General cooking tips
Buy Local Food : See if you can find out where your food has gone before it gets to your plate. You may be suprised by the results. Often it will make financial sense for companies to transport food enourmous distances by planes, boats and lorries. This dosn't take the environmental cost into account (which of course is likely to lead to greatly increased economic costs in the long term).
One of the best elements of travelling is sampling local delicacies, so please don't order a burger and chips when you are in India - not only is the meat likely to be of a poor quality (sometimes so poor that it will make you sick), but you are turning down some of the most wonderful food in the world - and possibly offending your hosts.
Buying an Oven : In gas appliances, look for blue flames; yellow flames indicate the gas is burning inefficiently and an adjustment may be needed. Consult your manufacturer or your local utility.