Just a little, helpful idea for your culinary toolbox.

How shall I name thee? Let me count the ways:

When it comes to shortcuts in the kitchen, my mind zooms right to the Martha Stewart coined phrase: 'it's a good thing.'

I cannot help it. I am tired of the phrase 'kitchen tips'---and 'kitchen tricks' sounds much the same. Certainly 'good idea' is a blasé way to describe a culinary shortcut. How to be clever? How to name those great ideas that come from spending time and mental prowess in the kitchen. What term best describes the 'a-ha' moment when you fall upon a great idea: ice cube trays for freezing pesto, making use of day-old bread, using chilled jars for iced tea or scissors to cut up pizza?

Sometimes, I have a culinary epiphany. More often another food writer mentions one of their kitchen habits, and I rapidly commit it to memory... then later apply it as my own.

Of course, books have been written about kitchen tips, tricks, short-cuts, and the like. I could read those and fill my head with them; though there is a certain enjoyment of ideas coming to you organically. Think: light bulb over head.

This particular food-inspired idea was something I read along the way, though I cannot remember from where. A grilling cookbook, perhaps? It is recommended that you soak wooden skewers prior to using them on the grill. The follow-on idea was this: soak them for 20 minutes, then freeze them so they are ready to go when you are (AND you don't have to plan ahead or think about soaking time when all you really want to do is throw some food on the barbecue---and quick).

Not much of a kitchen secret, or necessarily a brilliant idea, but it certainly serves convenience, practicality and provides happiness to planning ahead now to save time later. If you have a brilliant term for me, to describe these tidbits of time-saving help, please do tell!