One of the best things about talking to other people who love food is that they point you to weirdly beautiful ingredients, like this: No, that's not an escapee from Middle Earth you're seeing. It's one of Mother Nature's best attempts at making fractals come alive into a golden spiral: the Romanesco (sometimes called fractal broccoli, broccoflower, or Romanesque cauliflower). Here's another view: So Just What Is It & What Does It Taste Like?
Your waffle maker might just be the most underutilized tool in your kitchen. This one appliance can make bacon, eggs, hash browns, cupcakes, falafel, mac and cheese, and cinnamon rolls much more quickly and with less mess than traditional methods. Plus, the results all come out waffle-shaped—what's not to love?
Meat tenderizers are absolutely necessary when dealing with leaner, tougher cuts like flank or skirt steaks. And while fruit like papaya, kiwi, and pineapple contain enzymes that can tenderize meat, the results can be hit-or-miss, and impart a fruity flavor that you may not always want.
The drinking straw isn't just there to help you make annoying noises when you get to the bottom of your soda. That little tube of plastic is extremely versatile and can make your life a lot easier with a little know-how. Curious? Read on to find out more.
In case you haven't heard, chia seeds are off of the novelty plant grower and in your supermarket. Why? Because they're a nutrient-dense food loaded with calcium and fiber (18% and 42% respectively of your RDA per one ounce of seeds). There are even some preliminary studies that show chia might be useful in combating diabetes.
Instinctively, we reach for popsicles and cold drinks when the temperatures climb, but doing something counterintuitive, like going for a hot drink or eating something spicy, is actually more effective at keeping you cool.
Brining is magic. All you have to do is make a mild saline solution, toss in your protein of choice, let it soak, and cook. You end up with incredibly tender, flavorful meat or tofu for very little effort. So why aren't more of us doing it?
An open bottle of wine can be dangerous. You intend to enjoy—nay, savor—a single glass, but then two episodes of Top Chef later, that sucker is empty. Now you have to go to work the next day with a wine hangover. What happened? Turns out there are some unconscious reasons you might be chugging more wine than you wanted. Never fear. Along with clenching your fists to make better food choices, there are some tricks you can use to moderate your wine intake. Researchers at Cornell University disc...
I'll be the first to admit how horrible my memory is, whether it's remembering to take out the garbage or paying a bill on time. That's why I regularly utilize the stock Reminders app on my iPhone; it's definitely compensated for my memory deficiencies.
Sometimes you've gotta take your shirt off fast, whether it's a romantic night, a quick jump in the pool, or for extinguishing someone on fire.
Ever wonder why when you defrost meat, there's all that pink liquid at the bottom of the plastic bag? That liquid is called "purge," and it's not good.
Toilet paper isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you want a hot meal, but when you're camping or out in the field (i.e. military training), a little TP is the difference between cold tuna and luxury.
You probably already know that cooking involves a ton of chemistry. Bread rises because of the reaction between the flour and leavener, and the delicious crust on your steak is formed by the Maillard reaction. Understanding the chemistry going on behind the scenes is one of the best ways to improve the quality of your food—it's much easier to fix a problem when you know what's causing it.
Autumn is a time of year when everything looks, smells, and tastes good. The scents of cinnamon and spices are everywhere you go, and even the dead leaves that fall off the trees are pretty. In particular, the fruits and vegetables of the season are gorgeous.
Attention all veterans and active-duty military personnel—this coming Tuesday, November 11th, is Veterans Day, that time of year where the whole country thanks us for our service. For the most part, a simple thanks will do, but some folks like to go above and beyond and give us veterans free or discounted meals and discounts on merchandise in stores.
When it comes to Easter, I usually dig plastic eggs with money or chocolate inside but hard-boiled eggs shouldn't be missing from the party. And simple hard-boiled eggs won't do. You need to decorate them because we all know bunny eggs are extravagant. What's even better than bunny eggs, though? Spider-bunny eggs.
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...
If you're like me (and everybody else probably), you probably have a few nights of reckless drinking that you wish your could take back, or at least turn down a notch.
What can't coconut oil do? This edible oil, extracted from the copra or meat of a coconut, has done what most other food, beauty, and health trends have not: demonstrated real lasting power. Indeed, the "superfood" continues to make headlines, with its many uses the subject of debate, study, and fervent support. From the obvious (cooking) to the less so (home improvement), there are likely many coconut oil uses you're not yet aware of.
If you've ever wondered what exactly goes into a McDonald's sandwich (or what the heck that secret sauce stuff is anyways), you might be a little surprised to learn that all of the ingredients are readily available at your local grocery store. In an interesting move, McDonald's has released a video featuring Executive Chef Dan Coudreaut showing, step by step, how to make your own Big Mac sandwich at home. Here is the video, and if you'd like to read along with Coudreaut's instructions, you ca...
These days, news papers, online editorials and magazines are filled with news on Iran and Syria. Of course, that is expected, as such sources need to stay current to stay in the game. My concern is that most of these articles talk about what to do about these situations.
Unless you're a high-schooler building a nuclear fusion reactor, the hardest part of a science investigatory project often is coming up with a good idea. You want it to be cool yet feasible, novel but still useful.
