Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger hosted a Brunch Cooking Class at Border Grill in downtown Los Angeles on March 16. While preparing four courses (and a cocktail), they shared some fun facts and kitchen wisdom. Here are 12 of my favorite tidbits:

1. Chipotle is a dried and roasted jalapeño pepper. Ancho is dried and roasted Poblano.

2. Susan Feniger: “There are times of the year where a chile has no heat, and there are certain times it’s extremely spicy. When a recipe has a chile in it, taste it to be sure.”

3. Mary Sue Milliken: “Tajin is a mixture of dehydrated lime juice or citric acid, chile and salt” [and apparently goes well on the rim of a Border Grill Bloody Maria].

Bloody Maria is a popular Border Grill brunch cocktail.

4. Susan Feniger: “Whenever juicing citrus, roll the fruit to break up the pods of juice.”

5. Susan Feniger: “Whenever cutting citrus, wipe off the blade of your knife so it doesn’t undermine the steel.”

6. Susan Feniger: “When you’re making a salad dressing, it’s 3 parts oil or fat for 1 part vinegar, depending how acidic you like it.”

7. When mixing a salad, Susan Feniger prefers to use her “god given tool,” her hands.

Feniger and Milliken offer sweet guava empanadas for brunch.

8. Mary Sue Milliken: “Some pepper was ground in Sri Lanka in 1985. That and fresh ground pepper are two different animals. People say they don’t like pepper. They don’t like old pepper.”

9. Mary Sue Milliken: Give [grains] a chance to reach their full volume. She suggested a small amount of grains, a large amount of liquid and “patience.”

10. Susan Feniger: “The great thing about having a sharp knife when you cut yourself is it’s a good quick stitch.”

11. Mary Sue Milliken: Instant grits have been boiled and then ground. [but still retain nutrients, and cook faster.]

12. Mary Sue Milliken: “Parboiled rice has more nutrients than uncooked rice.”