salads

10 Tricks For the Best Homemade Salads

Do you have a whole plateful of salad woes?

Do you have a whole plateful of salad woes? If you find that your homemade salads just aren't as good as those in restaurants, perhaps the problem rests in the prep of the salad, the choice of ingredients, or the dressing itself. Integrate these 10 tricks into your salad-making routine, and we promise, you'll toss better homemade salads in no time.

cooking tips

Never Fear Unmolding a Bundt Cake Again

Eye-catching and almost sculptural, bundt cakes are a beauty to behold when unmolded from their pans unscathed.

Eye-catching and almost sculptural, bundt cakes are a beauty to behold when unmolded from their pans unscathed. Unfortunately, if the correct precautions aren't taken, what makes these cakes so visually appealing — their intricate ridges and valleys — can be a downfall. Thankfully, with a little know-how, this problem becomes a nuisance of the past.

  • While we understand the appeal of a vintage bundt pan, generally these are best relegated as kitchen decor, as most are thin, don't promote heat evenly, and are less likely to unmold cleanly. Use these at your own risk, and take extra care with pan prep. Our favorite pan is sturdy and has a light-colored (for less-intense browning) nonstick coating for added insurance, though other options will work as well.
  • Brush the entire interior of the pan (get into those nooks and crannies!) with a thin coat of melted butter. To make sure you didn't miss a spot, examine the pan under a bright light, which will reflect off the butter's sheen and highlight any ungreased areas.

Keep reading for three more easy steps.

Cocktails

Whet Your Appetite With an Elegant Aperitif

In honor of National Aperitif Day (today, May 16), we'll be whetting our appetites with a light and refreshing predinner drink, and with these six enticing aperitif recipes, you can (and should) follow suit.

In honor of National Aperitif Day (today, May 16), we'll be whetting our appetites with a light and refreshing predinner drink, and with these six enticing aperitif recipes, you can (and should) follow suit. From a bold and boisterous negroni to a delicate sparkling grapefruit and Lillet concoction, these easy-to-create cocktails are more than worth adding to your bartending repertoire.

Cooking Basics

10 Tricks For Better Fruit Salads

It may seem as though there's not much to a fruit salad other than tossing chopped fruit in a bowl, but a few simple tricks transform a flat fruit salad into something enticing to the eye and pleasing to the palate.
How to Make a Really Good Fruit Salad

It may seem as though there's not much to a fruit salad other than tossing chopped fruit in a bowl, but a few simple tricks transform a flat fruit salad into something enticing to the eye and pleasing to the palate. From picking fruit with the same level of ripeness to spritzing fruit with lemon juice, these 10 tricks will help you make better fruit salads all year round.

Source: Shutterstock
Cooking Basics

5 Steps to No-Fail, Fluffy Quinoa

If you follow the cooking instructions scribed across the box or bag of quinoa, then chances are you're doing it wrong.

If you follow the cooking instructions scribed across the box or bag of quinoa, then chances are you're doing it wrong. Though nutty, toothsome, and all-around lovely when steamed properly, cooked quinoa can often fall short, resulting in a mushy, mealy, or even unpalatably bitter mess. Avoid these problems with a few easy steps.

  1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, thoroughly rinse the quinoa. Most quinoa sold is "prerinsed" but could use some extra help to ensure that all of the naturally occurring, bitter, soapy-tasting coating present on all unprocessed quinoa is washed away. Add the uncooked quinoa to a fine mesh strainer, and rinse it under cool water until all the kernels are dampened.
  3. Add the rinsed quinoa to the boiling water and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until the quinoa is just barely al dente. Strain it using a fine-mesh strainer.
  4. Add an inch of water to the quinoa pot, set the fine-mesh strainer (with the cooked quinoa still in it) inside the pot; make sure the quinoa doesn't touch the water. Cover with a dish towel and the pot's lid, turn the heat up to high, and steam for 3-5 minutes, or until the quinoa is tender and no longer waterlogged.
  5. Turn the quinoa out into a bowl, fluff it up with a fork, and use as desired in any recipe.
Dessert

11 Darling Wedding Dessert Tables, From Rustic to Romantic

As foodies, we know you can never have too many sweets, making dessert tables the perfect complement to your wedding cake.

