Photo courtesy Cambro.

If you’re washing sterling silver and stainless steel flatware at the same time, keep them at opposite ends of the dishwasher basket.

Electrolysis, a chemical reaction between the two metals, will wear away at the silver over time.

The same thing goes for washing flatware in the sink: don’t soak sterling and stainless together.

Of course, it’s best to wash fine silver by hand. Abrasive dishwasher detergents will gradually wear at silver’s surface. But facing a large post-party clean-up, the dishwasher is alluring.

You can serve a side of vegetables with breakfast eggs, with lunch and of course, with dinner. At the end of the day, if we haven’t eaten our share, we steam vegetables as a snack.

We steam them in the microwave, which couldn’t be easier. All you need are vegetables and a microwave-safe container (or a bowl and plastic wrap).

Steaming retains more nutrients than other cooking methods, and maximizes the flavor and color of the vegetables. You can steam your vegetables to a crunchy/al dente state or any other consistency. But take care not to overcook: Better al dente than mushy.

See complete steaming instructions for microwave and stovetop.

Have trouble peeling oranges? Try thin-
skinned mandarins instead. Photo courtesy
FloridaJuice.com.

Then we remembered our Mom’s tip: Roll the orange on a hard surface, pressing down firmly.

We then scored the orange vertically (from top to bottom) into eight segments (first into quarters, then into eighths). We loosened the peel at the stem end and began to peel away.

It works!

If you don’t like to fuss with the peel, go for a mandarin instead of an orange. They’re a different species, and the thin skin is easy to peel with your fingers. Satsumas, clementines and tangerines are also readily available.

Mandarin hybrids have thicker skin but are also easy to peel: the tangor is a cross between the mandarin and the common orange; the tangelo (honeybell) is a cross between a tangerine and either a pomelo or a grapefruit.