If you have a local Trader Joe's, you know first-hand how enchanting the frozen aisles are—almost every item offers the promise of a delicious meal or dessert. (We're always tempted to open the package and eat the cookie butter cheesecake, stat.)
I have to confess: my egg slicer has been neglected ever since I bought it. I had ambitious dreams of using it to slice perfectly symmetrical slivers of hard-boiled egg into my salads... but the truth is, once I tucked it into a kitchen drawer, I completely forgot about it. That is, until recently when I discovered that it can be used to slice way more than just eggs.
When to throw meat away is a common question, and one I often ask when faced with meat sitting in the fridge after a few days. With vegetables, you can usually tell on sight (or with this guide) when they're past due, but meat is not as simple.
Chicken breasts have gotten a bad rap. Dry, flavorless, boring... poor white meat gets no love, and dark meat gets all of the credit for being sinfully flavorful and delicious. But the truth is, even though chicken breasts are lower in fat and calories, they can also be incredibly versatile and full of flavor... if they're prepared correctly. You're probably familiar with poaching, which is a technique that gently cooks more delicate meats such as chicken or fish fully submerged in a liquid b...
Polenta can cause risotto-like anxiety for the most experienced cook. First of all, making polenta is time-consuming—it can often take upwards of 45 minutes (unless you use this shortcut). And in the midst of this long cooking time, you're constantly stirring to keep the polenta from becoming lumpy. Even after taking the utmost of care, the polenta can still turn out too loose, too firm, or too grainy.
Beer isn't just for drinking anymore. There are many useful and surprising things that an ice-cold brewski can help you accomplish, from household chores to better-tasting food. It can even help you look and feel healthier.
When you have a parent who cooks—and has you act as sous chef—the kitchen automatically becomes a less intimidating place. In other words, kids who know their way around the kitchen will most likely become adults who cook for themselves, which also means that they'll eat more unprocessed whole foods, save money, and maintain a healthy weight.
Kitchen tools are a personal thing. One hard lesson for me to learn is that just because something is popular doesn't mean that it's right for me. Take the slow cooker, for instance. Many rave about it, but I never cottoned to the thing. However, the more research I do, the more I think the pressure cooker might be a game changer for my cooking style.
I grew up eating Korean, Japanese, and Chinese food, but it wasn't until college that I experienced Thai and Vietnamese cooking. Once I started, I couldn't get enough of these cuisines. The dishes had an incredible richness and savor that I couldn't identify, but whatever it was, it made me want to keep eating.
Don't leave your tongs out by the grill, as they are one of the most useful and versatile cooking tools to have in your kitchen. In my house, they come in a very close second to chopsticks, which I cook with everyday. Like chopsticks, they make it easy to delicately flip and turn food with precision. But unlike chopsticks, there's no learning curve, so anyone can use tongs for easier, simpler cooking.
Lasagna, that layered, creamy baked pasta dish, is a lovely comfort food that's great for a crowd. But if you've ever made it, then you know you're usually left with some leftover lasagna noodles. (Although that's always better than the frustration of running out of the noodles while you're still making a traditional lasagna.) Still, what do you do when you're still left with a bowlful of the wide ribbons?
Like most people who cook in a small kitchen, I'm very wary of adding anything to my drawers and cabinets unless I'm sure it's going to be essential to my cooking arsenal or that it can be used in multiple ways.
You can find chili peppers in practically every cuisine. From the sweet Italian variety to the spicy Thai bird's chili and the smoky Mexican chipotle, peppers are ubiquitous and universally loved. But if you find the range and scope of these little fireballs overwhelming, you're not alone.
I don't deep fry food that often, mostly because it uses a ton of oil, which is expensive, and the cleanup is a son of a mother. (That oil really splatters everywhere.) Plus, no matter how careful you are, you will get hit by hot oil at some point and it will not be pleasant.
