For many home bakers, creating a flavorful, tender pie or tart crust is a fearful and challenging process filled with questions. How is it that some home bakers consistently produce flaky, crispy, and tender crusts or shells while others consistently find this task so daunting? As pie and tart dough […]
“Is it done?” The eternal question that is not always easy to answer. Use this handy reference chart for deciding when your meat, poultry, or fish is ready to enjoy. Remove your food from the oven, grill, or pan when it’s still a few degrees below your desired temperature to […]
For many of you, “cooking with wine” may mean holding a wooden spoon in one hand and a wine glass in the other. While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a glass while you cook, I’d like to propose reserving a little for your recipes. You may ask, “Why use wine […]
In baking, every step matters—from mixing to baking, but just as importantly, cooling! While we often romanticize baked goods fresh from the oven, most baked items like cakes (and yes, breads!) are best once cooled. Baking is a series of chemical and physical reactions spurred by the heat of the […]
There is a lot of helpful information down there, but if you’re pressed for time, here’s a summary of the most important parts: Slow roasting typically utilizes large, less tender, less expensive, more active, higher-fat muscles that contain a large amount of collagen, like pork butts. If you are looking […]
Béchamel is classical white sauce that is made with milk thickened with a roux. Blond roux is traditionally used, and the amount of roux will determine the sauce’s consistency. Vegetables or aromatics are sometimes added to strengthen the flavor, but they are normally strained out after cooking to preserve the […]
Decorating cookies is fun any time of the year, but ‘tis the season for extra special treats to share with your friends and family! Whether you bring them as a gift to your teachers or to grandma’s house, there are so many easy ways to dress up your favorite cookies […]
As recipe writers, we come back to the same phrases over and over. “Mix until light and fluffy…” “…until it doubles in size…” “Working in batches, sear the beef until it is browned all over…” That last one seems the simplest, but it actually tends to cause the most headaches […]
Ready for at-home bread baking with your very own sourdough starter? Follow this schedule to create your own starter in 5 to 7 days. For more information about starters, see Sourdough Starters: 101. DAY 1 Mix equal amounts of flour with water (at 85°F) until the mixture is homogenous. Use […]
Although it may seem intimidating at first, fabricating a chicken, or cutting it into smaller parts for cooking, is actually a very simple technique. First, cut from the neck opening down the center of the bird, following the keel bone. Cut away the breast, following the contour of the rib […]
Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage is one of our favorite food rituals, but it’s a home-cooked dish that folks seem to struggle with! So, we’re offering up some answers to the questions we get most often regarding this St. Patrick’s Day staple! Question: Um, what is corned beef? Answer: Fair […]
Whether tried-and-true or new-to-you, some cake recipes leave you guessing when it comes to filling the pan. Here are some basic pan-filling standards for sheet cakes, layer cakes, or the ever unpredictable bundt or tube cakes.