Recipes Articles

Article / Updated 06-23-2022

Before you begin grilling, here are some general tips that you should always keep in mind for the sake of safety, preparation, and getting the best results. Practice patience with your fire. Never put food on a grill that isn't ready. Be sure to take your time getting the fire going, making sure that the coals are uniformly ashy gray. And remember that not all foods take well to the same fire or the same temperatures. Check your recipe or your grill manual to find out what temperature you need for each type of food. Organize your grill space. Set up a small table next to the grill with all your ingredients, utensils, serving platters, and so on. Grilling can proceed quickly, and so you have to be ready to serve food when it's at its peak. Flavor your food. Grilling a hamburger, a steak, or some fish on the grill is simple and wonderful all on its own. But to add flavor to the food and seal that flavor in is the mark of a master griller. Marinating, which is a liquid flavor enhancer, adds moisture and is great for almost all foods. Oils are great for keeping delicate foods moist on the grill, and rubs help create a nice crispy crust. Don't skimp on fuel. Be sure to build a fire that won't lose its heat before you finish grilling. This is especially important with a charcoal grill. Even though you can always replenish your coals, it's better to use too many than not enough. Just remember to spread the coals about 2 inches beyond the edges of the food, and if you do replenish the coals, you must wait until they turn ashen gray — usually about 20 minutes — before you get back to your ideal heat. Police the fire! A fire changes constantly and demands your attention at all times. At the beginning of the heating process, coals will glow and have a flame above them. When you add food, you'll likely have a small to large flare-up, so monitor the cooking closely at that time. If you leave the grill with fire licking the sides of the food, you may come back to a charred meal. Later on, when the fire has died down, you want to maintain a consistent heat so the food cooks evenly. Replenishing the coals if they start to lose their glow and diminish in size is usually necessary at least once. You may need to replenish more times throughout a long cooking time. Figure out when food is done. Unfortunately, overcooked food doesn't have a reverse gear to take it back to rare, and an overdone piece of meat is a crying shame. So be sure to hover over your grill and check the food often. To test for doneness, make a small cut in the center of the food so you can peek inside. Test frequently for doneness a few minutes before the end of the estimated cooking time. Use an instant-read thermometer for thick chops, roasts, and whole poultry. You should also gauge the searing on the outside of the food. Some folks love a black char and others prefer a light one. However, if you let the fire flare up too much, you may just get a coal-black exterior and a blood-rare interior.

Article / Updated 06-14-2022

Who doesn’t love saving time (it allows you to do other things, like eat more cheese)? Check out the handy table below and take the guesswork out of wine and cheese pairings. Time-Tested Wine and Cheese Pairings This Wine Goes Well with This Cheese Sparkling wine Fresh cow or goat milk cheese, triple-crème cheeses, or Parmigiano Reggiano Crisp white wines like Sauvignon Blanc Mold-ripened goat milk cheeses Buttery Chardonnays Buttery, creamy cheeses; try a triple-crème cow milk or an aged Gouda Sweet or crisp Riesling Washed-rind cow milk cheeses Lighter red wines, such as Pinot Noir and Sangiovese Semi-firm sheep or goat milk cheeses; try Ossau-Iraty, Manchego, or younger Gouda Syrah Comté Big red wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux blend, full-bodied Zinfandels Aged cheddar or another cheese with some bite and heft, such as an aged pecorino, Parmigiano Reggiano, or Grana Padano Dessert wines (port, Sauternes, or Late Harvest Riesling) Blue cheeses and triple-crème cow milk cheeses

Cheat Sheet / Updated 06-01-2022

To cook truly wonderful Italian meals, it helps to have some knowledge of Italian cooking tradition. This Cheat Sheet summarizes important factors in cooking like an Italian, including cooking terms, pairing flavors, and Italian culture and history. It also includes explanations of ingredient labels, wine labels, and an Italian meal-planning checklist.

