What are kitchen essentials? People have been quite successful making food in the past centuries with little more than a pot, spoon, bowl, knife and cutting surface. Years ago, I started a guide for college students but I've expanded it to a list for anyone who is outfitting a … [Read more...] about How to Outfit a Kitchen on a Budget or 14 Kitchen Essentials Every Cook Needs
Pantry & Supermarket Tips
Can You Pass Off Processed Thanksgiving Side Dishes for the Real Thing?
For years, my father-in-law's second wife served boxed stuffing at her holiday gatherings, spiced up with cut-up precooked turkey sausage. When I offered to make some homemade stuffing one year, she waved me off. “No one can the tell the difference, anyway.” But I can tell, I … [Read more...] about Can You Pass Off Processed Thanksgiving Side Dishes for the Real Thing?
Recipe: How to Make Homemade Flavored Butter
Here's a key reason you want to learn how to make homemade flavoredbutter. Walking in a fancy upscale supermarket recently, I ran across a 3 oz tub of herb-infused butter was $5.99. That means you're paying $31 for butter with some herbs in it. Save money and do it … [Read more...] about Recipe: How to Make Homemade Flavored Butter
Real Mashed Potatoes vs. Instant
The next round of my Thanksgiving Dinner Firehouse Challenge put real mashed potatoes vs. instant mashed potatoes. I understand the lure of instant mashed potatoes. You want comfort and you want it now. I love them so much that if food could be your spirit animal, mine would be … [Read more...] about Real Mashed Potatoes vs. Instant
A Cheat Sheet to Flavor Profiles
What makes something taste Italian or Cajun or Moroccan? Here's a quick guide to understanding flavor profiles and how ingredients work together to define various cuisines. What is a flavor profile, anyway? At its most basic, a flavor profile is made up of ingredients that help … [Read more...] about A Cheat Sheet to Flavor Profiles
