Vegetables each have ideal handling and cooking methods. Root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, beets), cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, Brussels sprouts), and squash benefit from high-heat roasting at 400–425°F, which caramelizes their natural sugars and produces crispy edges. Steaming preserves more nutrients and color than boiling, while blanching — a brief boil followed by an ice bath — sets color and loosens skins for tomatoes or peaches. Mushrooms should never be washed because they absorb water like sponges; instead, wipe them with a damp cloth or soft brush to keep them from getting soggy and to allow proper browning. Cut vegetables brown through enzymatic reactions with oxygen, which can be slowed with an acidic bath of lemon juice or vinegar in water, or for avocados and apples, by applying citrus directly or soaking briefly in salted water.
Storage rules are specific to each vegetable family. Potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and winter squash should not be refrigerated — cold damages their texture and flavor, and they belong in a cool, dark, dry place instead. Potatoes additionally need to be kept away from onions, which emit gases that accelerate sprouting. Leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and celery all thrive in the crisper drawer. Tomatoes should sit on the counter stem-side down and only be refrigerated when fully overripe. Most other vegetables benefit from high humidity, with the exception of those prone to rotting, which do better in low humidity. Cabbage varieties (green, red, Napa), leafy greens (spinach, kale, arugula), and squash types (summer with thin edible skin, winter with hard inedible rind) all behave differently and respond to different preparations.
Dairy products vary in fat content and culinary purpose. Whole milk contains 3.25% fat, 2% is reduced, 1% is low-fat, and skim is fat-free, with higher fat producing richer sauces and baking results. Heavy cream at 36–40% fat whips and thickens sauces, while half-and-half at 10.5–18% fat is lighter and does not whip. Butter contains 80% fat along with milk solids and water, giving superior flavor for baking and cooking; margarine, at 100% fat, has a different melting point that affects texture. Salted butter has about 1/4 teaspoon of added salt per stick, while unsalted allows precise control in baking. Cheeses fall into families: soft-ripened bloomy-rind varieties like brie and camembert, hard aged cheeses like cheddar, Parmesan, and Gruyère, fresh cheeses like mozzarella (either the soft, milky kind or the aged, meltable low-moisture kind), and tangy options like cream cheese, mascarpone, and ricotta — each suited to different culinary roles.
Rice and pasta each demand attention to ratios and technique. Long-grain rices like basmati and jasmine cook fluffy with separated grains (1:1.5 rice-to-water ratio for basmati, 1:1.25 for jasmine), while short-grain rices like arborio release starch to become creamy, ideal for risotto. Rinsing rice removes excess starch and prevents gumminess, and toasting it before cooking develops a nutty flavor and firms the grains. Brown rice retains its bran and germ, giving it more nutrients and nuttier flavor but requiring longer cooking. Pasta should be cooked in heavily salted water — about 1 to 2 tablespoons per 4 quarts of water, "like the sea" — and the starchy cooking water should always be reserved before draining, because it binds sauces and helps them cling to the pasta. Long pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine) pairs with smooth coating sauces, short shapes with ridges (rigatoni, penne) hold chunky sauces, and stuffed pasta (ravioli, tortellini) needs only minimal sauce to shine.