When cooking with herbs it is hard to tell if what you have in the cupboard is fresh.

Dried herbs actually have a shelf life of about 1 – 1½ years, but if you are like me, most of my herbs have been there for much longer!

Before using the herb in your recipe, pinch a few of the leaves between your fingers and roll a bit. If you can smell the herb it should be good to use.

If you don’t smell anything or the smell is very faint toss the herbs and buy some new ones.

Setting up a first time kitchen can be quite a task. You don’t know exactly what you need and when you do look, there are a billion choices. Please remember when you are making your purchases, don’t skimp on the quality. If you spend a little bit more now, you will save a lot of money down the road. A Chef’s knife is the kind of knife that slasher movies are made of.

Select one that is at least 8 inches in length and is “full tang” which means that the metal goes all the way through the handle of the knife for stability. You will want to select one that is heavy enough to cut through hard to cut items like squash and melon.

Do not wash your knives in the dishwasher, this will dull your blade quicker and possibly ruin your handles. Always wash with a warm soapy cloth then rinse well. You will want to invest in a sharpener and sharpen your knives about every other use. Sharp knives are usually not the cause of cuts; dull ones are because the knife slips.

Here are a few useful tips to help you make a successful cheesecake. Although a cheesecake is quite simple to make, the right techniques can help make it a success every time.

Before starting your recipe, let your eggs and cream cheese sit at room temperature for at least a half an hour. The cream cheese will be softer and easier to incorporate and the eggs will blend in easier also.

When mixing the cheesecake batter, remember that you are blending the ingredients, not whipping them.

If you mix them too quickly you will get air into the batter, then as the cheesecake cooks, the batter will continue to expand.

After the cheesecake has been removed from the oven and allowed to cool, the cake will settle and deflate causing cracks.

Setting up a first time kitchen can be quite a task. You don’t know exactly what you need and when you do look, there are a billion choices. Please remember when you are making your purchases, don’t skimp on the quality. If you spend a little bit more now, you will save a lot of money down the road.

You will want to pick up at least one set of dry measuring cups and spoons as well as one 2-cup liquid measuring cup. For the dry measuring cups and spoons I prefer stainless steel. It is easy to keep clean and does not stain.

For liquid measuring cups, I prefer a glass or “Pyrex” cup. This way you can place it in the microwave and heat up your ingredients if you need to. They are also much easier to clean and take care of.

It does not really matter what they look like as long as you know how to use them properly.

Provolone: This cheese is typically smoked and the flavor varies from Mild to Sharp. This cheese is used for Cooking, Snacking and Appetizers.

Swiss: Swiss cheese has a mild to nutty flavor. It is used in a variety of cooking methods including but not limited to Appetizers, Sandwiches, Salads, Snacks, and Desserts.

Parmesan: This cheese has an inedible coating if bought in pieces instead of pre grated. It is sharp in flavor and used for Cooking and Grating on top of Italian dishes.

Romano: Romano is more granular in texture, but also served grated or thinly shaved as a snack.

Blue: Blue Cheese is a very tangy and sharp cheese. It is commonly found in Salads, but ca also be used in Appetizers and Desserts.

Cheddar: Cheddar ranges from Mild to Very Sharp. The sharper the cheese the harder this cheese. You can use cheddar is most anything from Appetizers, Main Dishes, Sandwiches and Desserts.

Gouda: The casing on Gouda is not edible, remove it before cooking with it or serving it. It can be used in Appetizers and Desserts.

Fontina: Fontina cheese is Mellow in flavor and can be used in Appetizers and Desserts.

Gorgonzola: Gorgonzola is crumbly in texture and can be used in Salads and Desserts.

Gruyere: This is a cheese with a nutty flavor and sharper in taste than Swiss. It is commonly used in Cooking and Desserts.