Relax, you’ve got this

November 28, 2024 by
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My social media feed has been nonstop Thanksgiving prep the past couple of days. Our gathering will be smaller than usual, so I'm throwing out the rulebook (with one exception: there will be mashed potatoes), going with prime rib instead of turkey, and ending with tarte Tatin and Bourbon butterscotch ice cream for dessert. It's late in the evening here,… read more

How to solve common pie crust problems

November 15, 2024 by
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An unbaked pie crust sits in a pie plate with about three-quarters of the edge crimped with a fork. A fork, a rolling pin, and scraps of pie dough surround the crust
Even people who don't usually bake may reach into the cupboard and dust off a pie pan during the holiday season. Making a pie can be stressful if you don't regularly bake, but Food and Wine's Ann Taylor Pittman offers advice to help you perfect your pie with solutions to five common pie crust problems. These tips are aimed at… read more

Brown paper bags are a cook’s best friend

November 5, 2024 by
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Brown paper bags have been associated with food for decades. Before the rise of plastic bags, almost every supermarket and corner store used brown paper bags in the checkout lane. Is it just me or does everyone love the smell of a fresh paper bag? But I digress - these puppies can do so much more than tote home your… read more

Is blind baking necessary?

October 23, 2024 by
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If you have watched The Great British Bake Off or The Great American Baking Show, you know the dreaded words that a baker never wants to hear: you have a soggy bottom. To avoid this fate and ensure a crisp pastry crust on your baked goods, blind baking is the way to go. However, it can be intimidating and time… read more

Have a glut of produce? There’s a batch for that

September 24, 2024 by
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Closeup of caramelized onions on a sheet pan
Gardeners know this scenario all too well: one day you are admiring the massive quantities of vegetables ripening on the vine, and the next day you are cursing the massive quantities of vegetables ripening on the vine. The best way to deal with this abundance? Make items in large batches that you can freeze or preserve. The Guardian offers a… read more

One cup, many weights

September 1, 2024 by
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One of our Members recently emailed us a question that has likely been pondered by bakers ever since the kitchen scale was invented: just how much does a cup of flour weigh? While I have extolled the virtues of weighing ingredients before, I did not focus on the weight of flour specifically, although it is arguably the most critical weight… read more

Are you cuckoo for coconut?

August 27, 2024 by
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Coconut can be a divisive ingredient - maybe not as much as cilantro/coriander, but polarizing nonetheless. As someone who adores coconut, I don't mind the haters. It just means there is more of that rich, coconutty goodness for me. One of the great things about this tropical plant is its versatility. You can use it in savory or sweet applications,… read more

Great grilling tips

May 25, 2024 by
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Monday's holiday in the US marks the unofficial start to grilling season, although plenty of people love to grill year-round. There is something about the long days and return to warmer temperatures that makes it extra special at this time of the year. Whether you are getting ready to dust off the trusty Weber kettle grill or have something more… read more

The best cooking tips from 21 seasons of Top Chef

May 23, 2024 by
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It seems improbable that I started watching Top Chef eighteen years ago, but it's true: the show has been around since 2006! In that time, dozens of chefs have put their impressive skills on display in a variety of challenges. I have learned a lot by watching the program, and so have the folks at Food and Wine. They have… read more

Love your leftovers

May 16, 2024 by
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Are you someone who looks forward to eating leftovers or the type who grimaces at the aging container of leftovers at the back of the refrigerator and pushing them aside day after day until it's too late? If you are the latter, Sue Quinn wants to change your mind, saying that it's time for leftovers to shine. If you are… read more

An unconventional cooking method can save time and water

February 22, 2024 by
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When cooking dried pasta, the standard practice is to bring a large amount of water to a rolling boil before adding the pasta. This can take considerable time, especially if your stove is not powerful. However, by using a method that turns the traditional technique on its head, you can shave almost half off the pasta cooking time and nearly… read more

How to brine turkey and make gravy from a flavor scientist

November 17, 2023 by
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Here in the US, most cooks are planning their Thanksgiving day meals and to help a bit with that task, we have an excerpt from a book that will be released in March of 2024. Flavorama: The Unbridled Science of Flavor and How to Get It to Work for You by Arielle Johnson delivers recipes designed to easily finesse flavor… read more

