General Cooking & Baking Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-09-2022

Cooking Persian food at home is exciting and easy! All you have to do is say yes to adventure, new flavors, and new techniques. After you’ve learned about advieh (Persian spice mix) and understood the building blocks of a khoresh (Persian braise) and polow khoresh (Persian-style rice), you’ll be putting one together in no time at all. Having the right ingredients commonly used in Persian cooking at hand, as well as some essential tools, will make the process fun and consistently successful.

Article / Updated 07-28-2022

Recipes that feature fruits and vegetables often ask for you to slice or pare them. For example, to create a the all-American apple pie, you need to first pare and then slice the apples. Slicing fruits and vegetables Slicing is the most common — and most important — knife task. There are really only two things to keep in mind: If you’re slicing a hard, round vegetable, like an onion or a winter squash, trim one side flat first so it doesn’t roll around on the cutting board. Take your time to assure evenly thick pieces, whether you’re slicing an onion or a pineapple. Doing so makes the food look better and cook more evenly. The figure shows how to slice a scallion. As you can see, you can slice with the knife straight in front of you or at a slight angle with the blade moving away from you. Paring fruits and vegetables Paring is one of the only cutting tasks you perform while holding the ingredient in your hand. Don’t worry — you don’t need the first-aid kit nearby! Your hands are designed for this kind of work. Paring means to remove skin from fruits and vegetables as well as to sculpt them into decorative shapes. They can be small items, like shallots and garlic, or larger ones, like apples and tomatoes. Above all, a paring knife must be razor sharp to perform well. To pare an apple, for example, hold it in one hand, barely pressing it into your palm, with fingers bracing the surface (outside of where the cutting proceeds). Pierce the skin of the apple with the paring knife and carefully peel it toward you, slowly turning the apple with your thumb. Spiral all the way to the bottom. Although fruits and vegetables come in different shapes, this technique of holding food and slicing toward you is the same.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 12-15-2021

If you’re like most people, you waste your fair share of food. And you may think that food waste is an inevitable part of modern life. In Zero Waste Cooking For Dummies, you learn how to use every last bit of what’s in your fridge, freezer, and cupboard to make delicious meals, save money, and do your part for the environment. Keep this handy Cheat Sheet as a reference for the basics of cutting down on food waste. It includes food staples to keep around for quick meals, how to organize your pantry, how to make a zero-waste grocery list, make the most of leftovers, and how to store cold foods to avoid unnecessary waste.

Article / Updated 12-13-2021

Appetizers that require marinating are a good way to start a meal. Their acidic freshness primes the palate for what's to follow. This spectacular recipe, Salmon Marinated in Ginger and Cilantro, can be prepared several hours in advance and has a tangy, herbaceous flavor that teases the palate without filling the stomach. Don't substitute powdered ginger for fresh ginger root in this recipe; the same goes for the cilantro. The fresh ingredient tastes entirely different than the dried herbs do. Marinating fish can be tricky business. The acid in the marinade — which comes from the lime and vinegar — actually "cooks" the surface of the fish. Be sure to leave the fish in the marinade only as long as the recipe indicates (4 to 5 hours, in this case). Salmon Marinated in Ginger and Cilantro Preparation time: About 15 minutes plus marinate time Yield: 8 servings 2 pounds skinless, boneless salmon fillets 1/2 cup fresh lime juice 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Salt and black pepper Lettuce for garnish Slice the salmon thinly (1/4 inch or less) widthwise, leaving strips about 2 inches long. Place the strips in a large bowl. Add the lime juice, onion, vinegar, oil, cilantro, ginger root, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours. Taste for seasoning. If you need more salt, blend it in thoroughly. Line small serving plates with the lettuce of your choice and place a serving of salmon over the lettuce. Discard the onion-marinade mix. Per serving: Calories 174 (From Fat 76); Fat 9g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 62mg; Sodium 68mg; Carbohydrate 0g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 23g. If your salmon pieces have any small bones, use a pair of tweezers or your fingers to remove them before starting to prepare this dish.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-14-2021

To save money and boost your health, you may be doing more home cooking than ever before. You can use simple tips and tricks to cook healthy meals, bake yummy desserts, throw a fabulous party, and save time in the kitchen. With a bit of planning, some expert advice, and fresh ingredients, you’ll be cooking delicious meals in no time — even if you consider yourself a kitchen novice. Photo by Katie Smith on Unsplash

Cheat Sheet / Updated 10-04-2021

Bread making is making a comeback, and you’re not alone if you’re ready to try your hand at making your very own loaf at home! It helps if you know how to form a round roll. And if you’re considering sourdough, discovering the benefits of sourdough bread may be enough to push you over the edge. Finally, a key aspect of bread making is timing — setting a schedule is key to success!

