One thing that should be in your container of kitchen utensils is a set of tongs. They are extraordinarily handy and can used as an extension of your hands. Keep them near your stove top and use them for many of your cooking needs: Distribute a sauce on pasta before plating, give vegetables a stir while they're roasting, flip a pork chop under the broiler, hold up a thick steak to brown the sides, toss......

It's a no-brainer: Most recipes need exact measurements. But do you have what it takes to tackle that cookie recipe? Maybe, maybe not. With NYC apartments being so tiny and kitchen cupboard space being non-existent, some of you might be relying on your liquid measuring cup to appraise how much sugar or flour you need, which would make Alton Brown cringe! The difference isn't so much about the volume - pour flour into a liquid......