• Peas cooked in a microwave with only a spoonful of water are more nutritious than those boiled in water, if the peas are not young, a pinch or two of sugar can also be an improvement.

• To make lighter, thinner pancakes, always let the batter stand for at least half an hour before cooking as this breaks down the starch, giving thinner, softer pancakes.

• If sauce acquires a lumpy texture instead of velvety smooth, do not discard it, put it in a food processor and run it for a minute. It will become smooth again.

• If soup turns salty, rectify it by immersing potato quarters which will absorb a proportion of salt then discard the potatoes.

• Air bubbles in cake batter can be avoided by pouring the batter into the tin with the help of a slotted spoon.

• To prevent your chocolate cake from having white streaks on the brown crusts, dust greased cake pans with cocoa instead of flour.

• Small difference in a procedure can make a great difference in efficiency. Try transferring rolled and cutout cookies from the table to the baking sheet with help of a spatula instead of hand, it not only retains shape but also saves time.

• A teaspoon of vinegar added to fat when frying doughnuts will keep them from absorbing too much fat.

• To prevent pancakes from sticking to the griddle, rub it with half peeled potato instead of grease. Cut off a slice of the potato for each batch of pancake, so that the rubbing is always done with a freshly cut side.

• Do not salt meat before cooking as salt draws out all the flavoursome juices. But fish fillets will benefit from a bit of salt during refrigeration before cooking.

• Although a seemingly easy task, great care should be taken when melting chocolate. Be careful not to let any stray drops of water, fall into the chocolate or it will seize or stiffen and solidify.

• While melting chocolate add a spoonful of butter to chocolate for a smoother consistency and richer flavour.

• For a sweet and spicy flavour, place a small piece of star anise in the cavity of the chicken or duck before roasting or braising.