The phrase “caramelized onions” is tossed out on menus or recipes like they’re no big deal. Standard, everyday stuff that people are making in their kitchens after a long day at work. The reality of caramelized onions is a little different. Yes, they’re simple to make. Slice onions and cook […]
Recipe Conversion Handbook
With the world at our fingertips, trying new recipes has never been easier. But looking far from home for a new recipe can mean unfamiliar units of measurements that can make planning, shopping, and cooking just a little more difficult. If grams and milliliters have you scrolling past great new […]
Parts of a Chicken, and When To Use Them
Boneless, skinless chicken breast is one of the most popular items in American homes, and no wonder. They’re easy to pick out, easy to store, and easy to cook. But whether you’re tackling new recipes, shopping a great sale, or figuring out exactly what is in your CSA box, sometimes […]
Using Candy Molds
Using molds to make hard candies is very easy and requires only the desired molds suitable for use with sugar. There are different types of molds available that can be used with hard candy; metal molds, either heavy cast molds or lighter stamped molds, are the most common variety, and […]
French Aperitifs
If you have been to France, you know that the bars there bear little resemblance to American watering holes. Over there, when you go into a bar for something to drink, you’ll most likely be enjoying coffee, water, or what the French drink before dinner–an aperitif. Since aperitifs precede dinner, […]
Piping Makes Perfect: Detailed Designs
Piping is often functional: use a pastry bag to transfer the mousse to the serving bowls, place the glaze in a piping bag to cover the cake. Precision is nice, but not always necessary. But if you are interested in creating detailed cakes, homemade chocolate bonbons, cute cookies, or delicate […]
Conquer Pie Dough
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 […]
French Recipes for a Romantic Dinner at Home
French may be the language of love, but for us, French food is our love language. Try one (or more) of these classic French recipes to wow your love for un dîner romantique. Duck Confit Duck confit is rich duck legs cooked completely submerged in duck fat. After a nice […]
Beverages for Cheese
Many of us have an innate belief that wine and cheese were made for each other. Not to disavow you of that belief, but dry wines can often clash with rich cheeses, and red wine is more often the culprit than white! Here, though, are a few simple ground rules […]
Big Game-Day Foodie Face-Off
You don’t have to be a football fan to enjoy The Big Game, especially when there’s a great spread. Chips and dip, fried foods, and pigs in a blanket are all favorites, but we love the tradition of serving regional foods from the competing teams. This year, we’re looking to (in […]
Homemade Pasta for Two on Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is less about being in love and more about sharing love, whether that’s with a partner, a family member, or your very best friends. We may be biased, but here at The CIA, we don’t think there’s a much better way to show someone you care than to […]
Scaling Baking Recipes Up and Down
Doubling or tripling recipes or cutting them in half successfully requires more than simple multiplication. Recipes for baked goods rely upon a number of “sensitive” ingredients, such as leaveners, flavorings, seasonings, and thickeners. These ingredients don’t scale up or down directly in proportion with other ingredients. If you are planning […]