Hot Food Hacks Posts
How To: "Preserve Your Herbs"
Whilst drying herbs is a well known method they do suit certain types of dishes but with this method of using olive oil to infuse before freezing, you get the best results many weeks after you've cut them and it allows you to continue enjoying those summer flavours well into winter.
How To: 13 Deeply Disgusting Dishes, Drinks & Desserts for Halloween
It's almost time for Halloween, which means that it's time for the nastiest-looking food and drink to make its appearance. Severed fingers, brains, vomit... everything that would normally make our stomachs turn at any other time of year makes us cackle with glee instead on Halloween night.
How To: The Easiest Way to Make Delicious Pumpkin Brownies at Home
I love brownies. Through the turmoil of my teenage years and the raucous over-eating of my college years to now, brownies have been a constant companion to my highs and (calorie-laden) lows. I've made brownies from scratch, I've used the box mix... hell, I was a baker at a bakery that specialized in brownies. So yeah... I'd say I'm pretty familiar with them.
How To: Keep Cheese from Drying Out in Your Fridge
Few things are as frustrating as grabbing food from the fridge just to discover that your leftovers have gone bad. When it comes to cheese, you may have taken every last precaution to keep it as fresh as possible—sealed plastic containers, saran wrap, parchment paper—but to no avail.
How To: 3 Easy Methods for Making Gourmet Chips at Home
As the days get shorter and the weather cools down, I prepare to "hibernate." I add piles of blankets to my bed, wrap myself in layers of flannel, and—most importantly—eat as if I'm storing energy for winter.
How To: Reduce Browning in Avocados & Other Fruits by Switching Your Knives
Keeping apples or avocados from browning after being cut is impossible; within minutes of being exposed to air, these fruits (yes, avocado is a fruit) begin to brown. No matter what you try—adding lemon juice, keeping the pits in place, immediately sealing the produce in an airtight bag—brown discoloration always occurs. However, air is not the only reason that foods like apples, avocados, and lettuce brown: it's also due to the knife you're using.
How To: Why You Should Enjoy Chocolate Milk Without Guilt
Editor's Note: The research described in the article below has been criticized and any conclusions based off this research should be examined with a skeptical eye. The article has been edited to reflect these issues.
How To: The Only Ingredient You Need to Make Boxed Brownie Mix
Boxed brownie mixes advertise their convenience compared to homemade brownies—with only a few ingredients, they promise a moist, chocolatey crumb. However, these "instant" mixes still require fresh ingredients and a baking time that matches that of homemade brownies. When you're craving a chocolate fix but you're coming up short on eggs, oil, and time, don't despair: you can still make brownies using a can of soda. Two Different Methods, One Soda Required
How To: Why White Sugar Is the Only Type of Sugar You Need in Your Kitchen
I'll bet this scenario will sound familiar to you: you're in the middle of making a spectacular dessert that will knock the socks off of your guests, and you've almost finished gathering all of your ingredients to create your mise en place. The last ingredient listed is powdered sugar, and you reach for where it's stored, when—drat! You don't have enough for the recipe.
Get Creative: Make Dumplings with Cheeseburgers & Kielbasa
Dumplings have been around for centuries in various forms; spätzle, as well as chicken and dumplings, are dough-y dumplings with no filling, whereas Russian pierogis and Chinese jiaozi are dumplings that contain meat, vegetables, or both.
How To: 10 Stuffed Avocado Recipes to Die For
A perfectly ripe avocado half is a lovely snack, and a creamy bowl of homemade guacamole can make a meal. But the following ten ideas take green-eating up a notch by stuffing avocado halves with your favorite salads and ingredients, turning them into a snack or side dish fit for a king.
How To: 10 Common Food Myths Debunked
Common knowledge is a funny thing: it represents a majority's opinion on a particular subject and somehow makes that opinion fact. If that 'fact' goes unopposed and unchallenged, then it is passed on and preserved from one generation to the next—regardless of whether it is true or not.
How To: Keep Your Bowl from Slipping When Mixing Ingredients
Many home chefs are deterred from whisk-intensive recipes such as mayonnaise because they seem to require more than two hands—which is obviously the maximum number we possess. One hand is required to stabilize the bowl, another must be whisking constantly... and a third hand is needed to pour a steady stream of oil.
