Cookbook author, celebrity chef, television personality, and former White House nuclear policy analyst Ina Garten is familiar to many as the queen of foolproof cooking. Also known as the Barefoot Contessa, Ina hones in on techniques and tips that make time in the kitchen far less intimidating to folks of all skill sets. We've rounded up 8 of Ina's most useful cooking tips to help you out—from dinner parties to everyday cooking. Her philosophy is that it's always easier than you think!
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.
En papillote may sound like a difficult French cooking method you'd never use at home, but don't be fooled by its fancy name—it's actually a really easy way to cook food that is moist and flavorful, and all you need is some parchment paper and your oven.
A slow cooker can be both your culinary companion and your go-to gadget in the kitchen. That's right: the idea of slow cooking is no longer for Southern housewives or purveyors of the Ladies' Home Journal anymore. The times, they are a'changing!
My daughter moved into her first apartment last year, a huge rite of passage in any young person's life. With a mother and two grandmothers who are good cooks (to say the least, in the case of the latter), it's not surprising that she turned to us for some advice about how to improve her own skills in the kitchen. Without question, the single best piece of advice we have given her is to employ mise en place each and every time she prepares a meal.
If I could survive on one food for the rest of my life, it would be pizza. The irresistible smell of baking pizza instantly makes me feel both comforted... and hungry!
There's something magical about homemade foods, especially when they're items that most people don't make. Even the simplest bread tastes divine when you've mixed it yourself, kneaded it yourself, and gotten the dough stuck underneath your nails.
Chicken and dumplings doesn't have to be hard, and with this recipe, you'll learn the easiest way to cook chicken and dumplings— EVER. There's not that much to it, and it doesn't clog up the kitchen time, so watch and learn and grab all of these ingredients:
Grating your own cheese and vegetables helps you get great flavor out of your ingredients, but cleaning graters is a pain. This video will show you a quick, easy way to clean graters with a lemon that will have you grating again in no time.
If you're cooking a wonderful Mediterranean-style meal, you can't leave these delicious potatoes out! This video recipe will show you how to make this quick and easy, oven-roasted garlic potato side dish. It's the perfect addition to any vegetarian and vegan menu.
In this video, you'll learn how to make your very own floam. Floam is a fun little toy, kind of in between slime and silly putty, and you can make this with just a few household items. Just search in your garage, and with a few ingredients, you'll be making magic in no time at all!
Interested in making an edible Jell-O brain? With the right tools and proper ingredients, it's easier than you'd think. So easy, in fact, that this free video cooking lesson can present a complete overview of the process in about four minutes. For more information, including the full recipe, and to get started making your own hello brains, watch this video guide.
Realistic fake blood is hard to come by, unless you plan on spending tons of money ordering it from a prop company. Make it yourself! This video features step-by-step instructions for making fake blood at home out of simple ingredients, with a blender being the only tool required. This way, you won't need to resort to drawing it from a real human.
Buying tartar sauce from the store can be easy and all, but making your own can not only taste better, but be more fun as well. In this tutorial, you'll be finding out how to prepare your own homemade tartar sauce from scratch using easy to get ingredients. It's perfect for your fish and chips and can be used with other foods as well. Enjoy!
Yearning for some authentic Korean cuisine? You don't have to travel to Korea, but just find the right recipe to bring Korea to you! In this video presented by Aeris Kitchen, learn how to make traditional Korean chicken soup! To complete this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
If you like Lush Shower Jellies, but don't like the price, then making your own shower jelly products at home is the option for you. Shower jellies make washing exciting and invigorating, so watch this how-to video to learn how to make homemade shower jellies.
Puppy chow is not for your puppies! It is a sweet, chocolate and crunchy treat made from Chexmix coated in a mixture of peanut butter, chocolate chips and butter. This is a very decadent treat that can be stored in a plastic bag.
Sometimes you like your salsa chunky, and that's fine. Of course everyone does salsa their own way, but it's always good to see what recipes are out there. Variety is the spice of life, and salsa is the spice of tortiall chip consumption. This video tutorial demonstrates how to make a great quick and simple, chunky salsa recipe.
See what happens when you mix a few cooking ingredients into water! This video tutorial will show you the trick to stiffen water with flour and salt. It's a pretty simple trick, and you don't need to be a science genius to do it. Just mix a little salt and flour together, then dump into the pre-boiled water and watch as it hardens completely stiff.
It's not just about a pretty twist of lemon peel; it's about the lemon zest and the citrusy oil, and all of that nestling in your glass and interacting with your cocktail's ingredients, says CHOW. This is an important technique for bartenders. Learn how to make the perfect lemon twist as a cocktail garnish.
