Hot Food Hacks Posts
How To: 6 Delicious Ways to Cook with Coffee
No offense to water, but if I could survive on coffee alone, I would. I swear I'm not addicted... I just really, really, really love the taste of a cuppa joe, whether it's hot, cold, frothed, milked, flavored, plain, whatever! And while my favorite thing to do with coffee will always be to drink it, recently I've become crazy about using coffee in cooking.
How To: Make Tequila Sunrise Popsicles
Sometimes just drinking your alcohol can feel a little dull and boring. Eating your alcohol, however, is always a party.
How To: 10 Cookout Tricks That'll Make You a Seasoned Grill Master
Barbecue season: it's the perfect time to play with fire, produce your best burger ever (until next year, that is), and find even more ways to make beer a part of your daily life. However, even a grilling badass occasionally gets stumped by minor BBQ problems. No worries: We've got solutions!
News: 5 Red, White & Blue Foods That Are Perfect for Fourth of July
Independence Day is right around the corner, and that means three things: fireworks, cold beer, and great food. I always love to cook festive foods for the Fourth of July, and I don't just mean the classics, like grilled chicken and brats. I mean foods that celebrate the Stars and Stripes: foods that are red, white, and blue.
How To: 10 Clever Ways to Cook Out Without a Grill
Whether it's the start, middle, or end of summer, it's prime-time grilling season. If you find yourself without a grill, however, it may seem as if half your summer plans of swimming by the pool while stuffing hot dogs in your face could be ruined.
Weird Ingredient Wednesday: The Geoduck, a Mollusk as Weird as It Is Phallic
When you think of bivalves, such as manila clams and oysters, you tend to think of the meat as being nicely tucked in the shell. Anything else would be scary, right?
How To: The Easiest, Best Way to Keep Soft Herbs Fresh for Months
There are a lot of reasons for wanting to make sure your herbs last a long time. Maybe you know that your grocery store won't have decent parsley in the winter. Maybe you're taking a last-minute trip and don't want to throw away your perfect batch of basil. Or perhaps you're simply like me, and buy a dozen different herbs at the farmer's market, only to remember that you can't make it through all of them before they go bad.
How To: Make Homemade Nutella (That's Better Than the Real Stuff)
It is a universal truth that Nutella is the nectar of the gods. It takes the already delicious (e.g., sandwiches, cupcakes, or even bacon), and turns it into something magical. Everyone also knows homemade is always better. So if you're looking to step up your baking game, follow these instructions from Cookies, Cupcakes, and Cardio and make your very own Nutella!
How To: 5 Simple Ways to Perk Up Your Morning Joe
Ahh, coffee. That first sip of hot goodness in the morning is glorious, isn't it? There are days when you need it straight up: No extras, please. But what about those moments when you need a little something else? When that flavored French vanilla, hazelnut mocha, blah blah blend just doesn't cut it and you want a truly special flavor in your morning joe?
Food Tool Friday: The Cutting-Edge Allure of Ceramic Knives
A good chef's knife is a thing of beauty and, with proper care, a joy forever. It can totally change the way you cook and turn even the dullest prep work into a glee-filled task.
How To: 8 Reasons Why You Should Never Throw Away Eggshells
The other day I was doing the math on roughly how many eggs I eat each year. I estimated about 500. That's a lot of eggs. And, subsequently, that's a lot of eggshells to throw in the trash.
News: The Fantastical, Flavorful Fiddlehead Fern
Fiddlehead ferns look like something from Alice in Wonderland, or something that you might see when you close your eyes while listening to Pink Floyd and enjoying some herbal refreshment. What they don't look like is a tasty vegetable that's perfect for any spring or summer dish. Yet that is exactly what these bizarre spirals are. What Are They?
How To: 5 Healthy (But Just as Addictive) Alternatives to French Fries
I've never met a person who doesn't love French fries. And, to be frank, I have no desire to meet such a person.
