Apartment Therapy: Tips & Techniques

Recipe: A Proper Chicken Giblet Gravy

Tossing out that baggie of vitamin- and flavor-packed giblets inside your chicken is kissing goodbye the opportunity for a proper chicken giblet gravy. What would grandma say? Mine would say tsk-tsk. ...

Good Food with Evan Kleiman: Vinegar That You Drink?

We had never heard of drinking vinegar until Elizabeth blogged about Toby Cecchini's article on vinegar "shrubs" last November. And now wouldn't you know, Toby Cecchini himself was on Good Food this p...

Tip for Eating Less: Make Mini Desserts

As Faith posted earlier today, we're going to be offering lots of ideas for clean, healthy eating in the weeks ahead. That means different things to different people, of course; maybe you want to add ...

Quick Tip: How to Make and Use a Slurry to Thicken Soup

Most of the time, we think of thickening soups and sauces with a roux, which is a mix of flour and fat added at toward the start of cooking. But a slurry added toward the end of cooking is another eas...

Weekend Project: Make Lollipops!

Looking for a slightly unusual addition to your array of holiday treats this year? Try making lollipops! Apparently, they're not as hard as they sound (no pun intended)......

Tip: Use Spreadable Goat Cheese in Place of Cream Cheese

I recently got hip to a great cream-cheese alternative for bagels and such and was thinking it'd be a nice time to pass on the tip given what a brunch-y time of year this is between Christmas and New ...

Craving: Muesli for Breakfast!

We just got our first real snowfall here in Boston, and now we're suddenly craving muesli. This is a simple yet hearty breakfast brought to us by the Swiss - who mean business when it comes to fueling...

Tip: Keep Brussels Sprouts Green With a Bath

We didn't eat a lot of Brussels sprouts when we were young. They weren't very appealing to us then. Now, however, we are quite taken with Brussels sprouts, and, curiously, we like them now for all the...

Candy-Making Basics: Quick Save for Cooked Sugar

"Candy"-making can get pretty "crazy"-making sometimes. The sugar boils faster than you thought, you forgot to measure out the cream, you can't find the recipe under the chaos on your counter - it hap...

Food On the Go: Granola Bars and Other Quick Snacks

We're super crazy busy. You're super crazy busy. And that's not even counting the holidays! Let's talk about some quick snacks that can be made ahead and grabbed on the way out the door......

Working with Yeast: Be Not Afraid!

When I talk to people about baking bread, one of the first things I usually hear is "Oh, but I'm afraid of yeast." So if you feel this way, you are definitely not alone! I'm not going to try and convi...

How To Peel Squash: An Easier Way

Butternut squash is one of our favorite winter vegetables. It stays in robust condition through the long winter months, and its sweet, creamy flesh is a welcome addition to curries, pasta, soups, sala...

Blogging Cook's Illustrated: Quick and Easy Sugar Substitutes

This time of year, we often come across recipes that call for sugars we don't normally use or remember to keep stocked, like superfine or confectioner sugars. What to do if you find yourself short? Th...

Quick Tip: Cook with a Clean Slate

When you're building the base for a soup or braise, things can get chaotic pretty quick in that pan. To make sure each new ingredient added gets its own quality time with the hot surface of the pan, c...

Braising: Best Cuts of Beef for Braised Dishes

On Friday we introduced Dave Zino of the Beef Checkoff Culinary Center. He explained the difference between stewing and braising. Today he's back to talk about the best cuts of beef for holiday braise...

Weekend Cooking: Bake Bread!

When it's dreary and cold outside, we can't think of anything better than filling the house inside with the smells of baking bread. If you've been dreaming of baking your own bread but have been nervo...

Good Tip: How to Know When a Sauce is Reduced

You know those recipes that tell you to reduce a sauce down to a certain amount? And you stand there wondering just how in the world you're supposed to know when this molten liquid has really reduced ...

The Difference Between Braising and Stewing

You know that we love braising, here at The Kitchn. It's one of our favorite ways to cook meat because it's easy, hands-off, and foolproof. It also works well on cheaper cuts of meat. We've noticed th...

Try This! DIY Air Freshener in the Crockpot

Getting rid of lingering food odors is a constant challenge for home cooks. We've tried candles and open windows (even in winter) and simmering pots of vinegar. Here's one more trick to add to our lis...

Holiday Tip: Cushion Your Packages With Popcorn

As you prepare to pack and ship fragile gifts to your loved ones for the holidays, here's a sustainable alternative to bubble wrap and foam peanuts; popcorn! Economical, sustainable, and efficient, p...

Weeknight Meal Tip: Ways to Doctor Jarred Tomato Sauce to Add More Flavor

Quick meals are a must during the busy holiday season, and we definitely turn to the grocery store for some help. Having a jar of pre-made tomato sauce on hand to pour over a bowl of pasta can be a li...

Use Pie Dough Cut-Outs to Top Pies

One of our favorite pies in last month's great Best Pie Bakeoff was Deb's Cherry Berry Pie, and this was partly because of her creative use of pie dough cut-outs to create a top crust. We like doing...

Cooking By Feel: Does It Matter if You Use Red or White Wine for Cooking?

Some recipes get pretty specific about the kind of wine they want you to use: an oaky chardonnay in this reduction sauce, a hearty Italian red for that braise. But does it really matter?...

10 Techniques Every Cook Should Know

Do you know how to fold, temper, braise, and brown? How about make a pan sauce, a roux, or a vinaigrette? If you don't, the San Francisco Chronicle wants to teach you. ...

Money-Saving Tip: Buy Bone-In Meat

There's been a lot of talk lately about buying cheaper cuts of meat to save money. We've told you how to cook them and why less expensive, tougher meats make good braises. But even if you want to ke...

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Posts tagged “Tips & Techniques”