"Cooking" with liquid nitrogen seems like one of those activities that should be strictly limited to pros who are appearing on Top Chef, but it's the only way you'd ever be able to make Dippin' Dots at home. If that isn't enough of a reason for you to get some LN2 for your kitchen, check out this dose of pretty:
There are several reasons why restaurant food tastes so good. One is that the cooks know how to make reductions, which involves cooking down large amounts of liquid until it becomes a pool of thick, glossy sauce. While this technique isn't hard to learn, it can be time-consuming.
Butter can be even more delicious than it already is. While that may be a shocking claim, it's most definitely true. Many new cooks and even seasoned chefs don't realize this, but the few minutes it takes to do these things will pay you back exponentially when it comes to that buttery taste.
Unless you're a pretty avid home cook, you probably don't know a lot about sous vide. Sous vide is a low-temperature cooking method where food is cooked in vacuum-sealed plastic bags in a water bath for a prolonged period of time.
How to build an outdoor, homemade fire pit out of an old washing machine drum! It looks great and works fantastic. Fire pits are conventionally made from stone or bricks and as the name suggests, are made into a pit in the ground. The fire pit that l have just built is a little different to that.
Harnessing the power of the sun is something that Captain Planet made cool before it was the go-to for renewable energy. Solar-powered energy is quick and cheap, and can make for some really cool DIY projects. And for those of you wondering what you should do with your old satellite, look no further. Aaron from Sharealikelicence offers up a way to create a DIY outdoor satellite cooker. He started with an old Ku Band dish and covered it with aluminum tape, for better reflection of the sunlight...
A rocket stove is a "rocket" combustion approach to preparing meals, which provides high combustion efficiency and efficient heat transfer to the cooking pot. Research suggests (through practical experience) that by using a rocket stove, you could save at least 50% of fuelwood, which is a significant savings for anyone's financial situation.
Get the most out of your Windows Phone 7 smartphone with the tips and tricks on offer in this two-part video guide from the folks at Intomobile! Learn the ins and outs of the WP7 user interface and discover how to perform essential, everyday tasks like how to make and receive phone calls.
Adamantine is the best, most versatile metal in Dwarf Fortress, but discovering and using it bears great risk. This video will teach you all about adamantine and how you should react to ensure you survive what happens after you find it.
Facebook has added (yet another) brand new feature to their ever-expanding website. This new tool is called "social plugin" and it actually works all over the web. Now, Facebook will follow you wherever you go online. If you are on a completely different site (a news site for instance or a blog) you will see a little Facebook widget in the corner. You can then "Like" what you are reading or see if your friends "liked" it before you. This will then be published to your profile on Facebook for ...
In this video, learn how to use perspective in your drawings. You will discover how to use Photoshop to draw an image with a two point perspective. This process is not difficult and in this three part series you will get expert advice on how to achieve it.
Some people like their screens to be dim while others like theirs to be bright. Some like brightness to automatically adjust, while others like a constant level. One of the salient advantages of a Google Android smartphone over, say, an Apple iPhone, is the inherent extendibility of the open-source Android mobile OS. There are a seemingly infinite number of settings to tweak and advanced features to discover and use. This free video tutorial will show you how to adjust the brightness of the d...
Take walks for exercise, to roam around your neighborhood, or just to get outside? Want to know how far you walked? Well, it's easy to do with MapMyWalks and Google Maps! One of the salient advantages of a Google Android smartphone over, say, an Apple iPhone, is the inherent extendibility of the open-source Android mobile OS. There are a seemingly infinite number of settings to tweak and advanced features to discover and use. This free video tutorial will show you how to map out your walks us...
With some mobile devices you can't be certain exactly what's running and it can be difficult to stop programs. Not true on your Android device. You can easily look at running services and stop them if desired. One of the salient advantages of a Google Android smartphone over, say, an Apple iPhone, is the inherent extendibility of the open-source Android mobile OS. There are a seemingly infinite number of settings to tweak and advanced features to discover and use. This free video tutorial, in...
