Seasoned Miami chefs share their favorite kitchen hacks for the at-home chef

VIJAYUDU VEENA
EXECUTIVE CHEF AT JAYA AT THE SETAI
YEARS COOKING: 15 YEARS
A spice grinder is not just for spices—you can make purées, sauces, salad dressings, marinades, and chop garlic or onion coarsely. I also like to dry roast my spices and then grind them in the grinder, then place them in a glass jar which makes the spices seem very fresh and flavorful. I learned this by trial and error in the kitchen as a chef.

JOUVENS JEAN
CORPORATE CHEF FOR ZAHRCO ENTERPRISES
YEARS COOKING: 19 YEARS
One kitchen hack I’d like to share with the at-home chef is for dirty kitchen rags. Do not just take your dirty rags and wash them in the washing machine, because doing this may leave grease and food residue in the machine. Once you’re done with your rags for the day, put them in a pot of water and boil them for about 20 minutes. Boiling them will remove oil and food residue from the rag. Rinse them out with clean water after, and then they’re ready for the washing machine. I learned this kitchen hack in Haiti in 2016 while doing consulting for a restaurant there.

ROCCO CARULLI
OWNER AND EXECUTIVE CHEF AT R HOUSE
YEARS COOKING: 30 YEARS
My tip for the home chef is to try to pick recipes outside of your comfort zone as much as you can. Don’t just roast a chicken, use fresh herbs and exotic spices to keep things interesting for your dinner parties. I’m currently crazy about Middle Eastern spices, like sumac and za’atar. And another great tip is always be sure you have enough alcohol in the house! Let’s face it, you can cook the best meal ever, but if you run out of booze, that’s all your guests will talk about. It happened to me once, and it will never happen again.

By DiningOut Staff