At the CIA, each kitchen classroom is equipped with several scales for measuring ingredients, and we are firm believers in scales for home cooking and baking. Not only are weight measures more accurate, but they can make for quick and efficient measuring (not to mention less dirty dishes to clean […]
When the local crop of asparagus first starts to trickle into the market, we can’t wait to get it home. Tender and sweet, asparagus is wildly versatile and easy to cook, making it a favorite for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Asparagus can be sold in several sizes, from pencil-thin and […]
Knowing how to cook is more than knowing techniques, it’s also important to know all about the best ingredients for the dish you hope to prepare. Different cooking methods call for different cuts of meat, and the first step to making the right choice is simply understanding the physiology of […]
In the deep summer, when the Texas sun beats relentlessly and sends temperatures over 100 degrees day after day, even the heartiest of native plants wilt. But there is one plant that seems to thrive in the toughest of conditions, growing lush and green under the harsh Texas sun. Yaupon […]
All varieties of rice can be divided into short-, medium- and long-grain varieties. All Italian rice are strains of a thick, short-grained rice called japonica (Oryza sativa japonica). They may not, to most palates, taste different, but they do behave differently when cooked. There are four grades of rice: Comune […]
Everyone knows the frustrating feeling of readying your ingredients, just to realize you’re missing one thing. Sometimes it’s a big thing, like the red wine for wine-braised short ribs, but often it’s an everyday ingredient that we simply forgot to replace. Most recipes are adaptable, if you have the confidence […]
Sugar pumpkins (also termed pie or cheese pumpkins) are smaller, sweeter, and more tender and flavorful than pumpkins used for carving Jack-o’-lanterns. The flesh of this variety of pumpkin has a creamier, less stringy flesh. Choose smooth, deep orange pumpkins that are heavy for their size and without cracks or […]
You’ve heard the term plenty of times: melting cheese. “Use your favorite melting cheese!” “You can substitute any good melting cheese.” And while that seems easy enough, how do you know if a cheese is a good melting cheese? When we say “melting cheese,” we are looking for a cheese […]
There was a time that high-quality and authentic ingredients from abroad were out of reach to Americans, at least without lofty import fees or expensive travel. Luckily for us, the world feels much smaller than it once did, and ingredients like specialty spices, tropical fruits, and chiles are at our […]
Potato varieties differ in starch and moisture content, skin and flesh color, and shape. Sweet potatoes and yams, although not botanically related to the potato, share several characteristics with it and can be treated in the same manner. Each cooking technique produces a markedly different texture, flavor, and appearance in […]
If you’re ever in Italy driving towards Rome from the north, you might well be traveling on the Via Salaria, or salt highway. Scholars theorize that the location of this ancient city was governed by its proximity to the salt marshes of Ostia, a town at the mouth of the […]
“1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder” is a phrase that strikes to the core of any baker who hasn’t yet spent hours of their time figuring out what that means. Read on for a possibly oversimplified but perfectly digestible guide to cocoa powder for your everyday baking needs. 1. There are […]