6 Surprising Food Fails You Are Probably Committing

by Lisa Lozano

Even if you’re the best cook ever, we guarantee you’ve made at least some of the below food fails. But don’t worry, we have a solution for each one!

Fail 1: Peeling an Orange Wrong

Why peel off an orange peel piece-by-piece? Chef Kelsey Nixon shows you how to cut off the ends of an orange, and then slice halfway, split, and eat like watermelon! Watch above for details.

Fail 2: Your Pots Boil Over

Everyone has experienced this at some point – you’re boiling a pot of water on the stove, and it boils over. Kelsey shares an amazing secret – just put a wooden spoon on top of the pot, and it will absorb excess moisture, preventing the pot from overflowing. Brilliant!

Fail 3: You Didn’t Soften Your Butter

When a recipe calls for softened butter, it’s actually really important that you follow that direction. But what if you forgot to soften your butter? Instead of zapping it in the microwave, which won’t fully soften it without also melting it, just cut it into small cubes, which will cut the time it takes to come to room temperature in half! To help it along even more, put the butter on a plate next to your pre-heating oven.

Fail 4: You’re Cutting the Cake Wrong

If you are ever tasked with cutting up a large round cake, it can be hard to make sure the pieces are all evenly sized. Kelsey has a simple trick – take a bowl that is small than your cake, and use it to make a light marking in the center of the cake. Cut on the line so that you end up with a cake within a cake. Then, slice the outer circle first, then the inner, ending up with beautiful symmetrical pieces of cake.

Fail 5: You’re Eating Wings Wrong

It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like chicken wings, but everyone can agree that they can be quite messy. Kelsey shows you an amazing trick to quickly remove the bones, so that you end up with a boneless wing you can eat neatly!

Fail 6: You’re Eating Cupcakes Wrong, Too

Don’t you hate it when you bite into a cupcake and you get all frosting? If you want to make it easier to eat and make sure you get cake and frosting in every bite, Kelsey has an easy trick. Just unwrap the cupcake, then break off the bottom and put it on top – now you have an easy-to-eat cupcake sandwich!

What’s your favorite trick for making life easier in the kitchen?