Food Hacks How-Tos — Page 3 of 27 « Food Hacks

How To: Easy Ranch Dressing Variations That Beat Store-Bought Hands Down

We admit it: we are ranch dressing fanatics. We like to put it on our simple salads, spread it across our chicken wings, and dip homemade sweet potato fries in it. Plus, since childhood, neither of us can eat pizza without ranch dressing to accompany it.

How To: Make Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker

You may have had to deal with this unfortunate scenario when you have a hankering for homemade ice cream: you find a great recipe, just the flavor you want to make, you start reading it... and you discover those ever-dreaded words "pour into your ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer directions." Oh no!

How To: Screw Store Bought—Make Mochi in Minutes in the Microwave

Mochi seems to be everywhere these days: as a topping at your local frozen yogurt shop, in ice cream balls (the green tea ones are heaven), and as colorful treats all over Instagram. It seems like mocha mania is in full force!

How To: Hot Damn! 10 More Epic Popsicle Flavors

The freezer section at your local grocery store may have plenty of popsicle flavors, but they're mostly going to be the same old fruit-flavored varities you've been shoving in your mouths for years. None of those will truly get your tastebuds rolling like some creative homemade versions will. We've already shown you some crazy sounding ones made with Oreos, veggies, and coconut flakes, but now we're back with some more chilling ideas. Just wait until you get down to the corn one!

How To: Make Better-Tasting, Healthier Nutri-Grain Bars from Scratch

When we were kids, snacks on-the-go or in our lunch box were often Kellogg's Nutri-Grain cereal bars. There were flavors like strawberry, blueberry, and our beloved apple-cinnamon.

How To: Deep Fry All the Things! Try These 5 to Start

Fried food is the best. That's not an opinion; that's a fact, Jack. And while fried standards like wings, French fries, and onion rings are all stellar, there's no way you should stop there.

How To: Stop Tossing Food—Expiration Dates Mean Nothing

I'll admit it: I ignore expiration dates. No matter if it's a sell-by date, "best if used before" date, or even a use-by date, I don't care. I just check for signs of food decay and keep on eating.

How To: Everything You Need to Know About Everyone's Favorite Food—Pizza

Within the gastronomic melting pot of America, pizza was first introduced in the late 19th century by Italian settlers in cities like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. The slice-by -slice phenomenon gained popularity when immigrant street peddlers walked the sidewalks with aromatic, sweet-smelling pies held in metal washtubs.

How To: Step Up Your Flavor Game with This Easy Herb Butter Hack

Let's talk for a second about compound butter. No, scratch that, let's not. Because compound butters are too much work. You have to shape them and roll them and tie them and cut them... no thank you.

How To: The 'Tresadilla' Is 3x Better Than a Regular Quesadilla

Quesadillas are great, don't get me wrong. Cheese, tortillas, meat... what's not to like? But I'm going to take a stand: your regular old quesadilla is boring. It's time to step it up a notch and get out of your quesadilla comfort zone.

How To: 6 Wonderfully Weird Sorbet Flavors You Have to Try

Ah, the sensation of that first bite of sorbet in the heat of summertime: icy, refreshing, decadent in flavor and texture. We love sorbet almost as much as we love ice cream, and making it at home is actually pretty simple. Most recipes call for just water, sugar, and a base fruit of some sort (like strawberries or watermelon).

How To: Vodka Poké Balls (Gotta Eat 'Em All!)

Pokémon GO has become a cultural phenomenon. Finally, we can do what we always dreamed of back when we were kids—catch Pokémon in real life!

How To: The 2-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse of Your Dreams

As a self-proclaimed chocoholic, any day with chocolate mousse in it is a good day in my book. And thanks to prominent chemist Hervé This, one of the founding fathers of molecular gastronomy, chocolate mousse is not only easy to make every single day—but only requires two ingredients.

How To: Pit Cherries in a Snap with Zero Mess & No Special Tools

Pitting cherries is really annoying. There's no neat way to do it with a knife and, though they make a tool that does it, not everyone has space in their kitchen for a gadget that does so little. But fresh cherries are so delicious when they're in season... it's almost worth the extra hassle and/or space usage.

How To: Stop Arguing About How to Make the Best Snickerdoodles: We Have the Answer

If I were to write a snickerdoodle FAQ list, the top question would undoubtedly be "Do I really need to use cream of tartar in my snickerdoodle cookies?"

How To: Take Your Brownies to the Next Level with Add-Ins & Toppings

The decadent, chewy, fresh-from-the-oven brownie is a classic American dessert. US History Scene states that the first brownies ever made were a result of socialite Bertha Potter Palmer's request of her chef at Chicago's Palmer House Hotel in 1893 "to create a dessert that could be tucked into a box lunch for ladies to eat while attending the Columbian Exposition."

How To: To Boost Your Caprese Salad, Just Add Fruit

We like to think of ourselves as caprese connoisseurs. When we made our first batch of the iconic tomato salad, we became obsessed with the classic combo of fresh basil, sweet tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella cheese. But after a while, we wanted more than just the basic, layered Italian summer staple.

How To: Send Your Kids Back to School with These DIY Fruit Roll-Ups

As a child, you probably spent some time trailing an adult at the grocery store. You lovingly eyed the aisle with brightly colored fruit snacks, reaching for the tempting boxes, placing them discreetly in the cart only to be told, "No! That's JUNK FOOD. You can't have it."