A food waste disposer can be very helpful in preventing your kitchen sink plumbing from clogging. In this video, Joe Schmidt of YouToo Can Do shows you how easy it is to install a food waste disposal. For this installation, you'll need plumber's putty, channel locks, and a regular screwdriver.
Any medical student could benefit from this video lesson, whether you're training to be a doctor or a nurse. The very first step to finding out what's wrong with your patient is examining him/her for their vital signs. You must check the patient's pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and know how to use every kind of sphygmomanometer. To see the entire examination procedure, perfect for nursing students, watch the video to see how to examine a patient for vital signs, and refer to the steps b...
In this tutorial the how2heroes show us how to make pigs in a blanket from scratch. First, take 2 packages of mini cocktail franks, place them in a bowl and set aside. Now, that 2 1/3 cups of flour, pinch of salt, 1 stick of room temperature butter, 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese and mix it in a food processor until it's made a crumbled texture. Now, add 2 eggs and 2 tbsp of cold water and keep pulsing until the mixture has come together. Now you will place the dough on a counter with flour...
The Holy Grail of chicken has just been found by an unsuspecting reporter of the Chicago Tribune. Yes, that's right: The secret 11 herbs and spices in Colonel Sanders' Original Recipe chicken has finally been revealed, and it looks legit as hell.
You wait forever to dye your hair because you can't afford the costs of hair dye products. This video will show you a way to dye your hair on time without breaking your wallet. The secret? Kool-Aid and food coloring. Watch to see the transformation from natural black hair to a color of your choice.
The Improper Behavior achievement in Dead Rising 2 demands that you spraypaint all of the 33 Zombrex posters hidden in the game. This take a lot of paint and lot of observation, and some help from this video. It will show you where each poster is, and the creator wrote up a handy guide to getting enough paint.
Fromage blanc cheese is something every cook should experience in the kitchen. To consider yourself a real chef, you need to grab the cheesecloth and dip your hands in the cow's milk, because making cheese is a culinary experience like no other.
Ever wonder why Jupiter has those colored bands across its surface? Jupiter's enormous mass is made from an array of different liquids, and those fluids do not play well together because of their different makeup. All of the hydrogen- and helium-based fluids are thought not to be miscible, which means that they aren't homogeneous in nature, resulting in strikingly beautiful bands across the planet's surface. But what about viscosity and how that correlates to the development of planets? What ...
Late in the Dwarf Fortress game building machinery can allow you to pump water around the map and power mill stones to make more advanced food. This video will show you how to build and use machines safely, without destroying your fortress and the lives of your dwarves.
Kids have an infamous reputation for thinking vegetables are icky. After all, when compared to more fatty and grease-loaded foods like Hot Cheetos and french fries, it seems veggies just taste too...healthy. Which is apparently not a good thing in the eyes of a sugar and salt-obsessed child.
Listening to Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata," with its moody minors and grab bag of sharps, is like turning through page after suspenseful page of a forlorn Romantic era novel.
Do you like your guac chunky? Yes? Well, then this video is for you. Learn how to make a super delicious, chunky style, avocado guacamole, perfect for tailgating or a Super Bowl party. Before you actually get to making this chunky guacamole, there's a few tips and tricks to learn, like how to tell if the avocado is ripe enough for your dip, and how to cut it and remove the center.
To start making your tea and toast, roll about a section of white fondant about four inches by six about 1/8th inch thick. Now take a one inch circle cutter and cut out one circle. Now taking a half inch circle cutter, make an impression in the center of the first circle being careful not to go all the way through. Now you have your saucer for your toast. Next, take a one inch square cutter and cut that out of the fondant as well. Cut it in half diagonally and poke tiny little holes with a to...
Monitoring your blood glucose level is absolutely essential to your health if you suffer from diabetes. You need to keep track of your blood sugar or you could be in danger. This video tutorial will show you the proper way to use a blood glucose meter and give you helpful tips on getting the most out of them.
The secret to making a good pot roast is to start with a good organic roast. With the meat at room temperature and sprinkle both sides with salt. Next chop a whole clove of garlic, put it in a bowl, and add some oil, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cut several slits or holes in the pot roast and poke the pieces of garlic into the holes on the top and bottom and sides. Put some of the vegetables in with the roast at the beginning of the cooking time: a leek, an onion, a carrot and a couple s...
This video shows you how to prepare Peach Cobbler. To begin, prepare the crust. Stir together flour, salt, and sugar. Add cold butter and butter flavored Crisco shortening. Mix together with a fork or a pastry blender. Add cold water. Stir with a spoon. Place dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
This video answers the question, how do you safely clean an LCD? Remember that LCD’s do not have glass so you have to be careful how much pressure you apply, as well as the kind of cloth you are using, or you can damage or scratch the screen.
Chinese food is delicious, but it isn't very healthy and can be quite expensive. In this video, Betty adds a Southern touch to a traditional Asian dish and makes vegetables with a soy sauce gravy. The veggies are good for you and filling, and the gravy gives them a nice, hearty texture. Enjoy this dish anytime, and if veggies aren't enough for you - toss in some chicken or seafood, or even noodles and create your own delicious meal!