Many applications, especially those found in the Android Market are more effective when they know your physical location; like an app that's going to find the nearest gas station, restaurant or ATM. One of the salient advantages of a Google Android smartphone over, say, an Apple iPhone, is the inherent extendibility of the open-source Android mobile OS. There are a seemingly infinite number of settings to tweak and advanced features to discover and use. This free video tutorial, in particular...
Looking to make the perfect steak dinner but not sure about the details yet? Steal this recipe for steak with stilton & mushroom sauce to create a dinner that is sure to make stomach's happy. To make this meal you will need about twenty-five minutes and the following ingredients:
Paula Dean shows us how to make Filet Mignon for a romantic dinner for two in this video. Marinate your steak meat in the refrigerator using a plain Italian salad dressing. You can use a bottled dressing or make your own, if you prefer. Marinate for about 4 hours, 2 hours on each side.
In this video Dave shows his unique way to grill fillet mignon. Dave begins the video with a brief history of fillet mignon. Dave says his unique way is easy as long as you follow his simple steps: 1) Allow steak to come to room temperature before putting it on the grill. This allows the cooking time to be a lot more consistent, and you won’t have a very cold middle with an overcooked outside. 2) With a great fillet mignon cut, do not over season. He adds just a little salt and coarse groun...
Show your fellow dance warriors what you're made of! Perform an impressive hop on a handstand trick with help from this free lesson. In order to hop on a handstand, it's important to first know how to do a handstand, as well as what muscles to use. Discover how to use the shoulders and arms to hop on a handstand with help from this expert: CJ Kendricks is an instructor, entertainer and artist who has attacked the stage at the Dirty South Awards. Learn more dance moves from this expert by sear...
Did you know that Jennifer Lopez, also known as "J. Lo", got her start as one of the "fly girl" dancers on the comedy sketch show, "In Loving Color"? To become a backup pop dancer, you need to get yourself out there and meet people with similar interests or join a dance team. Discover some steps one can take to getting closer to their goal of ecoming a backup dancer with advice from one expert.
Does the combination of techno music and a dance floor make you nervous? Learn how to hit a techno dance floor with no qualms. Techno club dancing uses a move called jump styling, which consists of 12 steps. Discover how to do this step and more from an expert.
The next time you hit a dance floor, show that crowd what you're made of with an impressive head spin! Head spins are dance moves that should be done under the supervision of an instructor, and a beanie or skull cap should be worn to avoid injury. Discover why wood flooring is the best for head spins with help from these two experts. Bliss & Zetta are professional hip-hop dancers and choreographers. Learn more dance moves from these two by searching WonderHowTo! You're only practice time away...
If you're entering into the world of break-dancing you'll soon discover there are varying levels of skill. In this video, learn how to do some break dancing moves geared towards beginners with help from two dance experts. A basic break dance move that a beginning dancer can do is the top rock, which involves crossing, turning and coming out. Learn how to do all of the steps of beginning break dancing moves with help from this free lesson.
Make your transition into the Hip-Hop world a tad smoother with help from this free lesson. Hip-hop dance is a form of dance that can be seen on the streets or in the studios, and its incredibly important to listen and move with the beat of a song. Discover the importance of paying close attention to the music when hip-hop dancing with help from this free lesson.
This particular video demonstrates a method to wax your snowboard. This method of waxing the snowboard does not involve use of iron. It is done using a large piece of wax and a piece of cork. Firstly we need to rub the piece of wax over the surface of the snowboard. Hard rub is required and one ball jay is the most efficient. After rubbing for some time we need to polish the waxed using a large round piece of cork. After polishing for some time you will discover a shiny looking snowboard read...
Pineapple and bananas make a great complimentary dish to go along with pork or shrimp or many other items you are cooking. First you want to make a rum glaze. Start by melting down some butter. Add some dark rum, pepper, and some brown sugar to the butter. Then stir it up and set it aside. Take some bananas and cut off both ends of the banana leaving the skin on. Then cut the bananas in half length ways. Put them skin side down on a baking pan. Next take a pineapple and cut the top and bottom...
