There are millions of cooking and baking tools out there, but I’d like to remind you of the easiest and most readily available tool you have–your own nose. When cooking and baking, pay close attention to what your nose is telling you.
When sauteing garlic–notice as soon as it becomes fragrant. Once you smell the garlic, it’s done cooking. Cook it much longer, and you’ll smell it burn.
When baking in the oven, as soon as the kitchen is filled with the aroma of your baked-good, test it with a toothpick. Chances are it is done baking, or only needs a few more minutes.
When shopping for fresh produce, smell it. Hold a tomato to your nose and sniff it at the stem. If it smells like a fresh tomato should, then buy it. If it has little, or no smell to it, try an different one. Same with apples, oranges, bananas, melon, herbs–just about anything in the produce aisle.
Of course we all know that your nose will tell you when milk and dairy has gone bad. But also be sure to smell leftovers before eating them. Don’t keep meat in the fridge longer then 2-3 days.