How To: Roast Your Cauliflower Whole for Amazing Flavor
Cauliflower has become trendy again, and it's mostly thanks to the low-carb crowd who use its mild flavor and soft texture as a replacement for things like rice and pizza dough.
How To: This Ingredient Will Take Your Leftovers to the Next Level
I may be in the minority when I say this, but I love leftovers. Whenever I'm cooking for less people than the recipe calls for, I cook the full yield anyway. And when I go to a restaurant, I order whatever I want—regardless of how much I can actually eat in one sitting.
How To: Why You Should Be Drinking Coffee Instead of Water Before a Workout
Nothing gets me functioning in the morning better than strong coffee. And if I'm going to start my day with a dreaded workout, that steaming cup of caffeine is the exact motivation I need to get going. Although coffee might not seem like the best beverage to drink before hitting the gym, it actually has a few hidden benefits over water that may surprise you.
Velveting Meat: The Best-Kept Chinese Restaurant Secret
One of my favorite things about American Chinese food is how easy it is to eat: the pieces are bite-sized, the flavors are addictive, and the meat is always tender and easy to chew. But if you've ever tried to replicate any of your favorite takeout in the kitchen, you've likely noticed that the high heat required for most recipes thoroughly dries out the meat that you're trying to cook.
Beer: Our New Favorite Cocktail Ingredient
One of my favorite things about cocktails is that they're so diverse. They can be sweet or savory, filling or refreshing. And they can take advantage of nearly any ingredient imaginable, including egg whites, smoked ice, flavor cubes, and even beer.
How To: Cook Fish Without Actually 'Cooking' It
Preparing and serving seafood can be a daunting task. Fish is so delicate that one extra minute of heat can turn a juicy, flaky filet into a dried-out disaster. But that same fragility also allows us to use unconventional methods to chemically transform the fish into its cooked consistency.
Compound Butter: An Easy Flavor Hack
Butter is one of the most versatile ingredients in the world: its variety of uses range from brightening a morning piece of toast to finishing a beautiful rib-eye steak with decadent flair.
How To: 3 Amazing Non-Coffee Uses for Your French Press
My French press is one of the most important tools in my kitchen. It's indispensable, and it's no small exaggeration when I say that I use it on a daily basis thanks to my coffee addiction. However, it gets used for a lot more than just my morning cuppa (and my second morning cuppa, and my late morning cuppa, and my... well, you get the picture).
How To: The Absolute Laziest Way to Make Homemade Sweet Bread
There are few things that make me smile more than ice cream… or bread! So why not combine them for double the happiness? We've discussed the art of making ice cream bread before, but not everyone has the time (or, let's face it—the patience) to bake bread in the oven, no matter how few ingredients the recipe may take.
How To: Make Meatball Onion Bombs
First inspired by the Team Traeger recipe, I decided to make my own video recipe so as many people as possible can make their own version, too.
How To: 7 Brilliant Food Hacks for Onions in the Kitchen & Beyond
Onions add essential flavor to almost any dish, whether it's a sauce, main dish, or salad. They are one of the humblest "superfoods," full of vitamins and nutrients but generally inexpensive, which is why they're also one of the most widely eaten ingredients in the world.
Beer's Superpowers Revealed: 10 Non-Drinking Uses for Your Favorite Brew
Beer isn't just for drinking anymore. There are many useful and surprising things that an ice-cold brewski can help you accomplish, from household chores to better-tasting food. It can even help you look and feel healthier.
How To: Morning Coffee Not Strong Enough? Do This Instead
Like a strong-tasting cup of joe, but want more caffeine out of it? Start double brewing your coffee. To paraphrase a big fan of the double brew process on Reddit, it'll make you feel like you can throw an orange at 60 percent the speed of light. It's that strong. Really.
How To: Prevent Cracks in Cheesecake (Or Fix Them in a Hurry)
There is something so satisfying about dipping your spoon into a perfectly smooth slice of cheesecake. There is something a bit less satisfying about it if the top of the cheesecake is cracked and cratered.
Cooking with Booze: Brunch Edition
Ah, the joys of bottomless brunch. Paying a flat rate for endless mimosas while having a long gossip over eggs Benedict is exactly how many of us love to spend our Saturdays. However, in practice, this isn't the sophisticated affair we all like to imagine. After refill number four we sway in our chair, doze off into our porridge, and end up tipping 50% because math is too hard. In short, not a very successful brunch.