Spice support: pink peppercorns

November 16, 2023 by
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You might have been introduced to them from the tri-color peppercorn mixes that often come with the purchase of a pepper grinder: pink peppercorns. These diminutive, brightly colored orbs are more than just an colorful garnish to be sprinkled over a dish, as Serious Eats explains in its primer on pink peppercorns. First things first - pink peppercorns are not… read more

Sweet potato 101

November 14, 2023 by
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A blue-green bowl holds cooked, diced orange fleshed sweet potatoes dotted with tiny black black seeds and bits of scallion
We are headed to the time of year in the US when more sweet potatoes are served than perhaps the rest of the year combined. Families that never eat the tubers at any other time will trot out sweet potato casseroles and sides during the holidays. This serves as a great opportunity to brush up on the different varieties available… read more

Stop telling me how to get rid of the garlic smell on my hands

August 31, 2023 by
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Frequently a post saying something like "this is the best method to remove the garlic smell from your hands" will pop up in my news feed. I never click on those posts. Not only do I not want to remove the odor, I would be open to a perfume that smells like garlic when it is thrown into hot butter.… read more

The sweet side of MSG

July 20, 2023 by
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There once existed a more formal divide between the sweet and savory sides of the kitchen, but over time the lines between them were blurred. Techniques and ingredients started crossing from one side to the other in both directions. A recent Epicurious article brings this concept home, as Anikah Shaokat makes the argument that MSG belongs in sweet foods just… read more

Get the most from your oven

June 22, 2023 by
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If you are like me, there is no room in your kitchen for another countertop appliance. While air fryers, Instant Pots, food dehydrators, and other devices have benefits, they demand too much space in my small kitchen to be practical. Despite this limitation, I do not feel bereft when I read all of the 'air fryer' recipes because I have… read more

Turn cake fails into tasty treats

April 19, 2023 by
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As any baker knows, sometimes things do not go to plan. There are myriad ways that cake baking can go sideways: parts of them stick in the pan, they bake unevenly, the center collapses, and so on. But just because things go awry that is no reason to toss the results in the bin. As Americas Test Kitchen explains, you… read more

Spice support: Sichuan peppercorns

February 16, 2023 by
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Sichuan peppercorns provide a mouth-tingling, warming sensation and are a vital ingredient in the cuisine of its eponymous Chinese region. America's Test Kitchen explores the history and culinary applications of the tiny berries, which aren't related to black peppercorns at all. Sichuan peppercorns are the berries of the prickly ash shrub, which belongs to the citrus family.  While most people… read more

Just give it a rest

February 2, 2023 by
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Whether it's a need to shorten meal prep due to physical limitations, hectic work schedules, or just to avoid spending all day in the kitchen, people often look for ways to minimize the time spent in preparing foods. One of the biggest lessons I've learned in my quest to reduce kitchen time due to a medical issue is that time… read more

You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs

December 8, 2022 by
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carton of eggs
In cooking or baking, sometimes the smallest action provides the biggest challenge. As I discovered when watching my husband make an omelet, one of these actions is cracking an egg. His approach is to crack the egg on the sharp edge of the mixing bowl, and his method almost always results in small shards of eggshell that he has to… read more

Cookie baking tips just in the nick of time

November 29, 2022 by
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If you are an avid baker you probably have a list of all of the cookies and treats you will be making for the holidays. Even people who rarely bake will whip out a batch of decorated sugar cookies or family favorites this time of year. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, good baking advice is always handy… read more

A spoonful of sugar

September 21, 2022 by
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I grew up far north (and west) of the Mason-Dixon line, the historical demarcation between North and South in the United States. I married a Southerner and lived in the South for many years, so I absorbed a lot of Southern cooking culture (although I never developed a charming accent, much to my chagrin). One thing my husband noted as… read more

Why butter temperature matters

August 2, 2022 by
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As someone who loves to bake, I find that many of my favorite recipes begin with at least one stick of butter. Whether the butter is straight from the freezer, needs to come out of the fridge, or should be tepid depends on what I'm making, as the temperature of the butter will greatly affect the outcome of the baked… read more

A lazy person’s guide to smoking

May 28, 2022 by
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My husband is one of those old-fashioned "lump-hardwood-charcoal-is-king" kind of barbecue smoking dudes. There is no denying that his old-school methods turn out wonderful smoked chickens, turkey breasts, ribs, briskets, and pork butts. However, the work involved is not insignificant, there is a lot of fussing and fiddling to be done, and that means we do not get to enjoy… read more
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