Vacuum sealers keep food fresher longer by first removing the air from plastic food preservation bags and heat sealing the bag to keep air out. They have rapidly become a popular way to keep your frozen food fresh.
No crème brûlée is worth its custard without the crackled, caramelized crust it's famous for. For this reason alone, many cooks have a brûlée torch sitting somewhere in their cabinets.
Nowadays, it feels like you can't talk about eating healthy without bringing up quinoa. Quinoa (KEEN-wah) has been the "superstar" of the health movement for a while; 2013 was declared the International Year of Quinoa by the United Nations, and has only continued to grow in popularity with both health nuts and culinary experts alike through the past few years. The true testament to quinoa's success has been its eventual integration into our everyday lives. Quinoa is now very accessible to fol...
Keeping apples or avocados from browning after being cut is impossible; within minutes of being exposed to air, these fruits (yes, avocado is a fruit) begin to brown. No matter what you try—adding lemon juice, keeping the pits in place, immediately sealing the produce in an airtight bag—brown discoloration always occurs. However, air is not the only reason that foods like apples, avocados, and lettuce brown: it's also due to the knife you're using.
If there's one thing that gets used far too frequently in the modern kitchen, it's the trash can. Home cooks everywhere waste enormous amounts of food by throwing it away before it's actually ready to be tossed.
Although I love a good kitchen gadget just as much as the next food writer, the truth is that my drawers are bursting with unused tools. I usually like to take the simpler approach to cooking and prepping, and for everyday cooking, I find that the best gadgets are usually the ones that do more than one thing.
Few things in life are as exciting and magical as fire. And setting things on fire while cooking? Well, now you're speaking my language. I'm not talking about grilling, though I do love some outdoor cooking. No, I'm talking about the most badass trick in any cook's arsenal: the flambé.
Rather than reaching for aspirin the next time a headache strikes, try grabbing a drink of lemonade instead. Not only can it help ease your head pain, but it can also help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. But not just any old lemonade will do the trick—reach for the lavender lemonade.
Food labeling is a tricky beast. For instance, when I read the words "cage-free" on an egg carton, I think it means that happy chickens frolic in a sunlit meadow all the livelong day until they're gently herded into a clean, sweet-smelling coop to lay a few dozen eggs—which I can purchase for a reasonable price, of course.
We're always looking for great food hacks to help us become better cooks who can create delicious food with less waste, fuss, and hassle. You never know where the next good tip will come from, so we've all learned to keep our eyes and ears wide open.
Eating healthy poses a challenge nowadays with so many options that taste great but aren't really good for you. Nutritionists have made it their life's work to understand what actually does a body good. Here's how you can follow their example.
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.
Deep in the crevasses of the Songshan mountain range, an Indian dhyana master established the first Shaolin Monastery in 477 AD, seeking to spread the relatively new teachings of Buddha at the time. This monastery then bred the Shaolin monks, who are now popular for their incredible feats with Chinese martial arts, particularly with Shaolin Kung Fu.
If you've ever stumbled through Pinterest's boards, you'd know that Pinners have quite a penchant for aesthetically beautiful desserts. You can find a whole spectrum of "huh?" recipes, from pumpkin zebra cheesecake to sorbet terrine with plum compote.
Want a very nontraditional take on a classic American comfort food? Then this hearty and spicy recipe is it. Made with ample helpings of salsa, cilantro, black beans, yellow corn, green and red bell peppers, and enchilada sauce, this casserole dish will make your mouth smoke with its succulent hotness. The casserole is then topped with a layer of Monterey and Jack cheese for added crunch and gooeyness.
As a young girl, there's nothing not to love about tea parties. With frilly confections of dresses, delightful and whimsical tea cups that recall the "Alice in Wonderland" tea party, and pastel-hued pastries that look as sweet as they taste, a tea party is the ultimate girly amusement.
Want a free meal at McDonald's restaurant? Forget those money-saving (supposedly) weekly coupons, that's nothing compared to an actual free meal. Coupons won't get you that. But this method of free food, perfect for the freegan or the poor (or maybe just the rude). This would technically be qualified as a prank or con, but hey, you got to eat, right?
Chef John from Food Wishes has created this video tutorial on how to make a butter pie dough from scratch. First, chop up two sticks of unsalted butter and put it in the freezer. Next, weigh out you flour. It should be exactly 12 ounces. Add a half teaspoon of salt. Put the flour and the frozen butter slices in your food processor. Pulse on an off until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs - not too fine, but no big chunks either. Add half of the mixture of ice water and apple cider vinegar. ...
Ever wonder how the chefs on TV make those realistic looking cakes? Well, this tutorial will show you how to make an adorable looking ladybug for the top of your cake. In this two part video, you will learn how to make a shiny fondant (gum paste) ladybug with edible antennae.
Catching sight of a hummingbird floating from flower to flower is one of those rare gifts from nature. In this quick and easy guide, use a little bit of science and learn how to make a hummingbird feeder that will attract all the birds in the yard.
"Fast food" can be healthy and gourmet! Foodie Gwyneth Paltrow hosts this quick cooking show to take you through the steps of a roast chicken and potato meal. You'll need a chicken, a couple lemons, garlic, rosemary sage, thyme, pepper, olive oil, and fingerling potatoes. You don't need to be a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow's to enjoy the tasty meal prepared in this mini cooking show from her website GOOP.
