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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: The Trick to Using White Sugar as a Brown Sugar Substitute
There are a few key ingredients that you always need on hand when baking cookies and other desserts, but when you run out, you run out. You either have to stop what you're doing and go to the grocery store, find a good substitute, or scrap the project entirely. Chances are, you'll never accept defeat, and why go to the store if there's a good substitute on hand?
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: Why You Should Be Making Your Own Spices at Home
In my opinion, spices are the key to a successful kitchen. With a healthy array of spices and spice mixes, you have the foundation for nearly any dish that you want to make; the culinary world is your oyster. With a depleted cupboard of spices, however, nearly every recipe looks intimidating and unattainable.
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.
How To: 4 Refreshing Sangria Variations to Make Summer Even Better
Sangria... the elixir of summer. When properly prepared, there are few things more refreshing and magical. If you're looking for a way to mix things up and "get out of the bottle," try one of these lovely libations before the warm weather ends: peach-mango sangria, pineapple-basil sangria, watermelon-raspberry sangria, or blueberry-plum sangria.
How To: Make These Easy Granola Bars with Only 2 Ingredients
Granola bars are the perfect snack to have around: they're tasty, not messy, have nutritional value, are filling, and don't go stale quickly.
How To: 3 Must-Try Ways to Eat Avocado
Avocado is great in guacamole or as slices on a sandwich, but there's so much more you can do with this wonderful fruit (call it a vegetable, that's fine—but it's technically a fruit). While I could eat guac every single day, these are some of my favorite recipes to spice up avocados a bit, from making a guilty snack to a condiment and even dessert!
How To: 5 Ways to Host a Dinner Party for Under $25
To be twentysomething is an awkward time for entertaining. As we graduate college and begin to work in “the real world,” there is a yearning to transition from keg parties into dinner soirées. However, though the desire is there, often the bank account is not. Here are some ways to do in the kitchen what twentysomethings do best: fake it until you make it. (In other words, host a fabulous dinner party for four and still be able to make rent this month!)
How To: 5 Fruits to Throw on the Grill This Summer
The grill isn't just a place for burgers, dogs, and corn anymore. Fresh fruit has made its way into barbecue territory, with results so good, you'll think twice about settling for fruit salad. While some fruits are common enough on the grill (like pineapple), these six are more off the beaten trail: peaches, watermelon, strawberries, mango, and pears.
How To: Turn Boring Ol' Cauliflower into Delicious Pizza Crust, Chips, & Fried 'Rice'
Many of you have heard of "ricing" cauliflower. If you haven't, you're missing out making this one-note vegetable into a variety of main and side dishes. The ricing process is so simple, fast, and easy that even the most novice cook can swing this. One you complete this prep step, you will have an ingredient so versatile that you can easily fool your kids into eating their veggies without them ever knowing it.
How To: This Easy Tip Will Make Your Homemade Cupcakes Look More Professional
A simply frosted or glazed cupcake is like a blank canvas for creative decorations. Intricate cupcakes are works of art, but piping frosting or rolling fondant can be tricky. Luckily, even the most craft-challenged person can use pre-made decorations to create party-worthy cupcakes. Use chocolates or candies to make designs or other decorations and you can have endless fun (and very little stress) creating eye-catching treats.
How To: Three Cheap Meat Cuts That You Need to Utilize
Cooking on a budget isn't always easy, but there's a silver lining: it can be really fun. Ever since I started supporting myself I've enjoyed going shopping, finding the most affordable items, and learning how to make the most of them. Sure, sometimes I wish I could afford to buy a filet mignon and some morel mushrooms every night, but there's a different kind of enjoyment that comes from being able to turn a few dollars into a gourmet meal. For me, that means starting with cheap meat, and af...
How To: 6 Delicious Twists on the Classic BLT Sandwich
When I get struck by a craving for something SCJ (savory, crunchy, juicy), nothing fits the bill better than a BLT. But why settle for the sandwich form when there are so many other possibilities? Some of my favorite alternative ways to serve up a BLT are 1) as a salad, 2) in tomato cups, 3) in mini bread bowls, 4) as lettuce wraps, 5) as a dip, and 6) in bacon cups.
How To: Tell if Your Steak Is Done Without Using a Thermometer
In my opinion, there is nothing in the culinary world as satisfying as cutting into a steak, and seeing that you've cooked it to perfection. Even if you're one of those bizarre people that prefers their steak medium or well done (hey, no judgement... okay, fine, a little bit of judgement), it's culinary heaven when you realize that you achieved the perfect doneness on your steak.
How To: S'mores & Tiramisu Have a Baby & It's Freakin' Beautiful
This decadent dessert is inspired and created by marrying tiramisu and s'mores. It's a moan-worthy version of that classic English dessert, trifle, that combines the soft, creamy layers of tiramisu with the gooey, sticky goodness of s'mores. You can make it as easy as you wish, with store-bought whipped cream and pound cake, or you can make everything from scratch for a special company-ready dessert.
