The Cooking Guide
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Cooking tips for avoiding cross-contamination Photo
When handling raw meats, poultry and seafood, it's important to keep food safety in mind. You want to avoid cross-contaminating plates, platters and utensils used for raw foods and those used for cooked foods. more
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Build confidence in the kitchen Photo
There's a world of difference between home cooks and professional chefs, for no better reason than practice. Pros make the same dishes over and over every day, sometimes hundreds of times a week or month. Even the most accomplished home cook will make a given dish only a handful of times a year.... more
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Homemade pickles in just an hour Photo
A recently immigrated Irish friend was over for sandwiches, and I asked if she'd like a pickle on the side. She said she'd never had one, but would love to try it. She took one bite of the tart, crunchy spear — my favorite among the popular commercial brands — and proclaimed, "It... more
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What to expect from specialty chickens
For the conscientious carnivore, it's a tough but unavoidable question: How do I balance safe and responsible meat buying with taste and affordability? more
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The secret to a great-tasting burger Photo
You can buy the best-looking ground beef your supermarket sells, gently hand-form it into patties, season it perfectly and cook it over your grill's highest heat and it still doesn't come close to the best hamburgers at top restaurants. more
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Infusion: Flavor enhancement in a few simple steps Photo
If you've ever had a cup of coffee, you've had an infusion. Today, we're looking at the culinary applications of this simple method of imparting flavors to neutral liquids. more
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How to peel and seed a tomato
To peel a tomato, cut a shallow "X" in the blossom end, then blanch the tomato in a pot of boiling water just until the skin begins to peel away from the cut -- from five to 30 seconds; the timing will vary depending on the ripeness of the tomato. Rinse under cool running water. The peel... more
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How to bake with whole grains Photo
For years Kim Boyce, a pastry chef who sifted and stirred her way through some of Los Angeles' best kitchens, from Wolfgang Puck's Spago to Nancy Silverton's Campanile, only worked in white. more
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Know your oils Photo
If you think olive oil is perfect for deep frying, it's time for an oil change. Turns out, cooking with the correct oils can make – or break – your dish. "The bottom line is smoke point and flavor," said Chef Eve Felder, associate dean of culinary education at the Culinary Institute of... more
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DIY candy is sweet Photo
Candy making has a reputation for being time-consuming and difficult, but with shortcuts, it can be easy. more
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Ingredients to always keep on hand Photos
The secret to fast, no-fail meals is having the right ingredients on hand. A well-stocked pantry can offer endless possibilities for desperation dinners. Stocking a pantry takes a bit of investment up front, but once it's filled, your pantry can become an oversized recipe box, full of potential... more
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Follow your senses to up your game Photo
Before you slice into a tomato, chop an onion, pull out a skillet — before you even turn on the stove — turn on your senses. more
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Tomato sauce: the long and the short of it
With a can of good tomatoes and 15 minutes, you can even make a sauce vastly superior to (and cheaper than) anything you can buy in a jar. more
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Expedient ingredients: Turn leftover eggs, onions , you name it , into clean-out-the-fridge dishes
With a little creativity, you can stop waste and stretch precious food dollars. more
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Enjoy Girl Scout cookies beyond dessert with these recipes
Enjoy Girl Scout cookies beyond dessert with these recipes more
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Dijon's good for a bite
Dijon mustard is one of my go-to ingredients for making sauces, dips and glazes. more
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Lemons add just-right bite
If capers or roasted lemons are not typically in your cooking repertoire, give them a try in today's dish. This chicken recipe is simple to make, and the capers and lemons lend sweet, sour and salty notes. more
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Versatile cranberry orange mini muffins make a breakfast, brunch or holiday appetizer
Like a choir of holiday angels, cranberries wear the halo of good health. more
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Monkey bread: It's play dough for bakers Photo
Of all the heirloom family recipes tucked away in my converted shoe box (iPhone apps have nothing on 3-by-5 cards), one for monkey bread ranks second only to my great-grandmother's biscuits as the most tattered. more
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How to store fresh herbs for a taste of summer all year
Wondering what to do with that abundance of garden-fresh herbs you've carefully tended all summer long? more
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Perfect wine pairings for hard to match foods
There are four real wine killers out there: artichokes, asparagus, chilies and vinegar. No need to switch to water. You've got some of the nation's savviest wine-food pairers watching your back. more
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Food storage do's and don't's Photos
Many of us take the safety of our food for granted -- until a nationwide outbreak of food-borne illness occurs or there's a major food recall. While you don't have control over food-safety recalls, you can control how you handle and store the food in your own kitchen. The good news is... more
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Tomatos: How to dry to perfection, preserving the bounty of summer
It's that time of year when chefs see red. Call it tomato love. more
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4 steps to cracking an egg one-handed Photos
First, hold your egg-cracking hand up, palm facing you, with your ring finger and pinkie curled down. Hold your index and middle fingers about an inch apart, pointing up, as if you're going to poke someone in the eyes. more
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Smart steak cuts for lean times Photo
In the old days, say about this time last year, it wasn't so hard to throw a bang-up backyard barbecue, but now... more
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How to order wine like an expert Photo
OK, so you don't know a box wine from a baby brunello and that big dinner with colleagues/clients/current object of obsession is just a day away. You want to be dining and wining but will likely be dining and whining ... especially if all you can say to the waiter is, "Got any... more
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Ten ways to be a grill master Photos
Even if you've only ever watched from afar, the art of grilling is possible to master for almost anyone. Whether you're a cook-out virgin or you've been grilling for decades, take a look at these tips to improve your skills. more
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How to make homemade ice cream
No question, the supermarket freezer case is chock-full of delicious ice cream. So why make your own? "Homemade ice cream is one of the easiest yet smartest desserts to serve -- ready to go when you want it," noted Alex Barker, author of "500 Ice Creams, Sorbets & Gelatos" (Sellers... more
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Ask yourself questions before buying a grill
Thinking of buying a grill? The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association suggests asking yourself these questions: more
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How to hard-cook an egg
Hard-cooking eggs is easy; try these instructions from the American Egg Board (aeb.org): more
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Best grills to buy: Bring on the meat Photos
Consumer Reports tested 37 grills and found these to be the best buys: more
