You’ve done it. I’ve done it. We all have done it. You follow the recipe, but somehow you’ve made a mistake and don’t know how to fix it. I once invited several “orphan” friends over for Thanksgiving dinner. But I didn’t use a meat thermometer for the turkey. Mistake. The interior was still uncooked.

“You’re supposed to be the food columnist!” everyone crowed. Sure, sure. But even we make mistakes.

In order to fix this one, I had to slice up the turkey, arrange it on a baking sheet, and put it back into the oven to finish cooking. Slicing it sped up the process. But I learned not to rely on those imprecise pop-up thingies to tell me when the turkey is done. Now I use a meat thermometer.

Another time, I baked cupcakes for my son’s classroom to celebrate his birthday. They came out raw in the middle. But wait! I’d baked them for the usual 30 minutes. It turned out that the oven’s electric element had died in the middle of baking.

This was before microwaves or air fryers, so I had nothing as backup. I had to buy cupcakes instead.

Here are more ways to fix or avoid problems when you cook.

Some common problems

• You put too much salt in the soup. Many online sites tell you to toss in a raw potato to absorb the excess. It doesn’t work. Instead, add more liquid — broth, tomato juice, water, etc. And add more vegetables or pasta or rice. The extra ingredients will dilute the salt. If you’ve spilled the whole box in there, throw it out and start again.

• Many people have the opposite problem. Their dishes are too bland or flat because they are afraid to add salt. It’s salt that makes food taste more complex. Unless you have specific health issues, a few shakes of salt will not hurt you, and it can greatly improve the flavor.

• Along the same lines, add some herbs or spices to elevate the flavors. If using dried herbs, grind them up to release their essence. It’s amazing what a few herbs or a sprinkle of spice can do turn a dish from “blah” to “yum.”

• Fried foods not browning? That means you haven’t pre-heated the oil. It must be brought to a specific temperature so it can create a good sear on the food. When you sauté, don’t add the food until the hot oil starts to shimmer in the pan. Otherwise, you’ll end up with soggy potatoes or limp onions.

• You’ve added too much vinegar to the salad dressing. It’s become pucker-worthy! Balance it out with a bit of sugar or honey. Sweetness balances out the sourness of vinegar, citrus and similar flavors. It also means that if something is too sweet, a bit of lemon, lime or other acid will help control it. Just don’t use orange juice because that adds more sugar.

• If you’ve gone too heavy with the hot sauce or chili powder, your best bet is to add some sour cream or plain yogurt to help reduce the heat. This is why Mexican dishes are often served with a side of sour cream.

• My first attempts at gravy were a disaster. I didn’t know you had to mix the flour or cornstarch with cold water before gradually adding it to the base. Nobody wants lumpy gravy. If you’ve made this mistake, use your immersion blender to smooth it out. Stop the moment it’s smooth or the gravy could separate.

• When your egg whites won’t whip up properly, add 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar for each egg white. That helps strengthen the air bubbles. Whip them long enough to form stiff peaks. But if your beaters or bowl have even the smallest bit of grease, kiss the mixture good-bye. They’ll never whip up. Keep your tools squeaky clean, and don’t allow even a smidgen of egg yolk to enter the mix.

And there’s more!

• Your food is steaming instead of frying. This means you’ve over-crowded the pan. Fried foods need room to let the steam escape so they can crisp. Remove some items from the pan, and cook in batches. Or use two frying pans if everything must be ready at once.

• When fresh-baked cookies turn soggy, it’s because you aren’t cooling them on a rack. If you let them sit on the countertop, the steam is getting trapped. On a rack, the air circulation is important.

• Throw out the garlic if you’ve burned it. You’ll never overcome the bitter flavor. Instead, cook garlic only briefly — just long enough for it to turn golden. Then remove it from the heat right away.

• Did the cake break when you tried to remove it from the pan? Next time, use baking parchment to line the bottom of the pan. For now, if the cake is in pieces, layer it in a bowl with whipped cream and sliced berries, and serve trifle.

• How about those times when your dish didn’t turn out exactly like the picture in the cookbook? No worries. Food stylists are paid to make those photos look perfect. If the dish tastes good, nobody will care if it’s ready for a studio shoot.

• You’re frustrated because when you sliced into that steak, all the juice ran out. That’s because you didn’t let the meat rest for five minutes before attacking it with a knife. Resting allows meat fibers to relax and reabsorb the juices.

Tip of the Week

Keep your compost bin going throughout the winter. Toss in wood ashes, shredded newspaper, or even paper towels (if they aren’t greasy). Trimmings from your now-defunct summer vegetable garden are great, too.

Recipe of the Week

Now that we’re really into autumn weather, it’s time to fill the house with spicy aromas and the warmth of fresh baked goods. These muffins fit the need perfectly. Serve with warm cider, pumpkin spice latte or a nice chai.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Makes 12

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

Demerara or turbinado sugar for sprinkling (optional)*

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 12-section muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease the tin.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger until well combined. Stir in nuts and raisins.

3. In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.

4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing gently until just combined. To keep the muffins tender, avoid overmixing.

5. Stir in the milk until the batter is smooth and well incorporated.

6. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full. For a crunchy finish, sprinkle the tops with demerara or turbinado sugar.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

8. Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

• Demerara or turbinado is a large-grain sugar that creates a crunchy finish on baked goods. It’s available at most markets.