How To: Cut a Perfect Bowl Full of Watermelon
Watermelons scream summer like no other fruit, and there's nothing like biting into a sweet one on a hot summer day. Although there's no exact right way to cut watermelon, there are many occasions when you might not want to cut it into wedges. It may be the classic cut, but the triangular shape insures that you'll always get some on your face. And for parties, there's always the messy problem of leftover rinds.
How To: 10 Must-Know Egg Hacks You've Gotta Try for Yourself
Eggs are a staple food for most Americans, which is no surprise, considering how necessary they are in savory and sweet recipes alike. On their own, they're usually not too eggs-citing. However, these clever egg hacks will make your egg-making easier, more fun, and more interesting.
How To: Homemade Oatmeal Trumps Store-Bought in Every Way (& Here's How to Make It)
Oatmeal isn't the most glamorous breakfast, but it's definitely one of the best. It's healthy, filling, delicious, and easy to personalize. And, if you have instant packets, oatmeal is also a very quick and easy breakfast.
Food Tool Friday: The Endlessly Useful, Ridiculously Affordable Dough Scraper
I have a lot of favorite kitchen tools. My seven-inch Global chef's knife is my baby. My pasta maker is my dance partner on any given Friday night. My girlfriend's stand mixer is my favorite toy in the apartment.
How To: Our 5 Favorite Olive Oil Food Hacks
Other than salt, there's no ingredient that's as big a kitchen staple as olive oil. And just like salt, there are a million little known uses for it.
How To: Make the World's Easiest Salad Dressing (No Seeding or Peeling Necessary)
In my family, if a food could be made instead of bought, it was made. It wasn't until I went to college and started eating dorm food that I tasted the store-bought versions of many kitchen staples. I quickly learned that there is an enormous quality difference between homemade dressing and the kind that comes in a bottle at the supermarket.
How To: How & Why You Should Make Your Own Bacon
There's something magical about homemade foods, especially when they're items that most people don't make. Even the simplest bread tastes divine when you've mixed it yourself, kneaded it yourself, and gotten the dough stuck underneath your nails.
Food Tool Friday: Meet the Big Green Egg—The Ultimate Cookout Machine
At first glance, the Big Green Egg looks like it was created by Dr. Seuss or some other whimsy-driven being, like Zooey Deschanel. And while this earthenware cooker may look cute, it produces serious results that can rival the best barbecue or grill. In fact, it's got quite a large cult following. Entrepreneur and former Navy serviceman Ed Fisher fell in love with the taste of food cooked in kamodos (traditional domed, covered earthenware vessels in Japan) and began to import them for sale in...
How To: Make Perfect Stovetop Popcorn
There are three huge benefits to microwave popcorn: it's quick, it's delicious, and it's cheap. But there's a way to make popcorn that's better, more delicious, and cheaper than the microwave variety. And oh yeah, quite a bit healthier.
How To: Make an Instant Slushy
Want a to make any drink into a delicious semi-frozen drink called a slushy? Usually this means putting your desired drink in the freezer and waiting until it reaches the desired state of being frozen. However, with this awesome method you can have a frozen slushy drink in just a few minutes!
How To: Make Spiked Grasshopper Pies in Your Microwave
Summertime calls out for desserts that are easy to assemble and don't require heat. Voilà: crème de menthe grasshopper pies. They are minty, fresh, and cold, and are very easy to whip together with marshmallows and a microwave.
Weird Ingredient Wednesday: The Alien Melon from Star Trek
Mother Nature's creativity is infinite, especially when it comes to fruit. We've got black sapote, which tastes like chocolate pudding, and Buddha's hand citron, which looks like Freddy Kreuger's digits merged with a lemon. How could she possibly top herself?
How To: Make Irresistible Bacon Booze
I'm human, so it goes without saying that I love bacon. You're human too, which means chances are pretty good that you also love bacon. Yet as beloved as bacon has always been, it's just now experiencing a culinary renaissance, which I love. Bacon chocolate? Heck yes. Bacon donuts? Bring it on. Bacon booze? Now we're talking.
