If you've been to a Supper Club Event, you've met the full-of-energy Chef Billy Strynkowski. We're very pleased to announce Chef Billy as the first Executive Chef of Cooking Light magazine.

Chef Billy is a culinary graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. In addition to his current Executive Chef duties, Billy also supervises the Food Village at the U.S. Open Tennis Center every September making certain his cooks prepare and serve restaurant quality food to over a half million tennis fans. In Billy's spare time he of course enjoys cooking for friends and taking vacation with his wife and two children.

Billy's history with Cooking Light began in 2001, when he hosted one of our first Supper Clubs. A hit with both editors and readers, he was a perfect fit to join the Cooking Light team. Look for his new column "Kitchen Tips with Chef Billy" in the First Light section beginning in the April 2005.

Chef Billy shares his helpful cooking tips.

• Garlic is great, but its smell lingers on your hands. To remove the scent, rub your hands against stainless steel, such as a kitchen faucet.

• When roasting meats, poultry, and fish, rest the meat on rings (or "doughnuts" ) of crimped aluminum foil. This elevates the meat from the bottom of the pan so it roasts evenly and keeps it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

• To preserve fresh herbs, gently wrap them in a damp paper towel, place them in a zip-top plastic bag, and refrigerate up to 10 days.

• Use a rind of Parmesan cheese to impart a nice nutty flavor to homemade tomato sauce. Simply slip the rind into the sauce, and remove it when cooking is complete.

• To get more juice from lemons or limes, poke a small hole into the fruit, microwave for 10 to 15 seconds, cut, and squeeze.

Chef Billy on the Road

You can meet Chef Billy in person at one of our Cooking Light Supper Club Events. The events includes a four-course dinner and a cooking demonstration by Chef Billy, plus a bag filled with sponsor product samples and coupons. Each evening has a special theme, such as Mediterranean Cuisine or Asian Fusion.

In addition to the nearly 20 national Supper Club events we will host in 2005, he will be making Southern Women's Show appearances, Wine and Food pairings at ABC nights in Florida and Sam's in Chicago.