Featured
Cooking Techniques
Simple Tip: Smash Olives to Remove the Pit
Last Sunday I was making dinner with my friend Sonia. While she deveined shrimp, I prepared the salad. "What are you doing?"
Simple Tip: Chill Kitchen Tools Before Whipping Cream
While whipping cream for strawberry shortcake the other day, I was reminded of a helpful prep tip that I always employ: stay cool. Using refrigerated cream helps produce stiff peaks, but it's important to chill your mixing bowl and beaters — and even keep the kitchen frigid, if possible. When cream is whipped at a lower temperature, fat globules stick together to support the foam created by whipping in a large amount of tiny air bubbles.
Simple Tip: Microplane Garlic
While watching Nancy Silverton make pesto in Aspen, I had one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments. To quickly season the celery leaf pesto, Silverton grated in garlic. However, instead of using her regular one-sided grater, she microplaned it: "I like to microplane my garlic.
How to Roast Beets
Last week my sister and I had a delicious beet and wheat berry salad at A16 restaurant. While we were munching on the juicy beets and pop in your mouth berries, she wondered how she could prepare beets in a similar manner at home. Well, Patricia — and anyone else who wants to know how to make beets — here's what you do:
How to Chiffonade Vegetables
Now that you've become acquainted with the culinary term chiffonade, learn how to employ the kitchen cutting technique in your cooking. It's easy — we've got step-by-step instructions to show you how. This method applies to herbs used for garnish, like basil and sage, or vegetables that have firm leaves, such as cabbage, spinach, collard greens, or chard.
Definition: Chiffonade
Chiffonade
A kitchen cutting technique used to shred the leaves of herbs and vegetables into long, skinny ribbons. It is accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then slicing the rolled leaves thinly and evenly with a sharp knife, producing long strips. A chiffonade may then be used in a light sauté or as a garnish.
Do You Mise en Place?
Mise en place is a French culinary term that refers to the gathering and prepping of ingredients before starting the cooking process. It's standard practice in restaurant kitchens, but I'm wondering how many of you do it at home?
Do You Mise en Place?
Simple Tip: Chill Broth to Skim Fat
If you're making chicken broth, stock, or any type of clear, meat-based soup this Winter, keep in mind that chilling the soup will make skimming excess fat much easier.
It may be hard to discern fat from broth when it's warm, but when the liquid has been chilled, any fat turns white, congeals, and rises to the top. Skimming it off — which is a cinch when done with a large spoon — means you'll be left with a soup that's less greasy and has more concentrated flavors.
How Often Do You Burn Things?
It seems like in every episode of 30 Minute Meals that I watch, Rachael Ray makes a comment about how she "always burns" things in the broiler. Although I've never actually seen her burn an item, she does seem like the type of person who could be prone to burning. I'm usually pretty good about not burning bread or bacon, but recently, when I made sloppy Joe's, I totally forgot about the buns!
Yummy Links: From Cherry Cupcakes to Sushi Etiquette
- Cherry baby cupcakes are adorably scrumptious. — Hostess With the Mostess
- Since Valentine's Day is on a Saturday, skip the expensive dinner and opt for a romantic breakfast in bed. — Chow
- Eight cooking techniques that build flavor.
More on YumSugar
Fall Award Season
Top Brands
Ann Sofie Back
Marshall Ward
Hush Puppies