Second Class Boy Scouts work on building their outdoor survival and camping skills. Compass work, nature observation, camp tools, and swimming are areas where new skills are mastered and demonstrated. A second class scout, having completed all the requirements, should be able to lead a hike, care for his own equipment, set up a campsite, and perform basic first aid.
As a Boy Scout, when the First Class rank is attained, a scout has learned all the basic camping and outdoors skills of a scout. He can fend for himself in the wild, lead others on a hike or campout, set up a camp site, plan and properly prepare meals, and provide first aid for most situations he may encounter. A First Class scout is prepared.
This week's recipe is a Secret Ingredient team favorite. Not only is it a brilliant use for leftover bread, it's a lively salad of peppery arugula tossed in roasted tomato vinaigrette, topped with toasted goat cheese and generously garnished with Whole Catch™ Wild Caught Crab. Summer salads don't get much better than this!
If your family veers on the smaller side (so we're talking more the Gilmores than than the Duggars) then a 20 pound Thanksgiving turkey is probably a bit too much food for you to handle. Luckily, there are alternative ways to serve turkey without needing to pull out a big bird.
In this tutorial, we learn how to cook soul food style string beans. First, drain all the water out of the can of green beans. Then, leave half the liquid in another can of green beans. Put them all into a pan, then add 2 tbsp olive oil along with salt, pepper, garlic powder, seasoned salt, onion powder, and soy sauce. Then, add in 2 tbsp of butter to the string beans. Add as much or as little of the seasoning to the beans as you'd like and just let it heat up. When finished and hot, serve an...
In this tutorial, we learn how to make blue silly putty. To make this, you will just need borax, glue, and food coloring. First, pour a cup of water in a bowl with a couple tablespoons of glue and some borax. When it's all poured in the bowl, mix it together. After this, add in the food coloring until you have the color that you want. Mix the putty together until well combined and then play with it! You can store it in a plastic container to play with later and use for whatever type of craft ...
Comfort food is delicious at any hour of the day. And there's no comfort food more savory and tangy than BBQ. BBQ ribs, pork, chicken - frankly, we love it all, but these Fat Man's BBQ ribs are so delicious they're sure to find their way into your regular dinner rotation.
Now that Halloween is over, we're getting closer than ever to the holiday season, which includings a lightning-fast sequence of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. This means you have to be prepared for cooking comfort food for big crowds.
Scalloped potatoes are a comfort food dish enjoyed by many families during Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season, but that time period tends to be the only time period in which this dish gets any play. That's because, delicious as they are, scalloped potatoes take an awful lot of work and time to prepare, and no one wants to slave away at the oven for hours.
Grilling a perfect steak is not as hard as you think...when you have a few tips, of course. Check out this food video to learn how to grill a thick, tender slap of striploin steak seasoned with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Got almost no time to make a fancy breakfast in the morning? Then consider omelettes to be your new BFF. They're super easy to make and if you don't like the basic version (just eggs plus a pinch of salt and pepper) you can always toss in chopped up veggies like onions, carrots, and mushrooms.
In this video we learn how to strategically buy stocks in a bear market. In the last bear market, we were able to buy high quality stocks for a great price. These are great times for value investors to purchase cheap stocks and see their share prices go up as the economy becomes better. You also want the company to rise and become more popular so you are getting more of a return after the stocks that you have bough in the first place. When you do this, you can reinvest after this and get a lo...
In this tutorial, we learn how to easily make butter. All you need is a food processor or jug and some heavy cream. To do this with the processor, you will pour the cream into the food processor and continue keeping this going until you see chunks of butter start to appear. After this, you will drain the butter from the milk and then add salt to make it taste better. If you do this in a jug, you will add the cream into the jug and just shake it continuously until it's turned into butter. Stra...
In this tutorial, we learn how to make raw macadamia nut butter. First, you will need to take some raw macadamia nuts and a food processor. Pour the macadamia nuts into the food processor. Then, let this spin for around five minutes or until the butter has started to form. There should be no chunks left in the mixture, the oils should come out and help the mixture blend. After this is finished, scoop the butter out and you will taste an amazing raw macadamia nut butter. This will also work fo...
In this tutorial, we learn how to make models and ornaments with salt dough. First, grab a baking sheet and place aluminum foil over it. Now, grab some gloss sealer, salt, food coloring, flour, ribbon, glitter, cookie cutters, and buttons. To make the dough, combine flour with water and salt. Mix this together until you get a dough shape, then roll out and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Cut a small hole in the top of it, then bake until golden brown in the oven. Tie a string in the hole...
What beats succulent pork chops served up with a can of beer on Football Sunday? Pork chops marinated WITH beer! Sounds weird but we promise the result is delicious.
Martha Stewart famously won't put any foods in her mouth unless they're fresh from her own garden, and most other dedicated cooks and foodies probably feel the same way. Fresh always tastes better, hands down. So if you're lucky enough to have a small garden attached to your house and are growing corn, check out this food video to learn how to harvest your hard work.
Seriously, what's not to love about a banana cream pie? Naturallly creamy, sweet bananas, crispy pie crust, and mountains of whipped cream make this comfort food dessert one of our all-time favorites.
What does brie NOT taste good with? We've had the runny, rich cheese on French baguettes with ham, we've used it to dip our fruit into, and we've eaten it as is because, simply enough, the cheese even makes air taste good.
