Techniques

How to Sear

Searing is the process of browning food. It gives meat a browned crust or skin, which looks and tastes great, and helps the meat retain its juices. Searing is not intended to fully cook food […]

101

Salt 101

There’s more to salt than the dark blue box with the girl holding the umbrella. Here’s the 101 on the most common varieties of salts and their uses. Table Salt — The least expensive and […]

Room temperature
Tips

Room Temperature

Many recipes for cakes, cookies and other treats call for butter and eggs at room temperature. Here’s why. Eggs at room temperature combine more easily with other ingredients and they whip to a greater volume, […]

Tools

Waterbath (Bain Marie)

Creamy cheesecakes. Silky crème brulée. What do they have in common? They owe their smooth textures to a water bath or bain marie. A water bath is used to gently cook delicate foods, especially egg-based […]

Techniques

How to Pop Corn

Anybody else remember Jiffy Pop Popcorn and how exciting it was to watch that foil tin nearly burst at the seams as the popcorn popped and popped and popped on the stovetop? Jiffy Pop was […]

Time Temperature Danger Zone
Tips

Time Temperature Danger Zone

How scary does that sound? The Time Temperature Danger Zone (TTDZ, for short) includes temperatures between 40° Fahrenheit and 140° Fahrenheit. Keeping foods in this temperature range can lead to rapid bacteria growth, which can […]