As foodies, we know you can never have too many sweets, making dessert tables the perfect complement to your wedding cake. In fact, these tables are increasingly becoming the star of the show, showcasing a couple's favorite treats. Keeping your theme and your love for sweets in mind, we found dessert tables fitting for all weddings. Whether you're the rustic or romantic type, rest assured your sweet tooth will be satisfied.

party planning

25 Wedding Cakes That Are Anything but Traditional

Although florals and frills can make a grand impact on a wedding cake, so too can geometric shapes, mod detail, and other unexpected contemporary flourishes.

Although florals and frills can make a grand impact on a wedding cake, so too can geometric shapes, mod detail, and other unexpected contemporary flourishes. For the nontraditional couple, we've rounded up 25 eye-popping cakes that are guaranteed to serve guests an impressive bite. Take a peek and get inspired!

Cooking Basics

Bring On the Bacon Grease! How to Handle, Store, and Use It

Before my nose fully reached the countertop, my grandmother would show me how to fry up a piece of bacon just to render the bacon fat for my favorite lady pea recipe.

Before my nose fully reached the countertop, my grandmother would show me how to fry up a piece of bacon just to render the bacon fat for my favorite lady pea recipe. After all, the Southern attitude is of the "who needs spices or herbs when bacon's flavor will saturate and perfect just about any dish?" mentality. I've maintained that perspective in my kitchen today, and urge you to do the same. If you've been prone to toss out the liquid gold after frying up a few pieces of bacon, for goodness' sake, stop! Let me show you how to handle, store, and use bacon grease.

Cooking Basics

How to Clean and Prepare Leeks

Leeks may look (and taste) lovely, but all it takes is one bite of tragically sandy potato leek soup to realize that there's a surprising amount of gritty soil lurking between their many layers.

Leeks may look (and taste) lovely, but all it takes is one bite of tragically sandy potato leek soup to realize that there's a surprising amount of gritty soil lurking between their many layers. Over the years we've tried a few methods to deal with this unglamorous task — some more successful than others — and have since then settled on a quick and dirty method that'll help you speed through meal prep. Keep reading for our step-by-step tutorial.

cooking tips

Tips For Making a Stunning Salad

Photo: Nicole Perry When building salads, it's far too easy to get stuck in a rut.

Photo: Nicole Perry

When building salads, it's far too easy to get stuck in a rut. You know what works, buy the same ingredients, and inevitably eat green leaf lettuce with black olives, sliced tomatoes, and shredded carrots everyday. However, with a little creativity and an open mind at the grocery store, you can enjoy a fabulous variety of healthful yet crave-worthy salads on a regular basis. To get inspired, take a walk around the produce section and be inspired by the vegetables and fruits you come across. Try a new lettuce or pick up a veggie you're unfamiliar with. Just remember: from crunchy to creamy to crispy, a good salad has an assortment of textures (and colors). Here are a few ways to shake things up in the salad department.

Photo: Camilla Salem

Filling Proteins

  • Think beyond grilled chicken: Sliced steak, chunks of pork, and flaked fish are excellent additions. Deli meats, like salami, ham, and turkey are easily shreddable, too.
  • Don't forget cheese and nuts:To achieve the aforementioned crunchy and creamy textures, toss in goat or feta cheese and almonds or pine nuts. Hard cheeses, like manchego and parmesan, can be shaved onto the salad, or finely grated into the vinaigrette.
  • Grains are all important: Protein-rich grains like quinoa, brown rice, and barley add vegan heft to greens.
  • Repurpose leftovers: Toss leftover vegetables, grains, and proteins with greens the next day to make a one-of-a-kind salad.

See more salad-making ideas.