How To: Get Chris' Outrageous Cheesecake Without Going to the Cheesecake Factory

Chris' Outrageous Cheesecake, a decedent combination of chocolate cake, brownies, cheesecake, and coconut-pecan frosting, is easily one of The Cheesecake Factory's most popular desserts. But, the price of fulfilling your cravings for this addictive treat can get up there (at about $8 a slice), and when you eat it at the restaurant you likely are limited to only one small piece.

How To: Using the Right Bakeware Is the Difference Between Baking Fail & Baking Win

For so many of us, bakeware is bakeware. As long as it's oven safe and able to tolerate the high heat, it's fine to bake in, right? Wrong!

How To: Chickpea Liquid Makes a Fantastic Vegan Mayonnaise

We had some friends over for a barbecue a few weeks back. Among other items, this outdoor soirée featured an epic potato salad (bacon, basil, crushed potato chips, pickles—the whole nine yards). And, like many potato salads, ours was made with a hearty amount of mayonnaise.

How To: Make Gorgeous Drunken Pasta with This Key Ingredient

It's hard to argue with the notion that wine and pasta are a winning combination. I mean, millions of Italians can't be wrong.

How To: Make Copycat Pocky Sticks in Any Crazy Flavor Combination You Want

There are two kinds of people standing in the international section of the grocery store: the kind who love Pocky and the kind who don't yet know that they love Pocky because they've never had it.

How To: This Secret Ingredient Strains Your Dirty Frying Oil for You

I fry foods a lot. A LOT. We're talking wings by the dozen here. As a result, I go through a ton of frying oil. Now, frying oil isn't the most expensive ingredient out there, but it adds up when you fry regularly. Of course, I always reuse my oil, but straining it can be a huge mess and it gets to a certain point where enough is enough. It's time to start fresh.

How To: 8 Edible Reasons to Be Obsessed with Apple Cider Vinegar

When we tell folks how often we use apple cider vinegar, they are baffled and bewildered. "I've had a bottle sitting in my pantry for 10 years," is the response we encounter most. And "I never use it!" Some have never even used apple cider vinegar at all in their lifetime, believe it or not.

How To: The iPhone 7 Isn't the Only New Thing That Comes in Jet Black

Move over rainbow food trends, there's a new, darker kid in town: jet black ice cream. And no, it doesn't have squid ink in it.

How To: Bone Broth—Is It Worth the Hype?

If you spend a lot of time reading about food, chances are you've heard about bone broth. It's all the rage these days, from high profile chefs like Marco Canora building menus around it, to celebrities like Salma Hayek using it as self-prescribed beauty regimens.

How To: Liquor Up Your Pie Crusts to Make Them Flaky AF

Pie crusts are pretty intimidating if you're an at-home baker with little experience, since there's a lot of science behind making them. A perfectly flaky crust that's golden brown—not charred and black along the edges—requires careful attention, a foolproof recipe, and some decent baking skills.

How To: Turn Gummy Bears into Popsicles... And 9 Other Crazy Ways to Eat 'Em

The iconic, lovable gummy bear originated in Germany, where it goes by the name Gummibär— but that's not what makes it so much fun. The base of gummy bears is made up of gelatin, which gives them the signature elasticity that makes you feel like a kid again. But the fun doesn't have to stop there.

How To: Save That Old, Opened Wine in Your Fridge by Making Homemade Vinegar

Don't Miss: Make Opened Wine Last Longer

How To: Make a Foolproof Meringue with This Easy Tip

When it comes to a perfect summertime dessert, lemon meringue pie is the ideal contender with its rich lemon filling and light-as-air meringue topping. In my humble opinion, the meringue is the true star of the dessert, instantly elevating what is simply a lemon pie to something more elegant and certainly more decadent.

How To: Add Mustard... And 9 Other Hacks That'll Make Lemonade Pop

Few summertime drinks are as sweet, tart, and refreshing as lemonade. It can cool off even the hottest day and help you relax poolside, on the beach, or just sitting around the house.

How To: This Brilliant Red, White & Blue Cake Holds a Flaky Surprise Inside

This Fourth of July, go beyond cherry pie, strawberry shortcake, and those gimmicky red, white, and blue cupcakes. Instead, wow your friends and family with this delicious, patriotic honeycomb cake made of puff pastry, whipped cream, and fresh fruit — no artificial coloring needed! Don't Miss:

How To: Dice an Avocado in Seconds — Without a Knife

Avocados are one of the most universally loved foods, yet a lot of people avoid them because they can be a hassle to cut, especially if you're trying to make cubes.

How To: Tell Graham Crackers to GTFO & Make S'mores in Cones

The most genius summertime snack hack that we've come across recently is, without a doubt, the campfire cone. Astounding in its simplicity and ease of preparation, yet brilliant in its execution, the campfire cone has something for everyone: parents and children, expert and novice campers, backyard barbecuers, and oven lovers alike.

How To: 8 Tasty Reasons Why You Should Always Have Cooked Rice in Your Fridge

Rice is one of those incredibly versatile pantry essentials that you can make in bulk and then freeze for later use in a quick meal during the week. It keeps well in the fridge and freezer, and there are an endless number of ways that it can be used once thawed—from rice bowls and salads to stir-fry dishes.