(Image credit: Gina Eykemans)

I have a bit of a problem that I’ve long since known about: I am very enthusiastic about fridge organization. When I visit my dad, I spend more time pulling out items and rearranging things in his fridge than what may be deemed normal. When I lived with a whole slew of interns on a farm in Italy for the summer, I’d slip away after lunch to get things in our communal fridge in order. Call me anxious, call me crazy — but a messy fridge is just something I can’t do. So I’d like to pass the tricks I’ve learned from years of organizing on to you. Here are five tips for keeping your fridge nice and tidy.

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(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

Think of the freezer as a culinary time capsule where summer can be remembered all winter long. You’ll need just a few basic tools, a selection of produce, and about 30 minutes for each fruit, vegetable, or herb you want to preserve. Time to get started!

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(Image credit: Maria Midoes)

It’s hard not to be intrigued by a dish with a title like this. Leave it to the Italians to name a recipe that lends a few laughs. What the heck makes the water so crazy? Actually, not much at all, which is why you should ditch your original plans for dinner and make this simple, comforting recipe instead.

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Fish in Crazy Water

(Image credit: Maria Midoes)

Water, 99.9 percent of the time, is not crazy. Most of the time, it’s pretty boring, save for those times you decide to toss that lemon slice or a few fruit and herbs in it. I am not talking about that kind of water. In fact, this a water you wouldn’t throw back in a tall glass (although I wouldn’t judge you if you did); it’s a cooking water that comes from a little corner of Italy and it’s in that crazy 0.1 percent.

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“Beat the heat” takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to alleviating the burn of spicy food. The myriad heat-inducing ingredients and their varying intensity can make matching cuisines with liquid counterparts seem like a constant battle.

But the cultures that developed irresistibly spicy foods also developed ways to relieve scorched palates. From creamy Mexican horchata to light lagers, complements exist that tame even the most tongue-searing dishes.

Across the spice spectrum, cold, low-alcohol beverages always work, but a little strategy can go a long way and keep you reaching for the next chile-laden bite. Read on for the complete guide to pairing your favorite beverages with all things spicy.

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(Image credit: Christine Han)

Whenever I am stuck with more fresh herbs than I can manage — be it herbs from my tiny container garden on my balcony or a big bunch from the grocery store — I undoubtedly make pesto. Just last week I made both sage and thyme pesto in order to get a handle on my excess. Then I froze the two to use on pasta, fish, chicken, and even just good bread whenever the craving strikes. But I don’t freeze pesto the way most people tell you to (in ice cube trays). I have a method that I wholeheartedly believe is better.

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(Image credit: Maria Siriano)

Yes, the spiralizer is a bit of a novelty, but it helps make things a bit more playful. I’ve found that my ambivalence towards cucumbers is immediately assuaged when I turn them into noodles, and I’ve yet to meet a spiralized zucchini dish I haven’t liked. This dish capitalizes on the novelty of the spiralizer to create a vibrant and colorful veggie noodle dish that might just change the way you feel about salad.

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(Image credit: Christine Han)

There are certain ingredients we expect to go hand in hand with butternut squash, but sometimes the very best results happen when we bring together a totally unexpected combination like soy sauce, honey, and lime juice.

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The plastic wrap that many food items are sold in at the grocery store is not as great as you think. According to Bloomberg, this plastic is hard to recycle, and even adds harmful chemicals to your food. But this could all change in a matter of three short years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been experimenting with a new edible, biodegradable packaging wrapper. The packaging is made out of casein, which is a milk protein. Due to the tighter network of proteins, casein is roughly 500 times better than plastic at keeping oxygen away from food.

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