Hands down, a chef’s knife is the most useful tool in the kitchen. A quality chef’s knife that’s properly maintained will save you time in the kitchen and keep you out of the emergency room (eep!). I’m not sure about you, but I’m hard pressed to remember a meal I’ve made without a chef’s knife at my side.Continue Reading
Sesame Seeds: How to Toast Them
Sesame seeds are pretty awesome little critters, especially when they’re toasted. They’re packed with flavor, copper, manganese, calcium, iron, and so much more. They can be used in anything from stir-fry, to bread, to smoothies. You’ve probably noticed them all over in Asian-themed foods and in salads.Continue Reading
Mirepoix: How to Make and Use It
At it’s most basic, the standard mirepoix (pronounced “mihr-PWAH” or “meer PWAH”) is a mixture of onions, carrots, and celery sautéed in butter. It’s used as an aromatic, flavorful addition to foods ranging from soups and sauces to braised meats and marinades. Chefs around the world also refer to it as “The Holy Trinity,” and it can be used in oh so many ways.Continue Reading
How to Use flickr as a CDN in WordPress
Howdy, this post is going to deviate a bit from the normal. Rather than talking about food, I want to share a few insights I’ve learned about hosting images on my website using flickr. It’s been helpful for me over the years, so perhaps it will help you too.
Continue Reading
10 Rules for a Happier Kitchen
After a few years of observing the kitchen habits of myself and others, I’ve decided to put together a little list that I think a lot of us could benefit from. This list briefly details 10 things that I believe will help make cooking less stressful and more enjoyable.
Continue Reading
Book Review: Ratio by Michael Ruhlman
I’m on a book craze right now and can’t stop stuffing my face with awesome literature. I recently finished reading An Edge in the Kitchen by Chad Ward and immediately after finishing, I picked up Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman which I quickly devoured in each spare minute that I had. In my opinion, Ratio should be required reading for anybody who cooks in the kitchen.
Continue Reading
10 Ways to Make Cooking Enjoyable for Kids
For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while now, you know that I enjoy cooking with my family in the kitchen, especially with my daughter, Maggie. The best part about it is that Maggie enjoys cooking with me. This is a tradition I plan to continue for as long as Maggie wants to hang out with me. From what I hear, once they get into those teenager years, “dads” become nerdy. What kids don’t understand is that some of us have always been nerdy–but we can talk about that at a later time.
Today, I want to share with you some ideas to get your youngsters involved in the kitchen.
If you’re lucky, your kids will want to know what you’re doing in the kitchen and they’ll take an interest in it and even pitch in voluntarily. Maybe you’re not so lucky and your kids think the kitchen pretty much sucks and is just another way for you to torture them. Who knows, maybe they’re right–but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Continue Reading
How to Freeze Onions
Here’s a quick answer for you: yes, you can freeze onions. Read on to learn how.
Onions make a great addition to many foods. Sometimes though, you’re in a hurry to add some flavor to a soup or meatloaf, and don’t have a lot of extra time. Other times you may find yourself with an onion surplus through either your garden or accidentally purchasing too many at the grocery store. That’s where frozen onions come in handy.Continue Reading