How To: 7 Gorgeous Popsicle Recipes for Summer (Including Boozy "Poptails" for Adults)
Ice pops are like summer on a stick, with all the sweetness and stickiness of July and August. Store-bought popsicles, although refreshing, are never as good as homemade. So it's time to up your popsicle game with some of these beautiful creations, including some boozy pops (poptails) for adults.
How To: The Tricks to Making Boxed Mac & Cheese Even Better
For foods that encompass both tastiness and convenience, it's hard to beat boxed mac and cheese. Mac and cheese in a box takes 15 minutes to make, dirties only one dish, requires no skill, costs only two bucks, and is, despite all of the above, wildly delicious. Yet it can get even more delicious just by adding a few more ingredients.
How To: Heat Up Your Grilling with Wood Planks
At its core, grilling is the simplest form of cooking. You create extreme heat, you put a piece of food on top of the heat, and then you sit back and watch the magic happen. Yet despite the inherent simplicity in grilling, there are a million ways to make it more complex, more unique, and, yes, even more flavorful.
How To: Make a Caramel Popcorn Bowl You Can Eat
This easy "recipe" requires just two ingredients: popcorn and caramel bits. Caramel bits are made for melting, and they take all the work out of making caramel-based anything. If you've ever made caramel before, the result is delicious, but it's often hot and sticky work—in most cases.
Weird Ingredient Wednesday: Get Enlightened with a Buddha's Hand Citron
I have a thing for citrus in any form. If I can't get a hold of oranges or clementines, I've been known to slice up lemons and limes and eat them straight with a little bit of salt—terrible for the tooth enamel, but amazing for the tongue.
How To: Make Smoked Salt at Home (& Keep Grilling Season Alive All Year Long)
Every year, when summer rolls around, I get excited because it's grilling season. And every year, when summer comes to a close, I get sad because grilling season is ending.
How To: 5 Clever Ways to Repurpose Empty Wine Bottles
I've always had an affinity for pretty wine bottles. When I was younger, my parents and my siblings would give me their empty wine bottles so I could collect them, and I loved every single one.
How To: 7 Tips for Making the Best Burgers Ever
Summer's coming, and that means burger season. Okay, never mind... every season is burger season. Burgers are universally loved; they're the one meal you can find at numerous fast food shacks and haute cuisine spots.
How To: 5 Baking Substitutions Every Home Cook Should Know
Few things in life are as relaxing and enjoyable as baking. When I'm having a bad day, I make cookies. When I'm stressed out, I bake a cake. When I have a free Sunday with nothing to do but listen to music and drink coffee, I bake a tart or a batch of cupcakes.
How To: The Trick to Making Opened Wine Last a Whole Week
As crazy as it sounds, there are times when bottles of wine go unfinished. I love a glass or three of vino, but am often guilty of not finishing the bottle. Sometimes I don't have the time to finish it, and other times I like it so much that I open bottle number two and can't finish that.
Weird Ingredient Wednesday: How to Train Your Dragonfruit
Even the most unadventurous eaters can usually be coaxed to take a bite of an exotic fruit (except, perhaps, the notoriously stinky durian). After all, fruit is sweet, juicy, and filled with natural sugars.
How To: The Best Way to Peel a Mango
For the longest time, I only ever did one thing with mangoes. I would cut off a chunk of the fruit, squeeze some lime over it, and eat it straight out of my hands as though it were a watermelon slice. I didn't do this because I loved devouring mango in the messiest way possible; I did it because I had no clue how to peel a mango. As such, I never cooked with mango: I ate it directly off the peel, or didn't eat it at all.
How To: Quintuple Your Alcohol Options with These Easy Infusions
Unless you're well off, you've probably experienced the hard liquor purchasing conundrum. You know the one: you want to stock your home bar with more than just one spirit, but you don't want to drop $100 or more just so you can have some variety in your alcohol cabinet.
News: Make Grilled Cheese in Your Toaster with No Mess
Grilled cheese is one of my favorite foods, ever. However, there are times in my life when I haven't had access to a full kitchen, and it's pretty hard to make a good grilled cheese sandwich without one.