Our how-tos & guides provide you with all the necessary information to step into your kitchen and start cooking, covering everything from essential techniques to the underlying reasoning behind our recipes.
Plan for 2-3 chicken skewers per person for a lunch event or as part of a bigger spread, and 4-5 skewers per person when they’re the main dish at dinner. Several variables, including skewer size, your guests’ appetites, and what else is on the menu, can shift that number up or down. This article breaks
Yes, you can reheat a bagel with cream cheese in the microwave. Slice the bagel in half, spread the cream cheese, cover it loosely with a damp paper towel, and microwave in 10-15 second bursts until it’s warm. Few things beat a freshly baked bagel with a generous spread of cream cheese, but reheating leftovers
A kiridashi knife is a small, single-bevel Japanese cutting tool built for precise woodworking, marking, and carving, not for food prep. Despite what you might read elsewhere, it’s not a good substitute for a paring knife or peeler. I picked one up for a woodworking project and got curious about its other uses, since it’s
A Spanish onion is actually a type of yellow onion, just a larger, milder variety with lower sulfur content. Every Spanish onion is a yellow onion, but not every yellow onion is a Spanish onion. I used to think Spanish and yellow onions were two totally separate categories on the produce shelf. They’re not, and
Yes, coconut flour can go bad. Moisture exposure is the main cause, leading to clumping, discoloration, or a rancid smell, but stored airtight in a cool, dry spot, an unopened bag typically lasts about 6 to 12 months. Going bad is a different question than whether it has expired. Expiring is about the date printed
Kimchi smells sour, garlicky, and a little funky, with a sharp tang from fermentation and a kick of chili and ginger underneath. It’s a strong, pungent smell that takes some getting used to, but once you get past the first whiff, the flavor makes it worth it. I get asked about this a lot, so
No, Jack Daniel’s doesn’t expire in the same way that food or other perishable items do. As a distilled spirit, it has a long shelf life and can last for years, even decades, if stored properly. I keep a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in my cabinet because that smooth, smoky flavor and the history behind
Reheat scallops in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute on high, covered with a damp paper towel, checking every 15 seconds after the first 30 to avoid a rubbery texture. Scallops go from perfectly tender to rubbery fast in the microwave, so the technique matters more here than with most leftovers. This is
Yes, coconut flour does expire. An unopened bag typically lasts roughly 6 to 12 months past purchase if I store it properly, and once I’ve opened it, I try to use it within 3 to 6 months. For the physical signs of spoilage (smell, texture, mold) and the actual storage steps that keep coconut flour
When cooked well, Brussels sprouts emit a pleasant sweet and nutty aroma. Different cooking methods result in slightly varied scents. Steamed Brussels sprouts have a subtle aroma with earthy and sweet hints, while roasting intensifies the scent, giving it a caramelized and inviting quality. Sautéing produces a somewhat more pungent but still pleasing aroma to
Brussels sprouts taste nutty and slightly sweet with a hint of bitterness, and the bitterness fades noticeably when they’re roasted or sautéed instead of boiled. I avoided Brussels sprouts for years because of a bad boiled version I had as a kid. Roasted, they’re a completely different vegetable. This is what actually drives the flavor,
A 1/4 cup of butter equals 4 tablespoons, or 2 ounces, or about 56.7 grams. That’s one standard stick of butter cut in half. I still mix up cups and tablespoons more often than I’d like to admit, so I keep this conversion in my back pocket. This is the full breakdown, in tablespoons, ounces,
3 oz of chicken is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand, minus your fingers. That’s roughly 85 grams, and it’s the USDA’s standard protein serving. I eyeball this constantly when I’m cooking for one and don’t want to pull out a scale every time. This is how
Microwave kippers on a covered, microwave-safe dish for 2 to 3 minutes on high, checking for doneness at the 2-minute mark. It’s the fastest way to cook them without heating up the whole kitchen. I reach for kippers when I want something breakfast-y that isn’t eggs again, and the microwave gets them on the plate
Store leftover meatloaf in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to 3-4 months. Meatloaf is one of those dinners that almost always makes too much. I used to just cover the pan and stick the whole thing in the fridge, and