1. Add a spoonful of sugar to the water when boiling carrots to give them a more carroty flavour.
2. Add a tablespoon of brown sauce, (Heinz or Daddy's), when cooking a beef stew or bolognese. The vinegariness goes completely within a minute or two, and the remaining ingredients add a beautiful richness.
3. Adding a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda to the water when boiling greens retains the green colour and stops them going pale.
4. A teensy pinch of salt added to a cup of coffee removes some or all of any bitterness.
5 Warm plates by placing them on top of the saucepan when you're boiling something up.
6. Add one or two chopped skinned fresh tomatoes to a bolognese or chilli con carne and taste the difference.
7. If you're feeling adventurous, try placing a whole habanero pepper in a stew. Be very careful not to break it when you stir!! Remove the pepper (carefully!) before serving. The result is a beautiful and unique flavour, but, surprisingly, without any chilli pepper heat!!
Having tried chopping whole tinned tomatoes, I've concluded that already chopped tinned tomatoes taste better. I look for BOGOFF deals on Heinz and Napolina in Tesco's and buy a cupboardfull at a time. (Avoid Lidl's, they're awful).