There are a lot of techniques out there for how to cook the perfect steak, from flipping it multiple times to applying a spice rub or dry brine to aging the beef. But it turns out that there's a super-easy way to make a great steak at home, and all you need is a good cast-iron skillet and some salt.
I love making stock. It's thrifty because you get extra use out of poultry bones and vegetable peelings, plus having homemade stock on hand makes so many things taste better, from soup to stews to pasta sauces. If you deglaze a pan, homemade turkey stock, booze of some kind, and butter will create an eye-rollingly good sauce in mere moments. One task I do not love? Figuring out how to skim the damn fat off the stock (or soup) after I've made it. It's necessary to skim the fat as you boil down...
Netflix has received a lot of publicity lately, and not because of its impressive worldwide library. From blog wars with Comcast to streaming deals with Verizon, it's easy to forget that the company exists for our entertainment, but sometimes that entertainment has drawbacks.
It's so nice to be able to reuse old glass jars for food storage. Occasionally, though, even the sturdiest container has to be recycled because it retains the smell of its previous contents. Usually the culprit was garlic, garlic-based, or something pickled, and you're certainly not going to store your fresh herbs or fruit in that. There is, however, a quick and easy way to get that old stink out of your jar and make it usable again. You just need two things...
The old "my battery is dead" excuse for not calling your mother may soon be a thing of the past. A team from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), led by Professor Jo Byeong-jin, has developed a "wearable thermo-element" that can be built into clothing to power your electronic devices. The science behind the innovation converts body heat (thermal energy) into usable electric energy. Made with lightweight glass fiber, this small thermo-element strip can produce about ...
Mashed potatoes are universally beloved, and for a good reason — they're cheap, tasty, and relatively easy to make. What's more, they're adaptable to just about every dietary regimen, whether you're vegan, gluten-free, or lactose-intolerant. And they're a staple for holidays such as Thanksgiving.
I've already shown you an easy last-minute prank involving toothpaste-filled Oreos, now here's a great joke involving an integral part of the cookie-eating experience—milk.
Rock-hard ice cream is the bane of my culinary existence. If I try and scoop it out with a spoon, the spoon invariably bends. If I use a traditional ice cream scooper, I end up with a torqued wrist and one or two pathetic curls of ice cream for my efforts.
Despite being disgusting, houseflies are actually beneficial to humans in a few ways. As scavengers, they help the environment by eating rotting organic matter, and make great food for pet tarantulas. Regardless of the advantages to their existence, having them in your home can be infuriating. There are countless sprays, traps and devices made to kill or deter the little pests, one of the most common being flypaper that hangs from the ceiling. These sticky strips are incredibly easy to make a...
Love or hate 'em, you've got to admit that cupcakes really had their moment. They started rising in popularity back in 2003 with the opening of Crumbs Bake Shop in Manhattan, and quickly became one of the most annoyingly ubiquitous food trends to date. Seriously. Type "cupcake" into Google. While I wouldn't turn it down if you put one in front of me (red velvet, please), I can't say that I was particularly disappointed to hear that the cupcake trend is coming to an end. I'm more of a cheeseca...
A few months ago I was driving around trying to find a store using Apple Maps (a terrible situation in and of itself), when my iPhone decided to shut off in the middle of giving me directions. I had no idea what happened, and when I looked at the screen, I saw this: My phone had never overheated and I really didn't know what to do. Needless to say, I couldn't really get to where I was trying to go without those directions. I pulled over and waited for the phone to cool back down, which took a...
The gold standard of great foods on a stick is reserved for honey battered corn dogs and shish kabob (which is surprisingly spelled just like it sounds). But when I saw this absolutely amazing concoction of breakfast food combined with the queen of meats, I fell in love. Now, if you are looking at this picture and still don't know what it is, you are definitely not a chicken and waffles fan, otherwise you would have figured it out right away. I mean, what else goes well with syrup-drenched wa...
First of all, I would like you all to meet my good friend Iggy. There he is, in all his scaly reptilian glory. As you can see, he spends a lot more time on top of his cage than inside of it. You see, Iggy here doesn't deal well AT ALL with confinement. I don't know if it's possible for a lizard to be claustrophobic, but if it is possible, then Iggy definitely is. When his previous owner gave him to me, I tried to keep him in the cage, but I quickly realized that it was a bad idea. When confin...
Inductive charging is already a reality on popular smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S III and Google Nexus 4, and Apple has recently published a patent that would make inductive chargers a reality for the iPhone. There are also several phones that have the capability for wireless charging, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note II.
Not many people fly kites anymore. Most of us don't have the patience or attention span because, let's face it, we're used to smartphones and other gadgets that have games and apps galore to entertain us. Heck, you can even fly a kite on them if you really want.
Here's a technique I used to whip up a batch of super cheap and easy to make smoke flares! WARNING: Ignition of an incendiary or explosive material may not be legal in your area, so check local laws before attempting. Use of this video content is at your own risk.
With presidential voting going down on Tuesday, November 6th, voters are beginning to anchor down on their choice for president. But with the way the media works, this may be difficult for some people because the news sites they listen to give conflicting and sporadic information on the candidates.
With the microwave oven transformer (M.O.T.) salvaged in a previous project, a simple electrical circuit can be rigged to get high voltage arcs to fly outward and upward along a "V" shaped spark gap.
Having a flash drive is more or less a must, but the biggest downside is that they often get stolen, and it's not hard to figure out why. They're small, so they easily fit into pockets, and a lot of people store valuable information on them. Want to pretty much guarantee no one takes yours? Disguise it as a broken USB cable like Windell Oskay of Evil Mad Science Labs so it just looks like a piece of junk to would-be thieves. The materials are pretty simple: a flash drive (the smaller the bett...
