Is blind baking necessary?
October 23, 2024 by Darcie
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If you have watched The Great British Bake Off or The Great American Baking Show, you know the dreaded words that a baker never wants to hear: you have a soggy bottom. To avoid this fate and ensure a crisp pastry crust on your baked goods, blind baking is the way to go. However, it can be intimidating and time… read more
Have a glut of produce? There’s a batch for that
September 24, 2024 by Darcie
Gardeners know this scenario all too well: one day you are admiring the massive quantities of vegetables ripening on the vine, and the next day you are cursing the massive quantities of vegetables ripening on the vine. The best way to deal with this abundance? Make items in large batches that you can freeze or preserve. The Guardian offers a… read more
One cup, many weights
September 1, 2024 by Darcie
One of our Members recently emailed us a question that has likely been pondered by bakers ever since the kitchen scale was invented: just how much does a cup of flour weigh? While I have extolled the virtues of weighing ingredients before, I did not focus on the weight of flour specifically, although it is arguably the most critical weight… read more
Are you cuckoo for coconut?
August 27, 2024 by Darcie
Coconut can be a divisive ingredient - maybe not as much as cilantro/coriander, but polarizing nonetheless. As someone who adores coconut, I don't mind the haters. It just means there is more of that rich, coconutty goodness for me. One of the great things about this tropical plant is its versatility. You can use it in savory or sweet applications,… read more
Great grilling tips
May 25, 2024 by Darcie
Monday's holiday in the US marks the unofficial start to grilling season, although plenty of people love to grill year-round. There is something about the long days and return to warmer temperatures that makes it extra special at this time of the year. Whether you are getting ready to dust off the trusty Weber kettle grill or have something more… read more
The best cooking tips from 21 seasons of Top Chef
May 23, 2024 by Darcie
It seems improbable that I started watching Top Chef eighteen years ago, but it's true: the show has been around since 2006! In that time, dozens of chefs have put their impressive skills on display in a variety of challenges. I have learned a lot by watching the program, and so have the folks at Food and Wine. They have… read more
Love your leftovers
May 16, 2024 by Darcie
Are you someone who looks forward to eating leftovers or the type who grimaces at the aging container of leftovers at the back of the refrigerator and pushing them aside day after day until it's too late? If you are the latter, Sue Quinn wants to change your mind, saying that it's time for leftovers to shine. If you are… read more
An unconventional cooking method can save time and water
February 22, 2024 by Darcie
When cooking dried pasta, the standard practice is to bring a large amount of water to a rolling boil before adding the pasta. This can take considerable time, especially if your stove is not powerful. However, by using a method that turns the traditional technique on its head, you can shave almost half off the pasta cooking time and nearly… read more
How to brine turkey and make gravy from a flavor scientist
November 17, 2023 by Jenny
Here in the US, most cooks are planning their Thanksgiving day meals and to help a bit with that task, we have an excerpt from a book that will be released in March of 2024. Flavorama: The Unbridled Science of Flavor and How to Get It to Work for You by Arielle Johnson delivers recipes designed to easily finesse flavor… read more
Spice support: pink peppercorns
November 16, 2023 by Darcie
You might have been introduced to them from the tri-color peppercorn mixes that often come with the purchase of a pepper grinder: pink peppercorns. These diminutive, brightly colored orbs are more than just an colorful garnish to be sprinkled over a dish, as Serious Eats explains in its primer on pink peppercorns. First things first - pink peppercorns are not… read more
Sweet potato 101
November 14, 2023 by Darcie
We are headed to the time of year in the US when more sweet potatoes are served than perhaps the rest of the year combined. Families that never eat the tubers at any other time will trot out sweet potato casseroles and sides during the holidays. This serves as a great opportunity to brush up on the different varieties available… read more
Stop telling me how to get rid of the garlic smell on my hands
August 31, 2023 by Darcie
Frequently a post saying something like "this is the best method to remove the garlic smell from your hands" will pop up in my news feed. I never click on those posts. Not only do I not want to remove the odor, I would be open to a perfume that smells like garlic when it is thrown into hot butter.… read more
The sweet side of MSG
July 20, 2023 by Darcie
