To cook zucchini as a side dish, preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Cut your zucchini into lengthwise sections no more than 1/4 inch in thickness. Rub both sides of the slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add your favorite herbs if …

To thaw frozen shrimp, place them in a colander and thaw them out under cold running water for five minutes before using. If you keep a couple of 12-ounce bags of cooked frozen shrimp in my freezer, so that when the urge strikes, you can put together a quick seafood …

When buying cauliflower, choose heads that are white — the whiter they are, the fresher they are. Heads also should be without discoloration. If there are leaves still attached, they should be crisp and green.