Dry Schoolyard Search Results

How To: Sprout mung beans for Indian style recipes

Bean sprouts are an extremely healthy and delicious way to enjoy legumes. Although sprouting can seem intimidating to some, it is really an easy process. Any whole bean can be sprouted - Mung, Garbanzo, Kidney, Moth, Adzuki, Lentil, etc. Sprouts can be eaten raw in salads or cooked. Watch this how-to video and try this simple method for sprouting mung beans.

How To: Cook Indian spinach raita with yogurt

Spinach raita is yet another tasty way to prepare the ever popular green vegetable. Spinach is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin C, tocopherol, vitamin E, vitamin K and magnesium. It also contains several vital antioxidantS and folic acid. Watch this How-to video and try this spinach and yogurt combo with rice or chapattis. It’s a perfect accompaniment to any meal.

How To: Recognize poison ivy

Poison Ivy and Poison Oak are a problem throughout the United States. The resin on the leaves is what bothers us, causing acute dermatitis (a bad rash). If you happen to come in contact with it, quickly wash with hot soapy water, that should at least reduce the amount of irritation. Poison Ivy has three leaves and a little bit of red where the leaf merges with the stem. There is a new product made especially for eradicating Poison Ivy and tough brush. To use this product, spray the leaves tho...

How To: Use basil after the season is over

We next visit the farm, where the real production takes place. They are growing some unusual items. Several herbs, like Shiso or Perilla (Perilla frutescens) are available in green or red varieties. They have a very unique flavor, almost nutty with a touch of citrus and a very aromatic flavor. Jerry uses them to make a green apple shiso ice. And you can use it as a salad green when it's young and actually use the seeds as well. Use the tips in salads and the seeds when they start to form, the...

News: Another Reason to Wash Your Sheets—Deadly Hospital Fungus Linked to Moldy Linens

Six people have died from fungal infections in Pittsburgh hospitals since 2014—that fact is indisputable. The rest of the situation is much vaguer. A lawsuit has been filed against the hospitals on behalf of some of the deceased patients, alleging that moldy hospital linens are to blame. While the lawyers argue over who's at fault, let's look at how this could have happened.

How To: Cook Any Cuisine Perfectly by Knowing the Right Ingredients to Use, Part 1

Home cooks are often quite intimidated when trying to reproduce the delicious ethnic dishes they enjoy at various restaurants. Thankfully, there are definite flavor profiles and spice/seasoning/herb combos that are very specific to various regional cuisines and cultures; with a little guidance, you can create dishes that are tasty homages to the cuisines you love to eat. In this two-part article (second part here), I'll cover both categories and sub-categories of some of the most popular ethn...

How To: The Only Seasoning Your Cast Iron Pans Will Ever Need

Cast iron pans are a timeless treasure—they're an essential kitchen tool that will stand the test of time, and no home kitchen is complete without one. However, they do have a reputation for being difficult to care for... with arguments both for and against regular seasoning. In 2010, a blogger named Sheryl Canter claimed that she found the best way to season a cast iron pan that would keep the cast iron from rusting... or requiring re-seasoning! And after a few hands-on test by Cook's Illust...

No-Boil vs. Traditional Pasta: Should You Make the Switch?

We here at Food Hacks are all about saving you, our wonderful readers, time and trouble in the kitchen. So when I saw that Barilla had come out with their Pronto line of "One Pan, No Boil, No Drain" pasta, I had to give it a try. While no-boil lasagna noodles have been around for a while and allow the pasta to essentially cook en casserole, this relatively new addition to the pasta scene includes elbow, penne, spaghetti, and rotini varieties that allow for usage in a greater variety of pasta ...

How To: 5 Delicious Hanukkah Crafts for the Whole Family

Being Jewish is kind of tough this time of year. Folks are putting up their lights, stringing popcorn and cranberries, and decorating trees. Those of us who don't celebrate Christmas start to feel a wee bit left out in the cold. Yes, some families give out presents on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah, but the truth is that it's not a major holiday on the Jewish calendar.

How To: Freshen Your Older Fish Filets with This Simple Trick

I love eating fish at restaurants—the flesh is flaky and tender; the scent, fresh and sweet. Cooking fish at home is a completely different story, though. Even when I do cook successful fish dishes, it often leaves this (for lack of a better description) fishy smell that permeates everything it touches. Monday's salmon becomes Wednesday's odor. It's enough to deter me from cooking fish, period.

How To: What to Do When You Don't Have a Mortar & Pestle

We're all familiar with the sinking feeling that happens when you cruise through a recipe, only to arrive at an instruction that calls for a tool you don't have. Some of the best food hacks (and my personal favorites) exist to combat that problem. Why spend money on a kitchen tool—or worse, avoid a recipe altogether—when you could find a new way to achieve the same result?