Problem: Article: When shopping for fresh produce or meats, be certain to take the time to ensure that the texture, colors, and quality of the food you buy is the best in the batch. You should also try to stick to cooking with foods that are currently in season, as that is when they taste their best. If you're just starting to cook, don't substitute ingredients. The unfamiliar ingredient might interact with the other food in a way that you're not aware of and ruin the entire meal. The practice of getting all of your tools and ingredients together, prepared, and measured is called "mise en place" by professional chefs, and is considered essential to efficient cooking. Your "mise en place" should be ready and close at hand before the stove is turned on. Unless otherwise noted in your recipe, cut the food into uniform slices or pieces so that they cook evenly. There are a wide variety of cutting techniqueschopping, dicing, cubing, slicing, julienning, etc. The bigger the pieces, the longer they'll usually take to cook. Some of the most enjoyable dishes include a combination of different yet complementary textures. These textures work together in your mouth to make eating a more enjoyable experience. Think about topping off a baked pasta or vegetable dish, such as macaroni and cheese, or eggplant parmigiana with some bread crumbs. Similarly, adding some chopped scallions or celery to mashed potatoes can add a pleasant burst of texture and flavor. Butter adds a delicious, creamy, slightly nutty flavor to food and should be featured heavily in many types of cooking and baking. Use butter anytime a recipe calls for it, and even sometimes when it doesn't! Butter can be used as a cooking medium, like in sauteing, where it both complements and enhances the natural flavors. It can be used as the base for sauces, where it adds a wonderfully smooth, creamy texture. Or it can be used in baking, where it provides a wonderfully flaky, melt-in-your-mouth quality. Herbs can single-handedly give a dish a distinct flavor, characterizing it as belonging to Greek, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, or any other type of world cuisine. Herbs enhance the flavor and color of food, making it more exciting to cook and eat. Basil is used most often in Mediterranean cooking and pairs perfectly with tomatoes. It can also be blended with pine nuts to make basil pesto. Parsley has a light, fresh flavor and is very popular in Western cooking. It works well in soups and sauces, or simply sprinkled over a dish to add a burst of color. Cilantro is very popular is Asian and Latin cooking. Its raw leaves are used to add a fresh, bright flavor to cooked dishes, while it's roots are used for making Thai curry pastes. Mint has a cooling flavor which makes it a great addition to summer salads and refreshing drinks (like Mojitos). It is also used in savory dishes originating from the Middle East and North Africa. Rosemary is a strong flavored, woody herb which works well with roast chicken and joints of meat, stews and soups. It is best used sparingly. Like with herbs, adding a single spice (or a combination of them) can impart a very distinctive flavor profile to a dish, and tie its flavor profile to a particular global cuisine. Keep your pantry stocked with a supply of commonly-used spices. Cinnamon is a sweet, aromatic spice which is very popular in baking, especially in items such as apple pie and oatmeal cookies. It is also used in many Indian, Moroccan and Mexican dishes. Paprika lends a burst of bright red color and a spicy burst of flavor to food. It is used in many Hungarian dishes, while also being popular in Spanish and Portuguese cuisines. Cumin is a popular spice used mainly to add flavor and color to curries. It is used in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Asian cooking. Coriander is seed of the cilantro plant which has a lemony top note. It is commonly used in chili and curry dishes; it is used widely in many types of Latino, Middle Eastern, and Indian dishes. Ginger is a very versatile spice. When used fresh, it can add a sweet and spicy note to stir-fries, curries and roasted meats. In dried, ground form, ginger is often added to baked goods, such as ginger snaps.
Summary: Use fresh ingredients whenever possible. Organize your tools and ingredients before cooking. Include contrasting textures in your meals. Use butter in your cooking. Experiment with herbs. Give spices a try in your recipes.

Problem: Article: Give your cigar a final tap on the tip to knock out any remaining pieces of tobacco. Turn your cigar over so that you're looking down the hollowed-out paper. If you look closely, you'll see an additional layer of paper lining the inside of the cigar. This is the filter paper that you're going to remove. Keep the tip on the cigar. You don't need to remove it to remove the paper. Hold the body of the cigar loosely in your nondominant hand. Pinch the top of the paper with your free hand, using your thumb and index finger to close the opening. Roll it back and forth between your fingers by rubbing your index finger to the right as your thumb rolls to the left. Reverse the direction quickly and repeat the process until the filter paper becomes loose. Use your nondominant hand to keep the cigar stationary as you roll. As soon as you see a separation between the filter paper and the cigar, open your fingers up a little and continue to roll the tip of the cigar. You will see the filter paper begin to separate from the Black and Mild. Continue rolling the paper for an additional 45-60 seconds until the filter paper is visibly loose. Turn your cigar sideways and carefully pinch the top of the filter paper between your dominant thumb and index finger. Slowly remove the paper by pulling it straight out of the cigar. If the paper isn't loose enough, you may need to roll the cigar in the middle. If you do, avoid crushing the cigar paper by rolling it delicately. You can use a pair of tweezers if you aren't confident that you can pull the paper out without breaking the cigar. If you're removing the filter paper for flavor or because you believe that it is unhealthy, throw the paper in the trash. If you're removing it to slow the rate that the cigar burns, you can still use the filter paper as a filter without burning it by sticking a piece of it back at the bottom of the cigar. Cut a 1in (2.5cm) piece off and roll it into a very tight ball. Insert it into the cigar and let it fall into the tip before packing the tobacco back in. Adding a ball of filter paper back to the cigar will prevent the tobacco from getting into your mouth while smoking, and will create a kind of filter without having to burn it.
Summary: Tap your cigar and hold it with the end facing up. Pinch the paper near the top of the cigar with your fingers and roll it. Loosen your grip and continue rolling to separate the filter paper. Pinch the filter paper and pull it out carefully. Discard the filter paper.

Problem: Article: Take a close look at your hand to see how your palms and fingers are structured. While each person is unique, most hands can be grouped into different elemental types. You could also have Earth hands, which have angled palms and fingers. Water hands look more curved and tend to get sweatier, while fire hands look wide at the palm base and thinner at the fingertips. While these categories are general, understanding the basic structure of your hands can help you discern the alignment of your fingers later on. To get the most accurate interpretation of your own life, study the fingers on your most dominant hand. You could also have psychic hands, which are more narrow and have thinner digits overall. Extend your hands and separate your fingers slightly to get a better look at each digit. Take a close look at your fingers and see if each one runs in a straight or crooked line. As you'd expect, straight, balanced fingers indicate balance and strength in specific aspects of your life. Crooked, leaning fingers, however, indicate points of weakness that you may struggle with. For example, if your forefinger is straight, it could mean that you're a strong leader with great ideas, while a bent forefinger could mean that you're less good at taking control.
Summary:
Check for long fingers and squared palms to determine if you have air hands. Note that straight, balanced fingers indicate balance and strength in several aspects of your life.