Food Hacks Features
How To: I Love Puff Pastry. Here’s Why You Should, Too
I always have several sheets of puff pastry in my freezer. It's unlike any other pastry dough: the layers of butter let out steam when the dough bakes (hence, the "puff" in puff pastry). The dough's flakiness perfectly compliments sweet and savory dishes, which makes it a totally versatile—and completely necessary—fixture in your kitchen!
How To: The Fastest Way to Make Spaghetti Squash Noodles
Spaghetti squash is a versatile vegetable, but it has a reputation for being intimidating to prepare... not to mention time-consuming. Heating it up in the oven can take at least 30-40 minutes, which is a definite time-suck for those who want to get dinner on the table, stat.
News: Could Cooking White Rice with Coconut Oil Cut Calories?
White rice is cheap, filling, and tasty. No wonder so many countries in the world rely on it as a mealtime staple, including most of East and Southeast Asia. Alas, because of its relative lack of nutrition and its high calorie count, consuming lots of white rice regularly also puts people at risk for diseases like diabetes and obesity.
How To: Whoa—You Can Make Sprouts from Lentils, Almonds & More!
The sprouts, they're alive! Alive, I tell you—aaaaaaliiiiiive! (Cue dramatic music.) It's true: sprouts are a living food, and they're packed with more nutritional benefits than some raw vegetables. It's easy and fun to grow your own sprouts from seeds, legumes, and grains. Plus, watching them grow is incredibly satisfying—you're bringing new life into the world (and onto your plate)!
How To: Make In-N-Out's Famous Animal Style French Fries at Home
In-N-Out Burger uses only quality, fresh ingredients, and that means no frozen, prepackaged, or over-processed anything in sight. Because of this, their food is exceptionally tasty, and one of the first things tourists flock to when they visit the West Coast.
How To: 4 Tasty Reasons to Not Throw Away Your Potato Skins
Potato peels are largely misunderstood creatures. They're shucked away from every mashed potato dish like some icky rag that has no business in your kitchen. PS: Quit it. By ditching the peels, you're not only missing out on fiber and large amounts of potassium (even more than a banana), you're tossing the potential for chewy, crunchy finger food. So the next time you're left with a plate of scraps, here are four tasty reasons to hold onto them.
How To: A Beginner's Guide to Gluten-Free Baking
What is gluten, why do some people think it is pure culinary evil, and why are there more and more products devoted to being free of this mysterious substance? Here's what one person thinks: What Is Gluten Really?
News: DrinkTanks' Growler & Kegulator = Your Very Own Portable Beer Keg
With all due respect to the fine folks at DrinkTanks, it's a little surprising that no one came up with their idea sooner. After all, last I checked, beer was pretty darned popular.
How To: Score Great Wine at Bargain Prices
Whether you're a seasoned wine drinker or just beginning to explore the wondrous world of fermented grapes, finding fantastic wine on a budget isn't as difficult as one may think. With these 8 tips, you'll see how and why you need not shell out $45 to get a great-tasting, high-quality bottle of wine without settling for vino.
How To: You Should Be Using Bitters in More Than Just Cocktails
Maybe you've had a long day... or maybe you just want to treat yo' self. So you head to your local watering hole for some tasty, tasty liquor. Your current fave on the cocktail list is a drink of something strong with bitters; you don't know what bitters are, but damn if that booze isn't delicious.
How To: The Easiest Way to Make Sure You Get Your Daily Dose of Fruits and Veggies
According to the CDC, less than 33 percent of adults eat the recommended servings of fruit each day in the United States. When it comes to vegetables, Americans are even worse, averaging less than 27 percent. Most adults should consume at least 2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables each day, depending on age, gender, and level of physical activity. Eating lots of fruits and veggies has been linked to a better immune system, faster weight loss, and way too many other health benefits...
How To: Why You Don't Actually Need Any Pans to Bake Like a Pro
If you're anything like me, the urge to bake comes in waves. Winter constitutes an especially large wave; when I need to put on a few extra pounds for insulation, I go a bit carb crazy and take any opportunity to make breads, pies, and cakes.
How To: Holy Crap—Grilled Cheese Is More Than Just a Sandwich
Grilled meat may be a staple of summer barbecues, but grilled cheese should have a place at your outdoor feast as well. I don't mean taking a slice or two of cheese, slapping it between two pieces of bread, and putting it in a pan to create a grilled cheese sandwich. No, I mean literally grilled cheese.
How To: 5 Awesome Culinary Uses for Mason Jars
I have a confession: I hoard glass jars. I buy mason jars whenever I get the chance. When I finish a jar of pickles or mayonnaise, there's no way that glass jar is going in the recycling (thankfully, they're easy to de-stink). And when my sister gives me a basket of her homemade jams, she can forget about ever seeing those jars again.
How To: Double Your Snackage with This Brilliantly Lazy Toaster Oven Hack
The mighty toaster oven may be the most useful small appliance ever, whether you're a college student who needs to heat up your Bagel Bites or a professional looking for a quick way to warm up a frozen pizza after a long day. But that toaster oven is no one-hit wonder. With this smart hack, you can give it double-duty superpowers to heat up not one, but two frozen foods at the same time.
How To: The Delicious Trick to 1-Minute Lemonade at Home
If you love quenching your thirst with an ice-cold glass of lemonade but aren't a fan of artificial powder mixes, then this hack is for you. When your next lemonade craving strikes, instead of reaching for a glorified Kool-Aid packet, get an instant sip of summer by using pre-made, frozen lemon cubes to create your favorite drink. And this recipe isn't just easy to make, it's perfect for any number of servings, from single to several, or even a pitcher, if necessary.
