July 2001 “Cooking Tips” Winner — Amanda Decker

"This is not exactly a cooking tip but it has certainly helped me out when following a recipe. I routinely search through recipe sites on the Internet and print out those that look interesting. Over the past 2 years, I've acquired quite a collection. Piling them in a drawer in the kitchen was not convenient when I decided to try something new. So I went to an office supply store and purchased plastic binders and dividers. Now I have all of my recipes filed in the binders by category. When I am cooking, I slip the recipe into a plastic sheet protector. If I splatter or spill any of the ingredients, I can just wipe off the sheet protector. My recipe will stay nice and neat for the next time."

Amanda Decker

Prize:

• Cooking tips: Café Tequila BBQ Sauce

July 2001 “Cooking Disasters” Winner — Courtney Novak

"This just happened to me last week so it is very fresh in my mind. My husband doesn't like pasta at all (strange but true) but I absolutely love it. It's too much trouble to make 2 separate dinners so when he is out of town on business, I make something for myself. Last week, he went to San Francisco on a business trip and I decided that it was just in the nick of time because I had a tremendous craving for spaghetti and meatballs! My meatball recipe is pretty standard - chop meat, breadcrumbs softened in milk, parsley, oregano, onion salt, pepper and an EGG. Yes - the egg is the culprit in this disaster. Unfortunately, I added it last to the mixture and it was a bad egg - A VERY BAD EGG! I've heard the statement "it smells like rotten eggs" but I've never seen or smelled a rotten egg. I don't ever want to again! From now on, I will do the "Float Test" just to be on the safe side: Just lower the egg in a cup of water - If it floats, it is old. Don't use! Anyway - this was a very disappointing experience. Never got my spaghetti and meatballs that night!"

Courtney Novak

Prize:

• Cooking Disasters: Vanilla Nut Crème Coffee

Previous Winners

Click here to see our previous "Cooking Tips" and "Cooking Disasters" contest winners!