Corn hints Select medium-sized corn ears with bright green husks. Cut corn off the cob easily by sticking the husked ear in the tube of a tube cake pan to hold it while you cut down the cob with a knife. The kernels will fall into the pan. Twelve ears of corn equal three to four cups of cut kernels. Trim off both ends and take off heavy outer husks, then freeze in bags. Cut a small (4 inch board) and hammer a very large nail into the center. Push ear onto nail and it is held steady while you cut off the kernels. Soak corn with husks on in water for a few minutes. Grill on barbecue, turning a couple of times.

Removing the corn silk Dampen a paper towel or terry cloth and brush downward on the cob of corn. Every strand should come off.

Tomato hints Refrigerate tomatoes. Hold tomato firmly and scrape with a paring knife from the bottom to the top several times. Prick the skin with the point of the knife. The peeling will remove easily. Place thin-skinned tomatoes and fruits into a bowl, cover with boiling water and let set for one minute. Peel with a paring knife. Or, spear the fruit on a fork and hold over a gas flame until the skin cracks, then peel. Exposure to direct sunlight softens tomatoes instead of ripening them. Leave the tomatoes, stem-up, in any spot where they will be out of direct sunlight.

Onions without tears You'll shed fewer tears if you cut the root end of the onion off last Freeze or refrigerate before chopping (in a sealed container to prevent smell from entering other foods in the freezer or refrigerator)

Potpourri Microwave... To make your house smell like baking pumpkin pie, add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to 1 cup of water in a micro-safe dish. Microwave on high until it boils, then cook for 3 minutes more.