Article / Updated 10-04-2021

Recipes are full of culinary codes like abbreviations and weird measurements (how big is a pinch?). Deciphering between the different cooking abbreviations and their proper units of measurement can help make sure your dish comes out exactly as planned. You can find common abbreviations for measurements here, as well as conversions of various ingredient measurements. Common cooking abbreviations Although some recipes spell out measurements, a lot of cookbooks use abbreviations. Oftentimes, different books will use different abbreviations, which can cause confusion when putting together a dish. For example, the tablespoon and teaspoon abbreviations may look very similar and can be mistaken for one another: a lowercase t can stand for teaspoon an uppercase T can stand for tablespoon Adding a tablespoon (T) of garlic when the recipe only requires a teaspoon (t) can spell disaster! Find the common cooking abbreviations and their corresponding units of measurement below: Common Abbreviations for Measurements in Cooking Cooking Abbreviation(s) Unit of Measurement C, c cup g gram kg kilogram L, l liter lb pound mL, ml milliliter oz ounce pt pint t, tsp teaspoon T, TB, Tbl, Tbsp tablespoon Common cooking conversion measurements Now that you have the abbreviations all sorted out, it’s time to learn the most common conversion measurements in cooking. Understanding these cooking conversions can help you quickly follow recipes, convert based on your available cooking equipment, or even allow you to do quick math to slightly alter recipes according to your liking. This table lists common conversion measurements in cooking. Conversion Measurements in Cooking Unit of Measurement : Equals: Pinch or dash less than 1/8 teaspoon 3 teaspoons 1 tablespoon 2 tablespoons 1 fluid ounce 1 jigger 1 1/2 fluid ounces 4 tablespoons 1/4 cup 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon 1/3 cup 12 tablespoons 3/4 cup 16 tablespoons 1 cup 1 cup 8 fluid ounces 2 cups 1 pint or 16 fluid ounces 2 pints 1 quart or 32 fluid ounces 4 quarts 1 gallon

Video / Updated 06-02-2020

Hone your knife skills and learn how to separate a whole chicken into eight pieces so you can leave the expensive, precut chicken pieces at the grocery store. Master the simple steps needed to cut a whole chicken into thighs, drumsticks, wings, and breasts. You’ll feel like a real kitchen pro!

Article / Updated 11-21-2019

Cooking is fun, but kitchen safety is a priority. There are many pieces of equipment and environmental hazards that can be extremely dangerous. Sharp objects like knives, open fire by the oven, electrical appliances, and even bacteria around the kitchen. Observing basic rules of kitchen safety is a good habit to develop. Always pay attention to what you’re doing in the kitchen because one slip can cause serious injury or accidents. To prevent serious injuries or accidents: always pay attention to what you’re doing, adopt a plan for kitchen cleanliness, and have necessary safety equipment at your disposal. It’s also important to be aware of who is in the space – for example, children should never be left alone in the kitchen! Store knives in a wooden block or in a drawer. Make sure the knives are out of the reach of children. Follow these knife safety tips to prevent injury. Never cook in loose clothes and keep long hair tied back. You don’t want anything accidentally catching fire (not to mention hair ending up in the food!). Never cook while wearing dangling jewelry. A bracelet can get tangled around pot handles. Keep potholders nearby and use them! Be careful not to leave them near an open flame. Turn pot handles away from the front of the stove. Children can’t grab them, and adults can’t bump into them if they’re out of the way. Don’t let temperature-sensitive foods sit out in the kitchen. Raw meat, fish, and certain dairy products can spoil quickly, so refrigerate or freeze them right away. Wipe up spills immediately. Keep the floor dry so that no one slips and falls. Separate raw meat and poultry from other items whenever you use or store them. This precaution avoids cross-contamination of harmful bacteria from one food to another. Wash your hands before handling food and after handling meat or poultry. Hands can be a virtual freight train of bacteria. Get a fire extinguisher for your kitchen. This device may not do much for your cherries jubilee, but it can avert a disaster. You should do your best to prevent a kitchen fire, but sometimes it’s out of your hands. So, make sure you know how to use the extinguisher before a fire breaks out. You can’t waste any time reading the directions amidst the flames.

Article / Updated 06-18-2019

Fresh corn on the cob is around for a few weeks each summer, and then it disappears. So when it’s available, make the most of this delicious vegetable. It’s not so hard to cook the perfect ear of corn if you follow a few simple tips: Buy corn still in its husk, if possible, rather than the plastic-wrapped, fully shucked kind you often see in the store. It will taste fresher. Do not shuck the corn until close to cooking time. The silk and husk help keep the kernels moist. If you have to store corn, put it in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Don’t overcook your corn. About 5 to 6 minutes, just until the corn is heated through, is plenty for young, tender ears. Older ears may take up to 10 minutes. This recipe calls for one ear of corn per person, but if you have more guests or you think your guests may eat more than one ear each, just add more to the pot. The cooking time remains the same. Perfect Corn on the Cob Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 5 to 6 minutes Yield: 8 servings 8 ears fresh sweet corn Salt and pepper 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, husk the corn. When the water boils, carefully drop the ears, one at a time, into the pot. Cover and boil for 5 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, remove the ears from the water and set them on a plate to drain. Serve immediately with salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of butter per ear. Per serving: Calories 178 (From Fat 112); Fat 12g (Saturated 7g); Cholesterol 31mg; Sodium 88mg; Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 3g. Vary It! Flavor the butter with assorted spices and herbs. For example, you can soften the butter to room temperature and mix in a little lemon or lime juice, chopped cilantro or chervil, or chopped fresh basil.