If you're a Breaking Bad junkie who can't wait for the next episode, satisfy your craving with a little at-home chemistry and make some blue DIY smash-glow crystals! No, this is not Walter White's so-called "Big Sky" or even the subpar cringe-worthy product of his competitors. It's not even the same kind of crystals, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this. This is totally legal, even kid-friendly if you play it safe, though it actually requires more safety precautions than the potassium nitra...
As a pale white boy growing up in Florida, you learn how to deal with sunburns. Most people will say to take cool showers to relieve the heat, but that only temporarily alleviates symptoms. The problem is that the sun has evaporated the moisture from the skin. The answer to relieve the stinging and pain is to re-moisturize the skin. I've done this countless times and it always works.
What’s better in the summer than playing around in the water? Lounging in the pool, water balloon fights, and playing in the sprinklers helps us forget how much it sucks to be outside in 100+ degree weather.
Thanks to everyone who submitted ideas in last month's Mad Science contest. The question called for your best idea for using Sugru, a temporarily malleable silicone modeling clay that self cures for a soft-touch permanent bond. It's a marvelous product for at-home quick fixes and for even making some cool DIY bumpers and grips for your electronics. William scoured through all of the comments and chose the two winners he felt best deserved a pack of Sugru.
In the following video, I demonstrate how to create a device capable of charging the body of anyone who wears it with static electricity, allowing a powerful shock to be discharged into anything that is touched. This grants the wearer the ability to do some pretty amazing things, some of which are shown in the first segment of the video.
Add a perfect theme dessert to your next Hawaiian luau with this decadent coconut cream pie. After a long week at work there’s nothing better than a little back yard barbecue fun with friends topped off with the perfect treat.
You know your going to have to sleep outside and you don’t know how to stave off the chill of the night. With the right equipment, some layering techniques and a full belly you be sure to get a good nights sleep even if it’s cold out.
Fishing can be tough when it's really hot outside, but don't worry, professional bass angler Kevin VanDam has some advice for outwitting those bass in the summertime. Beat the heat, and beat the bass, with these summertime fishing tips, like using finesse baits and reaction baits.
Jason Lee teaches us how to style your hair with Blake Lively waves in this tutorial. Start off with clean straight hair, then heat up your curling iron. After this, grab a section of hair on the top of the head and place the middle of the strands into the curling iron, wrapping it around. After a few seconds, let the hair go and comb through it with your fingers when it drops down. Continue do this through the entire head until you have all the hair curled. When finished, apply hair spray to...
In this tutorial, we learn how to make sodium acetate. First, pour a bottle of vinegar into a large pot on a stove. Next, add in baking soda slowly until it is completely dissolved into the vinegar. Stop adding the baking soda once the mixture doesn't bubble anymore. Now, turn the heat to medium and let the mixture boil down until you get a rich gold color. Now, grab a box of activated filter carbon and pour it into the bowl with vinegar and baking soda. When finished, mix the product togethe...
In this tutorial, we learn how to make cotton candy with a cotton candy machine. First, you will want to take your choice of flavored sugar and pour it into the top of the cotton candy machine. Next, you will take your paper cone for cotton candy and place it in your hand. Turn on the machine on and when it's heated up and sprays out sugar strings, move your hand quickly around the machine and gather the cotton candy up with the cone! You can enjoy as soon as it's done and layer different fla...
Split ends are a pain. They make your hair look fried and frayed, when it should look smooth and shiny. In this tutorial, get some helpful tips on how to reduce and eliminate your split ends.
Chicken and vegetables Ingredients:
Watch this video to learn how to make a tasty snack made from simple ingredients. Peel potatoes; should they have any sprouts remove them. Cut each potato into 2 or 3 pieces. Chop onion finely. Cut horizontally several times; repeat procedure vertically. Chop cabbage into fine, narrow pieces. Place cut potatoes into a pot full of water while adding some salt. When water starts to boil reduce heat a bit. Check potatoes for tenderness and at that stage remove water. Replace pot onto burner. Usi...
Ever wonder how to make futomaki sushi and California rolls? Cut ingredients for filling. Remove both ends of cucumber. Make 6 cucumber sticks. Cut avocado in ½, twist, remove seed. Remove peel. Slice into thin pieces. Cut shiitake mushrooms into fine strips. Cut barbequed eel lengthwise. Using 2 eggs seasoned with salt and sugar, make egg omelet. Heat pan; add a little oil. Pour 1/3 egg mixture into the pan and when almost cooked gather on far end of the pan. Re-oil pan. Add 1/3 mixture of e...
Google Photos is one of the most useful apps for storing, sorting, searching, and sharing all of the photos and videos you capture on your smartphone — but if you travel, it just got a lot more useful.
It finally happened! In a world of "go big or go home," Magic Leap has finally done something other than tease us with vague promises and rendered video concepts. Although, other than actually showing us what the developer's kit will look like, it seems little more than a slightly different kind of a tease. To demystify this new product, we here at Next Reality decided to put together what we know about the hardware.
All day I dream of eggs: scrambled, poached, over easy, hard-boiled, fried, baked, raw... Okay, the last one is a joke (unless you're Gaston, which means that you eat five dozen of them and you're roughly the size of a barge). But eggs are freaking good in just about any cooking prep, and more often than not are the foundation of your favorite baked goods.
Few summertime drinks are as sweet, tart, and refreshing as lemonade. It can cool off even the hottest day and help you relax poolside, on the beach, or just sitting around the house.
For the novice cook, fungi can be weird because, well, they're fungi. However, if you've been afraid to get acquainted with mushrooms, you've been missing out. Vegetarians love mushrooms and with good reason.
We see Steampunk props all the time and wonder where the maker found all their pieces. In fact, for some people it's almost like a game to examine each prop and see if they can name all of the original parts.