Article / Updated 05-27-2022

You can’t test foods for doneness while pressure cooking, so here’s a handy table that shows how long to cooks foods in a pressure cooker. The cooking times in the table begin when the pressure cooker reaches high pressure. Always start with the shortest cooking time; you can always continue cooking under pressure for an additional couple minutes until the desired texture is reached. Recommended Pressure Cooker Cooking Times Food Cooking Time (in Minutes) Apples, chunks 2 Artichokes, whole 8 to 10 Asparagus, whole 1 to 2 Barley, pearl 15 to 20 Beans, fresh green or wax, whole or pieces 2 to 3 Beans, lima, shelled 2 to 3 Beets, 1/4-inch slices 3 to 4 Beets, whole peeled 12 to 14 Broccoli, florets or spears 2 to 3 Brussels sprouts, whole 3 to 4 Cabbage, red or green, quartered 3 to 4 Carrots, 1/4-inch slices 1 to 2 Cauliflower, florets 2 to 3 Chicken, pieces 8 to 10 Chicken, whole 15 to 20 Corn on the cob 3 to 4 Meat (beef, pork, or lamb), roast 40 to 60 Meat (beef, pork, or lamb), 1-inch cubes 15 to 20 Peas, shelled 1 to 1-1/2 Potatoes, pieces or sliced 5 to 7 Potatoes, whole, small or new 5 to 7 Potatoes, whole, medium 10 to 12 Rice, brown 15 to 20 Rice, white 5 to 7 Spinach, fresh 2 to 3 Squash, fall, 1-inch chunks 4 to 6 Squash, summer, sliced 1 to 2 Stock 30 Sweet potatoes, 1-1/2-inch chunks 4 to 5 Turnips, sliced 2 to 3

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-28-2022

Making healthy food choices is an essential part of successful diabetes management. Cooking diabetes-friendly meals at home is a great way to ensure that you're eating nutritious food; avoiding preservatives and excess fat, sugar, and sodium; and controlling your portion sizes. If you've just been diagnosed with diabetes, you may be wondering where to start when it comes to eating well. Understanding the best food choices for people with diabetes is an important first step. Before you begin cooking healthy recipes at home, learn how to shop for the best ingredients and prepare your kitchen.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-15-2022

Following a few foolproof baking tips will make baking cookies a fun and delicious experience. If you run out of an ingredient while making cookies, you can find a substitution, or you can reduce the fat in your favorite cookie without compromising its quality. Adding icing to your cookies makes them even more fun.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-13-2022

You may have heard of the Mediterranean diet and wondered if it was right for you. But the reason people in the Mediterranean region enjoy good health goes beyond the diet — it’s about their entire lifestyle. Knowing why the lifestyle is good for you is the first step to making it work. A key part of the lifestyle is the way people approach food. They enjoy their food; they don’t view it with rules and restrictions in mind. Armed with this information, you’re ready to review the key components of the Mediterranean lifestyle so you can put them to work in your daily life.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-13-2022

Following a Mediterranean diet is a useful tool for overall health, weight management, and disease prevention. Knowing the principles of a Mediterranean diet, using appropriate portion sizes, and organizing your kitchen can lead you on the way to successfully meeting your health goals.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-08-2022

Living Paleo means eating all-natural, real foods that support steady blood sugar levels and eliminate inflammation inside the body. Living Paleo also means knowing how to estimate the right amount of food for your needs, stocking your kitchen with Paleo-friendly foods, and cooking healthful meals at home. Not sure how to make the switch to living Paleo? Use these tips to get started.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-05-2022

Diabetes is a condition that is largely self-managed. Successful management hinges on discovering how what you eat affects your blood-glucose levels and your overall health and well-being. Carbohydrate foods are digested into glucose, which is the primary fuel used by your brain and muscles as well as other tissues and organs. You can employ carb counting and portioning tools such as the plate method to assure you get the right amount of carbohydrate to meet your needs. Your food choices impact more than just your blood-glucose levels; your overall diet affects your quality of life and long-term health. You can enjoy eating while optimizing nutrition. Here are some tips for improving selections within all food groups.