Ah, bello risotto. There are few comfort foods in the world that provide the same savory creaminess. Yet for all its simplicity, risotto has gotten a bad rap as a difficult dish to cook. In actuality, nothing is further from the truth.
Most of the time we only use the microwave to reheat or defrost, but you can actually save a lot of time by using it for cooking. These genius recipes make the most of this underused appliance, and also turn out some pretty tasty dishes.
When I was a kid, there was just pizza. You ordered from whatever nationwide chain was near you and they made your pizza in an oven. There certainly weren't these highfalutin pizza subsets that have more choices than a cheese shop. Wood-fired, brick oven, artisanal, make-your-own — it's enough to make you long for simpler times.
Salt is one of my favorite ingredients, by far, and also one of the most overlooked foods in the kitchen. This is probably due to the fact that it's an essential component of almost any recipe; because salt is a necessity, it's easy to forget how dynamic and versatile it can be as well.
Canned pumpkin is something I always stock up on and keep in my pantry, because it's endlessly useful when cooking or baking. Sweet, creamy, and mild, pumpkin can be folded into baked goods and savory dishes with ease.
If you're anything like me, you probably think it's borderline sacrilege to even think about a sandwich or a burger that doesn't have a layer of smooth mayonnaise. But I don't just keep a jar of it in my fridge for lunch—it's also there for practical purposes.
While Kobe beef cows get massaged, American dairy cows are taking a real beating. Many people are cutting back on dairy while a growing number of people are discovering that they're lactose intolerant. As the public's disdain of cow's milk grows, milk sales themselves are at a forty-year low.
Willpower is a pretty significant word. It's the difference between sticking with a clean eating diet and diving face-first into a plate of brownies. It's what drags you out of bed on Monday mornings and into work rather than letting you stay snuggled under the covers asleep. And, most importantly, it's the kick in the butt we all require to both accomplish goals and make changes.
Even if you've put aside your percolator and have gone the way of the pod coffeemaker, there are still dozens of ways to use your leftover coffee filters. Incredibly cheap, absorbent, and shaped with a ruffle, coffee filters are useful in the kitchen, garden, and around the house.
I know people who hate mayonnaise. I know people who detest ketchup. But I know almost no one that hates mustard, and that's because mustard has a complexity and depth that bland mayo and ketchup do not. Mustard runs the gamut from smooth and subtle to sharp and spicy, especially when you know how to make your own.
Somehow, we end up with a pile of leftover candy canes at the end of every December. Yet just because the enthusiastic holiday commercials are gone and the Christmas cards are on discount doesn't mean you have to let the minty sweets go to waste.
We've all been there. You can't decide what you want to eat and, even more confusingly, you want two distinctly different things, whether it's sweet and salty, Chinese and, well, cheese. Chances are when you're in this state of indecision, you also want to make this mythically satisfying meal really, really fast.
Look, I'm no food snob. I once dedicated an entire day to eating only deep-fried things (butter, Twinkies, Oreos, pickles) at the Minnesota State Fair. But even I draw the line at instant mashed potatoes. I mean, why bother? It's not that hard to make perfectly delicious and fluffy mashers yourself.
Just like Leslie Knope, I love waffles. Unlike that imaginary character, I don't require that my waffles come from JJ's Diner. I have a deep affinity for frozen waffles as well as the homemade ones. They're so convenient! A few moments in the toaster, and you have a great foundation for a sweet or savory topping, or just a big fat slab of butter and a little syrup. Turns out there's a great big world of frozen waffle innovation out there that I had never dreamed existed. And remember, frozen ...
One of my favorite things is finding an easy way to make what is normally a complex dish. Case in point: pasta sauce. Usually its depth of flavor is the result of fresh herbs, shallots, tomatoes, seasonings, olive oil, and a touch of dairy being cooked and added in stages. Long simmering mellows out each component's inherent character and turns pasta sauce into something that is far greater than the sum of its parts.
Listen, I'm not disparaging using really good knives—they can literally change your life, or at the very least, the way you work in the kitchen. However, there are many cutting and slicing tasks where you're better off using a sturdy pair of kitchen shears rather than a chef's or even a paring knife.
Broccoli is super. Not only is it jam-packed with nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin A, folic acid, calcium and fibre, but it's one veggie that refuses to be just a side-dish. Nobody puts broccoli in the corner.
Hard as it is to imagine, there are people out there who loathe garlic and onions. Some might have allergies or medical conditions like IBS, or are supertasters (i.e. people who carry a certain gene that makes them extremely sensitive to how certain foods taste). Others might just be picky eaters.
Beer, glorious beer! It can stop grilled meats from producing carcinogens, can make fried foods super crunchy, and it even saved civilization from total annihilation. Is there anything it can't do? Sadly, yes.
