House & Garden

The secret of making fried rice lies in the use of cold, cooked rice. Freshly cooked rice will only produce a sticky mess.

The failure in cooking rice is usually caused by using too much water, stirring and peeking too often and using too small a pan for the amount of rice. If the pot is more than half full with rice, change to a larger one.

Buy thick chops from the loin — about 1 1/2 inches thick — and allow two chops per person.

This sauce accompanies Fish Mixed Grill .

There are innumerable recipes for this favorite English breakfast dish. Some call for Béchamel sauce, some for cheese. This version is easy.

Some of the best sauces for grilled, broiled or sautéed steak are based on Sauce Espagnole, which can be made in quantity and keeps well. You can produce a satisfactory Sauce Espagnole by short-cutting the classic, lengthy method. However, if you have the time, the classic method (epi:recipeLink="101872"Classic Sauce Espagnole</epi:recipeLink>)yields a finer and more flavorful result.

This is the basic method for preparing a chicken sauté to which you can add flavoring variations. You may dredge the chicken with flour if you wish. This gives a browner color but unflavored chicken is more delicate.