense heat of the broiler mimics the heat of a tandoor oven for a lightly charred, flavorful crust."

"To avoid the problem of curdled custard that often plagues traditional bread pudding and its alcohol-laced variations, we covered our pudding with foil and replaced whole eggs with yolks. The custard now worked, but the foil prevented the top from toasting."

Extracted from: America's Test Kitchen newsletter, "Kitchen Tips That Work," December 11, 2009.

"For an extra-crisp pizza that's a snap to make, we use store-bought pizza dough and precook it in a skillet before baking. To make it even easier to prepare, you can use jarred pizza sauce. Contadina is the test kitchen's preferred brand."

Extracted from: America's Test Kitchen newsletter, "Kitchen Tips That Work," March 4, 2010.

"Our Foolproof Pie Dough relies on an 80-Proof Secret: Since too much water makes pie dough tough, most pie dough recipes are stingy with the water (and thus really hard to roll out). Looking for a tender and easy-to-roll-out pie dough, we found the answer in the liquor cabinet: vodka. Replacing half of the water with vodka, we produced a moist dough that stays tender because unlike water, the alcohol in the vodka prevents gluten (the protein that makes the dough tough) from forming. And there’s no boozy taste to the dough, as the alcohol vaporizes in the oven when baked."

Extracted from: America's Test Kitchen newsletter, "Kitchen Tips That Work," December 11, 2009.

"Food processors can shred large amounts of cheese or vegetables quickly, but a box grater is still better for smaller jobs. The ideal model needs to be sharp, versatile, and easy to clean."

Extracted from: America's Test Kitchen newsletter, "Kitchen Tips That Work," September 11, 2009.