How To: Melt Chocolate in Under 1 Minute Without a Stove
When I first moved to Los Angeles, I rented a bed in a tiny studio. I was too broke to afford my own place, so all I had was a mattress in someone else's apartment. Unfortunately, this person had no interest in cooking, and therefore no kitchen equipment whatsoever. To make matters worse, there wasn't even room for my kitchen equipment. Needless to say, I ate a lot of tubs of Trader Joe's hummus, and frequented a lot of taco trucks.
Get Creative: 5 Game-Changing Recipes for Canned Biscuit Dough
In my opinion, biscuits made from scratch (American biscuits, that is, not the British kind) are just flat out amazing, but I'm typically too lazy to actually make them. That's why I always have a can/tube of refrigerated biscuits on hand. They're not only good for quick biscuits and gravy or as a simple side of bread, they can be used for so much more—sweet or savory!
How To: Upgrade Your Boring French Toast with These Flavor Hacks
In the world of breakfast, a great trench of injustice divides French toast and pancakes. Just look at the average brunch menu. While pancakes are treated to a wealth of variety (chocolate chip, silver dollar, blueberry, banana, and even some with pop culture references), French toast is often regarded with a one-size-fits-all attitude.
How To: Make Bacon Onion Rings
This is a really fun dish that brings together the wonderful flavors of bacon and onions. Bacon onion rings is a really tasty BBQ snack that's simple and easy to make. Just replace the batter of an onion ring with bacon! (Cooking temps were approximately 140ºC / 285ºF.)
How To: 5 Reasons You Need a Pizza Stone in Your Kitchen
It goes without saying that a pizza stone is one of the keys to making a perfect pizza. The science behind pizza stones is relatively simple: the stone conducts and holds heat, which keeps the oven temperature steady even when a cold ingredient (such as an uncooked pizza) is introduced. This not only helps the pizza cook more evenly, but also allows the bottom to get crisp.
How To: Tips & Tricks to Conquering Homemade Soufflés
At-home cooks tend to be scared of soufflés. Either they don't rise at all or they end up all sad and lopsided. However, when successful, the end product cannot be matched in impressing your guests.
How To: For Healthier Desserts, Bring Out the Veggies
I think we've all had that childhood (or adult) desire to have ice cream for dinner. But veggies for dessert? It's something I had nightmares about as a kid.
How To: Perfect Your Eggs Benedict with These Foolproof Hollandaise Methods
In an age where restaurants can charge $20 for eggs Benedict at brunchtime (if you're lucky enough to even get a reservation on a Sunday), many people long for a way to create this classic dish at home. But once you've taken pains to perfectly poach an egg and gently crisp your sourdough, the problem of the hollandaise still lies before you. The key to any good hollandaise sauce is to apply enough heat to cook the egg yolks, but not enough to scramble them. The minute the eggs begin to solidi...
How To: 5 Deliciously Clever Surprise-Inside Desserts You Have to Try
Surprise desserts (aka peekaboo desserts) are a gorgeous way to celebrate anything, whether it's a birthday, new baby, or just a brand new day. You can pretty much hide anything you want inside: candy, a cool design, and even other desserts. To help inspire you, try one of these fun-filled desserts out for a special, photo-worthy occasion. Then get creative and try out your own ideas (and make sure to share them with us when you're done).
How To: Make Deliciously-Light Vegan Meringues with Aquafaba
There are rules that cooking in general always follows: cakes should be fluffy. Steaks should be heavily seasoned, and nowhere near a bottle of steak sauce. Every stock should start with aromatics (onions, carrots, & celery). And, until very recently, meringues should always be made with egg whites.
How To: 3 Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread Alternatives That Don't Sacrifice Flavor
Let me start by saying something controversial: I despise the gluten-free fad. I think gluten is delicious (I go through at least two loaves of bread a week, with a healthy dose of pretzels and pasta in there as well), and I think many of the health myths surrounding gluten are either fabricated or hyperbolic.
How To: Surprise! These Clever Piñata Cupcakes Will Delight Your Friends
Cupcakes are special treats by themselves, so surprise-inside piñata cupcakes are extra special for birthdays and special occasions. You can customize these with any flavor of cupcake and any type of candy or chocolate treat you want to stuff them with.