Now that I’m in culinary school, I’ll have a new weekly feature:

Top 3 Things I Learned This Week.

I’ll include interesting techniques, recipe ideas, and ingredients.

This week’s Top 3:

1. NUT OILS
Try a nut oil instead of extra virgin olive oil to dress your next salad. I tried and fell in love with walnut oil this week, which pairs beautifully with sherry vinegar for a simple vinaigrette.

2. KNIFE SKILLS
Knife skills are worth practicing. Learning how to properly hold a knife and slice with it will save effort and preserve your blade, and most importantly, keep you from needing stitches.

3. ROAST CHICKEN
The best roast chicken is the simplest–
1) salt the inside and outside of the chicken, leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight (this is a dry brine)
2) to cook: preheat oven to 400
3) heat a cast iron or other heavy, oven-proof skillet until very hot on the stove, then place chicken breast side up and place in oven
4) roast for 15 minutes, then loosen with a spatula underneath before turning over and roasting for another 15 minutes
5) repeat procedure again, turning over so the chicken is again breast side up for another 15 minutes of roasting, or until done
6) check for doneness by making sure juices run clear, or cutting into the thigh joint shows well-cooked meat
7) allow to rest for 10 minutes– this allows the juices to settle back into the meat
This ensures a juicy and crisp-skinned chicken.