It's nice to have a drink on an airplane, whether you're taking a flight somewhere fun or for work. However, what's not so nice is the high prices and relatively bad quality of the liquor that's available.
Most people give their fruits and veggies a cursory rinse under the faucet before eating or cooking them, but is that few seconds under running water really enough to remove any remaining dirt, pesticides, or wax clinging to the surface?
A lot of people rely on the date on the packaging to tell them when food has gone bad, even with eggs, but the sell-by dates are often somewhat arbitrary and are not expiration dates. If you've been tossing your eggs based on the dates on your carton—you could be wasting perfectly good food.
What is gluten, why do some people think it is pure culinary evil, and why are there more and more products devoted to being free of this mysterious substance? Here's what one person thinks: What Is Gluten Really?
We've already taught you a few tricks for getting chilled, rock-hard butter to spread easily on toast, and some of you probably bypass that issue entirely by purchasing spreadable butter from the supermarket. But why waste your money when you can make a healthier, tastier version at home for a fraction of the cost?
Valentine's Day is a day for love, but it also just happens to be the time when every flower shop in town hikes up their prices. Chocolates are still relatively cheap, but I never understood why you have to give the gift of bigger love handles when something more creative gets the job done at a much cheaper price.
Most recipes don't specify what type they mean when they call for onions. While using whatever kind you already have won't necessarily ruin a dish, using the best one for what you're cooking will definitely make your food taste better.
To make soap, you need fat, and if you've seen Fight Club, you're probably well aware of where soapmaker Tyler Durden got his fat from. Liposuction clinics. If you're not willing to go that far for a perfect bar of homemade soap, you can just use some drain cleaner and America's favorite food instead—bacon!
It's always a good idea to have a pack of mints on hand, especially right after a cup of coffee or a lunch made with loads of garlic. Whether you're going on a date, to the dentist, or to an interview, bad breath is a major faux pas and totally avoidable. Simply pop a mint! But not just any old mint — homemade ones not only freshen your breath but can give you a sense of pride every time you need one.
While there are countless ways to welcome in the new year, many of them involve imbibing copious amounts of delightfully spirited libations. If you're anything like me, I know you're fearing the monster hangover on New Year's Day.
For some reason, there's only ever one person in a group of friends that has a cooler. Every time there is a hangout or BBQ, that friend is called and has to lug his expensive, huge plastic cooler around for everyone. Not really fair, is it?
Everyone could benefit from shedding a few pounds, but what about those who need to lose a little bit more weight? Exercise isn't an option for everyone, with as busy as our lives are right now. It's hard to go running and do a few pushups when you have a hard enough time scheduling your day already. But if you're looking to shed a couple pounds here and there— without lifting a finger— this two-part video will help you out with some Jedi mind tricks!
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, leaving holiday cookers scrambling for turkey recipes the whole family will love, without taking up the whole holiday in the kitchen. One thing's for sure though— a nice Butterball turkey is sure to be the main dish on everyone's table this feast-ive holiday season.
Apple pie is one of those timeless, classic American comfort food dishes that'll always be gobbled up at the dinner table no matter what. But a big problem with such a delicious pie is that greedier eaters will eat more pie more quickly than slower eaters, which causes upset.
Despite what their name may imply, chess bars have nothing to do with chess and everything to do with delicious foodie goodness. These chess bars are made from a blend of cream cheese, butter (of course), and yellow cake mix and the result is a crunchy but light dessert.
Trix are for kids, but Fruit Loops are for everyone? Don't you ever think you're too old to nom on the pure sugar heaven that is Fruit Loops! While we are totally for grabbing handfuls out of the box and stuffing it in your face, there are other ways you can make use of this colorful "tropical" treat.
In order to get 6-pack abs, the most important part of this process is to lose weight. You can do that by increasing cardio exercise and decreasing your caloric intake. There is an iPhone app that can help you called "LoseIt". It will keep up with your weight loss and your plan. It will tell you your calorie budget for the day. It keeps up with your calories. It keeps track of your food intake. It will keep track of your exercise.
Coca Cola is pretty ubiquitous by now, and no matter where you go, from Morocco to the United States, you'll always find someone throwing down a nice cold Coke. Coke is also, unsurprisingly, one of the most recognizable drinks in the world.
It seems that cupcakes are the designer foodstuff of choice these days. They're really not all that different from cakes (they're made from the same dough, after all), but their miniature size makes them individually portioned for convenience and also a great base for adorable decor.
This video gives advice on how to gain weight by increasing your appetite. It is important to eat nutrient dense high calorie foods. The problem is how to increase your appetite enough to be able to eat the calories you need to gain weight.
This video tutorial will take you through all of the necessary steps of the Master Cleanse. The Master Cleanse is a fast that has been around for over 60 years. Created by Stanley Burroughs, the diet is based on the idea that we are constantly putting toxins into our systems and need to periodically flush them out.