How To: Beer Can Cabbage Is the Meal Your Vegetarian Friends Deserve
When it comes to barbecues, vegetarians get the short end of the stick. While you're brushing fire-roasted ribs with your favorite mouthwatering barbecue sauce, we're crossing our fingers that there's some meat-free side dishes hiding away somewhere.
How To: These 5 Recipes Prove That Tea Is a Delicious Addition to Anything
A cup of ginger tea with lemon first thing in the morning, a pick-me-up cup of green tea (or matcha) to fight off the afternoon slump and a soothing cup of chamomile tea to help me unwind before bed—I would be lying if I said I weren't a major tea enthusiast.
How To: Make Your Own Sriracha at Home
The possibility of the Sriracha factory in Irwindale, CA being shut down was one of the biggest food stories of 2013. Huy Fong Foods was almost forced to close the plant due to complaints about the factory's smell, but luckily the brand emerged triumphant.
How To: Grab a Can of Lemonade Concentrate for the Easiest Frozen Pie Ever
Every once in a while, we stumble across something food-related that makes us stop and do a double take. Frozen lemonade pie definitely takes the cake—or shall we say, pie—for a dessert that intrigued us upon discovery and totally lived up to its hype. Its filling uses only three ingredients and is one of the most refreshing and seasonally-appropriate desserts on our current roster of must-eats.
How To: Color Easter Eggs with Veggies & Herbs Instead of Store-Bought Dyes
As a kid, my favorite part of Easter were the days leading up to the holiday, when my family would dye eggs. This became an enormous event in my household, as dozens and dozens of perfectly white eggs would become little oval canvases for arts and crafts.
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.
News: Why Skim, Low, & Reduced-Fat Milk Are Actually Worse for You Than Whole Milk
I don't drink a lot of milk, so when I do, it's always whole milk. I'll drink two-percent if it's the only kind available, but skim? I'd rather have none at all. Tons of people buy reduced fat milk because they're trying to eat healthier, but to me, the extra calories are totally worth it. And, contrary to popular belief, whole milk is actually better for you anyway. Just like diet soda, the downsides of reducing the number of calories in milk outweigh the benefits. Studies have found that co...
How To: 6 Hilarious Anti-Valentine's Day Treats
Valentine's Day can seem like Singles Awareness Day if you're newly broken up, but that's all the more reason to treat yourself on this pink-and-red consumerist holiday. Whether you're happily single or bitter and bitchy, there's definitely something on this list of Anti-Valentine's Day treats to fit your mood. Remember: cake is still cake!
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: Cook with Marshmallow Peeps
Is there anything more emblematic of Easter than marshmallow peeps? And yet, despite their popularity...does anyone actually like eating them?
How To: 3 Brilliant Culinary Uses for Bad-Tasting Vodka
In my opinion, vodka gets a lot of undeserved flak. It seems like most people have a bad experience in college with a plastic bottle of vodka and never go back. I can't blame them; it took me a few years after graduating college to start to enjoy vodka again—but now I adore it.
Next-Level Baking: 4 Essentials Every Home Cook Should Master
Baking is one of life's greatest joys. There's something truly magical about taking a half a dozen humble ingredients, mixing them until they're an odd-colored sludge, tossing them into an oven, and watching them emerge as something elegant and delicious.
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: 5 Kinds of Flower Waters
You might be familiar with the use of zucchini blossoms in cooking and maybe even know how to make herbal simple syrups. But if you really want to show off as someone who knows how to use flowering plants in food, try adding some flower water to your cooking/baking repertoire.
How To: Kill Your Diet with These Fast Food Copycat Recipes
Fast food is a guilty pleasure in which we all indulge. When you're short on time and long on hunger, being able to whiz through the drive-thru or run 'in and out' of a fast food joint can be a real lifesaver.
How To: Knives Too Dull? Use These Hacks to Cut, Chop, Peel & Mince Without a Blade
Knives are among the most important utensils in any kitchen; it's hard to even conceive of cooking a decent meal without them. However, many different foods can be prepped without a knife, and some are actually better off without one. If you don't believe me, then check out these 10 creative methods for chopping, peeling, mincing, and slicing knifeless.
How To: Citrus Fruit… Your New Favorite Facial Cleanser?
Switching your favorite facial cleanser isn't an easy choice. Since everyone's skin type can range from dry, to oily, to some complicated combination of both... well, let's just say that the conventional wisdom is to stick to what you know works.
How To: Make a Quesadilla with a Waffle Maker.
Learn how to make a quesadilla with a waffle maker or waffle iron. In this tutorial video we make a chicken quesadilla with chicken, cheese,tomato and BBQ sauce.
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: Mince Garlic Without Dirtying a Cutting Board
Some nights, I'm a lazy cook and only want to chop one clove of garlic for my immediate needs instead of prepping a giant batch and freezing it the way I normally do. The only problem is if I'm already feeling that lazy, I really don't feel like dirtying a whole cutting board. However, I still want my garlic to be finely minced so it suffuses my dish with its wonderful, one-of-a-kind flavor.
Summer Hack: Hot Tea Can Cool You Down More Than Popsicles
Instinctively, we reach for popsicles and cold drinks when the temperatures climb, but doing something counterintuitive, like going for a hot drink or eating something spicy, is actually more effective at keeping you cool.
How To: Grill Pizza Like a Pro
When I was a kid, there was just pizza. You ordered from whatever nationwide chain was near you and they made your pizza in an oven. There certainly weren't these highfalutin pizza subsets that have more choices than a cheese shop. Wood-fired, brick oven, artisanal, make-your-own — it's enough to make you long for simpler times.
How To: 9 Savory Ways to Use This Season's Strawberries
In many places, May has given way to a surplus of strawberries cluttering the produce aisle. These sweet berries are great in a wide variety of delicious baked goods, from pies to cakes and everything in between.
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).