There once existed a more formal divide between the sweet and savory sides of the kitchen, but over time the lines between them were blurred. Techniques and ingredients started crossing from one side to the other in both directions. A recent Epicurious article brings this concept home, as Anikah Shaokat makes the argument that MSG belongs in sweet foods just… read more
Get the most from your oven
June 22, 2023 by Darcie
If you are like me, there is no room in your kitchen for another countertop appliance. While air fryers, Instant Pots, food dehydrators, and other devices have benefits, they demand too much space in my small kitchen to be practical. Despite this limitation, I do not feel bereft when I read all of the 'air fryer' recipes because I have… read more
Turn cake fails into tasty treats
April 19, 2023 by Darcie
As any baker knows, sometimes things do not go to plan. There are myriad ways that cake baking can go sideways: parts of them stick in the pan, they bake unevenly, the center collapses, and so on. But just because things go awry that is no reason to toss the results in the bin. As Americas Test Kitchen explains, you… read more
Spice support: Sichuan peppercorns
February 16, 2023 by Darcie
Sichuan peppercorns provide a mouth-tingling, warming sensation and are a vital ingredient in the cuisine of its eponymous Chinese region. America's Test Kitchen explores the history and culinary applications of the tiny berries, which aren't related to black peppercorns at all. Sichuan peppercorns are the berries of the prickly ash shrub, which belongs to the citrus family. While most people… read more
Just give it a rest
February 2, 2023 by Darcie
Whether it's a need to shorten meal prep due to physical limitations, hectic work schedules, or just to avoid spending all day in the kitchen, people often look for ways to minimize the time spent in preparing foods. One of the biggest lessons I've learned in my quest to reduce kitchen time due to a medical issue is that time… read more
You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs
December 8, 2022 by Darcie
In cooking or baking, sometimes the smallest action provides the biggest challenge. As I discovered when watching my husband make an omelet, one of these actions is cracking an egg. His approach is to crack the egg on the sharp edge of the mixing bowl, and his method almost always results in small shards of eggshell that he has to… read more
Cookie baking tips just in the nick of time
November 29, 2022 by Darcie
If you are an avid baker you probably have a list of all of the cookies and treats you will be making for the holidays. Even people who rarely bake will whip out a batch of decorated sugar cookies or family favorites this time of year. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, good baking advice is always handy… read more
A spoonful of sugar
September 21, 2022 by Darcie
I grew up far north (and west) of the Mason-Dixon line, the historical demarcation between North and South in the United States. I married a Southerner and lived in the South for many years, so I absorbed a lot of Southern cooking culture (although I never developed a charming accent, much to my chagrin). One thing my husband noted as… read more
Why butter temperature matters
August 2, 2022 by Darcie
As someone who loves to bake, I find that many of my favorite recipes begin with at least one stick of butter. Whether the butter is straight from the freezer, needs to come out of the fridge, or should be tepid depends on what I'm making, as the temperature of the butter will greatly affect the outcome of the baked… read more
A lazy person’s guide to smoking
May 28, 2022 by Darcie
My husband is one of those old-fashioned "lump-hardwood-charcoal-is-king" kind of barbecue smoking dudes. There is no denying that his old-school methods turn out wonderful smoked chickens, turkey breasts, ribs, briskets, and pork butts. However, the work involved is not insignificant, there is a lot of fussing and fiddling to be done, and that means we do not get to enjoy… read more
Keep your edge in the kitchen
May 19, 2022 by Darcie
Keeping your knives sharp is one of the best things a home cook can do to make their cooking tasks faster and more precise. For instance, a sharp blade will allow you cut thinner slices of onion and help keep you from crying (because fewer cells that release the pungent aroma are crushed). With all of the gadgets available and… read more
Tips for baking with chocolate
February 19, 2022 by Darcie
I will never forget the first time I had chocolate seize - a couple of errant drops of water on a silicone spatula was all it took to turn a creamy, smooth bowl of dark chocolate into a lumpy, grainy, blotchy mess. It took a lot of effort to correct that situation, and I learned my lesson. Baking with chocolate… read more
Best cooking hacks of 2021
December 22, 2021 by Darcie
I must admit that I'm a sucker for cooking hacks, and if they seem remotely plausible I am game to give them a whirl. They do not always live up to their hype, but I find enough new shortcuts and improved methods to keep me willing to try more. BuzzFeed's Hannah Loewentheil also enjoys experimenting with kitchen hacks, and she shares… read more
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