You've heard of matchs green tea making a great beverage, but how about it making a delicious breakfast item. In this cooking how to video our Japanese host demonstrates how to prepare and cook matcha French toast. You can even brew a cup of match teach to go with your French toast.
This HowTo video is a cooking demonstration that is loaded with fresh veggies, mixed with a Thai yellow curry sauce and served over shell pasta. This recipe is ready in just 10 minutes with this easy to follow recipe. All the ingredients your need for this Thai dish are: cooking oil, red pepper, green pepper, zucchini, squash, onions, baby corn, asparagus and Gourmet Curry Simple Yellow Curry ( or your favorite yellow curry sauce).
Watch this instructional cooking video to prepare a shrimp mold appetizer. This recipe tastes much better if you can use fresh jumbo shrimp, but you can also prepare this with a more modest selection of shrimp. This English style hors d'oeuvre is easy to prepare with common household ingredients.
Dan Vincent, a bartender in Laguna Beach, CA shows you how to make specialty martinis for you, your friends and family in this video cocktail-mixing tutorial. This specialty drink just needs four ingredients, and is great for the summer. To make the pomegranate martini, you will need vodka, triple sec, simple syrup, and pomegranate juice.
There is nothing tastier than homemade Italian sausages. Watch this how to video and learn how to make homemade Italian sausages from scratch.
The Dark and Stormy is a delicious and refreshing cocktail which uses dark rum and fiery ginger beer. Garnish with half an apple which has been fanned. A cocktail for everyone to enjoy, no matter what time of day or year! With only two ingredients it doesn't get much easier!
Store bought teriyaki sauce can be loaded with salt and weird artificial ingredients. Fortunately, teriyaki sauce is easy to make at home. You will need organic soy sauce, unrefined sugar, garlic, ginger, honey, and water. Watch this video cooking tutorial and learn how to make a fresh teriyaki sauce from scratch.
While sauces and relishes get a bad rap, if the ingredients are raw, all the nutrients are present, and pickled condiments can still have enzymes that will help digest food. This video cooking tutorial shows how to make a simple sweet pepper relish. You will need bell peppers, jalapeno, salt, sugar, and apple cider vinegar.
Here's the master mixer at work again preparing an incredible variation to the classic mojito mix by adding one of his favorite ingredients, lychee fruit. Learn how Manuel makes this beautiful cocktail with tips for this drink to work in a party situation. You will need mint, lime, simple syrup, lychee liqueur, and rum.
Carp can make great fish recipes. Watch this how to video and learn how to make Cajun carp. This spicy fish and shrimp recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Gather up your ingredients and prepare some carp for dinner.
Knowing how to make tomato sauce is essential. Are you making pizza or preparing pasta? This how to video shows you how to combine tomatoes and other ingredients to make a versatile and tasteful tomato sauce. Enjoy!
Fresh tomato sauce recipes are quick, easy and delicious. In this how-to video, Rita Heikenfeld from AboutEating.com shows you how to use simple ingredients in this "no-cook" sauce. Tomatoes, basil, cheese and green onion give this sauce recipe is simple to make, but impressive to serve.
Did you know that July is National Ice Cream Month and that the third Sunday of July is National Ice Cream Day? In this how to video Dr. Diana teaches you how to make ice cream at home in ten minutes without fancy equipment.
Healthy, shiny hair is just an avocado away. In this tutorial, Roni Proter, host of Simply Beautiful, shows you how to make a conditioning hair mask using ingredients at home. All you need is some honey and a ripe avocado. Watch this how to video and you will have stronger, silkier hair in no time.
In this Halloween Science Video Series, Dr. Diana teaches you how to make fake and drinkable blood using ingredients from your kitchen. This recipe is perfect for your Halloween Party. Now all you need is some fangs for that blood to drip down, and you'll have the scariest costume.
Manjula shows you how to make pista kulfi in this how to video. Pista kulfi is a delicious Indian pistachio ice cream that is super easy to make. Watch and learn how to make homemade pistachio ice cream.
Watch this how to video as Manjula shows you how to cook up a corn veggie soup. This Indian style recipe makes a great healthy and vegetarian dish.
Omega 3 fats, found in salmon among other foods, are vital nutrient that should be in any diet. This salmon patty recipe from the Grazing Gourmet Guy can be made with canned goods, but with fresh ingredients will taste even better. Learn how to cook up these tasty salmon patties by watching and following along with this food preparation how-to video.
Watch this video tutorial on Ya-hon cooking and learn how to make this delicious Cambodian dish. Ingredients:
Its always fun to make smoothie that are less expensive than those sold at smoothie shops. Watch this how to video to learn how to make a simple yet very delicious summer fruit smoothie. Some of the ingredients for this strawberry and banana smoothie are: strawberries, bananas, mint, milk, sugar, and ice cream.
