Using your grill like an oven in the summer
Who likes to turn on their oven in the summer? Anybody? Anyone? Bueller? Nobody does! It is so hard to push that preheat button knowing that…
Tip for Halving Foods Quickly
This is really not a new tip. But, just to be on the safe side I wanted to share it. In case you've been in a cave or something. If you've…
How to Prepare Spaghetti Squash- Using a Pressure Cooker
I started writing a recipe for spaghetti squash, but decided first I should help you out so you actually know how to prepare spaghetti squash. These…
A popcorn tip you need before making caramel corn
Yumm! This big bowl of white chocolate coated popcorn looks innocent and delicious, but lurking within is an unspeakable danger. We…
The Great Apple Taste Test
Fall is around the corner. Some people think fall is exclusively for pumpkin spice. I like a little pumpkin spice (mostly in pumpkin…
Froached Eggs- Foolproof Way to Cook Sunny Side Up Eggs
Are you in the over easy or sunny side up egg lovers club? I am. I love soaking up the yolk with heavily buttered toast. I think I could eat it every…
Tips for Shaping Pizza Dough
Over the Christmas break my daughter took a pizza cooking class. I watched the kids in her class trying to shape their pizza dough. It was a little…
How to Cut Bell Peppers
Bell peppers. I find that they are quite a polarizing force in the world. You either love them or hate them. I happen to love them. I like the…
Grilling Tomatoes- The Smart Way to Prepare for Canning
If you are anything like me, then this is the time of year where you are frantically trying to save the tomatoes from your garden or the farmer's…
Grilling Corn- My favorite way to cook corn on the cob + Chile Lime Butter
It's the 4th of July weekend. And we can't have the 4th of July without a barbecue can we? One of my favorite BBQ staples is corn on the…
Asparagus 101
When I was a kid, I hated asparagus. My grandma would make it for special occasions. She would boil it for a long time. A long time. It would turn an…
Baking Bacon- Less Messy Method
Who doesn't love bacon? Not me. I don't not like bacon (that was probably too much for a Monday.) Who doesn't like cleaning up after frying bacon?…
Grater 101- Types of Graters and What to Use Them For
This weekend I watched as somebody used a box grater in a most improper fashion. I will name no names, to protect the innocent. But as I watched I…
How to Make Easy to Peel Hard Boiled Eggs
This weekend there's gonna be a lot of eggs sacrificed in the name of Easter. But just because you are doing to dye the eggs, doesn't mean you have…
How to Cut an Avocado
Avocados. Some people love them, some people hate them. I think they are divine! Creamy and delicious. Not only do they taste good, but they are…
How to Make Your Own Sourdough Starter
A few months ago, my sourdough starter met a tragic end. It was accidentally thrown away. I had cultivated that starter from scratch and had been…
How to Fill a Pastry Bag
Ever tried to fill a pastry bag without help? Trying to scoop the frosting or peanut butter out of the container while holding a half full bag can be…
Tempering Chocolate- Seeding Method
It's chocolate season. Chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine's anyone? Chocolate truffles? Chocolate covered cinnamon bears? Chocolate…
Homemade Almond Milk
Everybody recovered from the Superbowl? It was a fun game. Mostly because of the food. But today, I'm feeling like I may have eaten just a teensy bit…
How to Cut a Pineapple
The Pineapple. One of the most delicious gifts from nature. Sweet. Sweet. Sweet. Yum. Yum. Yum. Before we get to cutting it up, let's talke about…
How to Chop an Onion
Welcome to the New Year! 2015 is sure to be an exciting year. To kick off the year, I thought I'd start with the most requested "How to cut stuff"…
How to Open a Pomegranate
The pomegranate. Whoever invented that fruit was on his own program. It's like no other fruit, there is no rhyme or reason to it. It's delicious, but…
Countdown to Thanksgiving- The Best Apple Varieties for Pie – A Taste Test
I don't know if I've ever been so excited about a post! The biggest pie holiday of the year is just around the corner. You must have…
How To Cut A Butternut Squash
It's winter squash season. Ever wondered why they are called winter squash? It's because they ripen just at the end of the growing season. And…
The Basics of Cutting-Knife Skills Series Part 3
Welcome back to our knife skill series. In the first part series we learned the anatomy of knives. In the second we learned about…
How to Roast Garlic
Garlic is a superhero of the kitchen. You know the superhero, but do you know his alter ego? He happens to be mild mannered every day kind of…
10 Tips For Perfect Caramel Apples
Caramel apples are one of the yummiest fall treats there can possibly be. But making them sometimes leaves you feeling disappointed. What you end up…
Fruit Fly Remedy
*Warning* This post contains graphic material not suitable to people who are opposed to harming fruit flies. Can I get an"amen" from all those…
Taking Care of Your Knives- Knife Skill Series 2
Welcome to Part 2 of our Knife Skill Series. In the first part of our knife skill series we learned the anatomy of knives. Today we will follow up…
Removing Mildew Smell from Your Washcloths
Washcloths have their very own funk. No matter how vigilant you are about laying them flat to dry, instead of in a ball at the bottom of the sink,…
Anatomy of a Knife- Knife Skills Part 1
Ask anybody in the culinary arena what the most important kitchen tool is and they will all have the same answer. It won't be the blender, food…
Reusing Frying Oil
I tell myself that I don't fry foods very often. But I really don't know what "often" means. I've never seen any national statistics on the average…
All-In-One Kitchen Resource Guide
Do you hate it when you are cooking dinner and you realize that you need bread flour and you don't have bread flour? Or when you need to triple a…
The Coolest Way to Separate Eggs
There are so many recipes that call for egg whites or egg yolks separately. And there are a lot of ways to separate eggs. But this is officially the…
How to Split and Seed a Vanilla Bean
A few weeks ago I shared my Crème Brûlée recipe with you. After posting it, I got this response from my Mom, "Hold everything! All that stuff…
THE trick to flaky pie crust
Pie crust, also known as pâte brisée. It is the nemesis of many cooks. I would guess that it accounts for many feelings of inadequacy and failure…
How to Temper Chocolate
How to temper chocolate, the easy(ier) way Ever melted chocolate to coat something and when it hardened again it had gross white spots all over…
How to Revive a Dry Vanilla Bean
Welcome to part 2 of the vanilla bean tutorials. In the first tutorial you learned how to split and seed a vanilla bean. Vanilla beans are pricey!…
Anita’s Kitchen Code of Ethics
What basic ingredients are worth the extra cost and effort. I'm an actual human being. I have a husband, kids, a job, all that kind of good stuff.…