How To: Five Ways to Repurpose Shellfish Shells
When I was a little kid, I was obsessed with shells. And while most of my shell collection came from combing the beach for treasure, some of it came from a different source: dinner. Whenever my parents had fresh clams or mussels, I would take the leftover shells, soak them overnight in soapy water, and add them to my collection.
How To: Make Any Cutting Board Non-Slip with This Easy Hack
Between sharp knives and slippery produce, basic meal prep can be an absolute massacre. Even the most professional knife-wielders don't stand a chance if they're working on unstable surfaces.
How To: Dull Knife? Use Your Car Window to Make It Sharp Again
Although wear and tear on kitchen knives is unavoidable, it's extremely frustrating when I can't cut through tough, fatty tendons in meat or even make a clean slice through an onion. If you don't have a steel rod or water stone to sharpen your knives, or even a cheap knife sharpener, you can get creative by using a coffee mug and even a newspaper.
How To: The Perfect Three-Course Meal for Peanut Butter Lovers
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich has officially left the building. When you eat this every other day in elementary school, you've sort of reached your limit. The thing is, peanut butter itself is delicious and quite versatile if used in the right way. Let's explore this kitchen cabinet staple and showcase it via the three dinner courses.
How To: Why You Should Start Eating Raw Meat (Or Eat More of It)
A friend of mine is a classically trained chef, and she often invites me over to her house to eat whatever goodies she has concocted. A few years ago I asked her the cliché question that every chef is sick of answering: "What's your favorite food?"
How To: 5 Ways to Make Your Vegetables Taste Better
I like to think of myself as a pretty calm and even-keeled person. I rarely get angry or annoyed, and I don't even get peeved very frequently.
Tuiles: The Coolest Food You're Not Using (Make Them in Only 10 Minutes!)
My favorite finishing touch to any dish is a tuile. Small, elegant, and simple—even its name makes it sound delicate. Tuiles are garnishes that are malleable when directly removed from the oven and crisp up as they cool down. I love them because they complement both savory and sweet dishes and can add a nice alternative texture to creamy dishes. Read on to learn how to transform this warm, workable dough into a variety of crispy, light accents.
Bottled vs. Tap: 5 Reasons Why You Should Choose City Water Over Plastic
There is a huge myth that most Americans believe, and it might be the marketing triumph of the 20th century. We pay an absurd markup (Zero Hedge says as much as 280,000% for "designer" water) on something we can get for free because most of us believe that bottled water is healthier than tap water. But is it? Here are 5 reasons why tap water is probably better than that bottled stuff you drink. 1. It's Not Cleaner (& Might Be Dirtier) Than Your Tap Water
How To: Cut a Cooked Steak the Right Way
There is no greater food to master than steak. If you can make a steak that's only marginally better than your neighborhood Applebee's, you'll still have friends waiting outside your door for steak night. And if you can make steak as good as that expensive gourmet steakhouse you went to for your birthday? Well, your popularity is about to increase dramatically.
How To: These 6 Flavors Turn Crunchy Chickpeas into Snacking Gold
Whether you call them chickpeas, garbanzo beans, or Egyptian peas, these little morsels are one of my favorite snacks—when properly seasoned, that is. Being mild in flavor on their own, they're incredibly versatile and fun to experiment with. (They're also incredibly healthy.)
Skip Scented Candles: Make Scented Light Bulbs with Flavored Extracts Instead
Do you ever walk into a nice boutique, a friend's house, or a fancy restaurant, and think, “I wish my house smelled like this”? Because I sure do.
How To: Devein & Peel Shrimp in Seconds
Shrimp is one of my all-time favorite foods. It's versatile, delicious, and incredibly fun to use in the kitchen.
How To: Make 5 Amazing Appetizers Using the Same 3 Ingredients
When you look at an Italian flag, what do you see? Green, white, and red? Well, I see a Caprese salad. And no, I do not need to have my vision checked. It simply means that I have the eyes of a chef.
How To: 5 Ways to Make Plain Potato Chips Taste More Like Gourmet
In my opinion (and I suspect in the opinion of the masses), there is no greater snack food than potato chips. They're crunchy, they're salty, they're fried, and they're bite size; what's not to love? But I believe that, like almost all foods, potato chips can get even better. Especially if they're the most basic garden variety type of chip: sea salt.
How To: Bake or Grill Cinnamon Buns in Orange Peels
These cinnamon buns baked in orange peels are one of the easiest, cutest, and tastiest treats you can make for breakfast, a sweet snack, or dessert. Whether you bake them in the oven or grill them over a campfire, the orange peels infuse the cinnamon rolls with a fragrant, citrus-y flavor.
How To: Turn Salami Slices into Crispy, Savory Snack Chips You Can Dip
Baking thinly sliced salami in the oven changes it to an awesome and savory crispy snack. They're dippable, crowd-pleasing, and healthier than your average slice of salami —the amount of oil that drains from each slice is a little scary!