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Memorize This Must-Know Kitchen Terminlogy

August 8, 2014 by

If you’ve ever encountered a cooking term that you didn’t understand in a new recipe, you know how confusing it can be. From julienne to mince, there’s a whole slew of complicated terminology that seems foreign to the amateur chef. Here are a few simple definitions that will help you with your next adventure in the kitchen.

  1. Braise. Braising involves browning meat or vegetables in a bit of hot fat before cooking them slowly in a shallow pool of liquid. This is a great technique to soften less tender cuts of meat or veggies.
  2. Devil. To devil something, such as an egg, you simply coat it with a hot seasoning like hot sauce or mustard.
  3. Dredge. Dredging means to coat something like meat or vegetables with flour, breadcrumbs, or cornmeal.
  4. Flambe. This term is usually found in more gourmet recipes. It involves sprinkling a food with a liqueur and lighting it on fire before serving.

Glossary of Basic Cooking Terms [Les Petites Gourmettes]
Cooking Terms [Recipe Goldmine]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [UMN]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Better Homes & Gardens]
Culinary Terms [About.com]

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Check Out These 6 Tips for Baking the Perfect Cookies

June 20, 2014 by

Leave the grocery store frozen cookie dough behind in favor of something fresh, homemade, and much more flavorful. Making cookies from scratch is much easier than you may think, and if you follow a few simple guidelines, it doesn’t take much extra time, either. Here are some quick tips for making wonderful-tasting cookies at home.

  1. Don’t skimp on ingredients. If a recipe calls for something unusual or specific, it’s likely because it’s important.
  2. Always use pure forms of base ingredients. That means unsalted butter, large eggs, and pure vanilla extract.
  3. Use parchment paper instead of cooking spray. Parchment paper creates much less mess to clean up, and it prevents your cookies from burning.
  4. Adjust baking times to your unique preferences. If you prefer soft, chewy cookies, shave off a minute or two. If you like a crunchy cookie, add an extra minute.
  5. Place cookies approximately two inches apart. If you place them too close together on the baking pan, your cookies will melt together and lose their nice, round shape.
  6. For bar cookies, make sure you use the pan size indicated. It can be difficult to adjust the cooking time depending on the pan size, so it’s always smart to go with the size that the recipe specifies.

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Rely On These Cooking Substitutes When You’re in a Pinch

June 13, 2014 by

There’s nothing worse than realizing that you don’t have all the required ingredients to make your favorite dish, especially if you realize after you’ve already started baking. These handy kitchen substitutions will show you how to use one ingredient in place of another the next time you’re in a pinch.

  1. Butter. If a recipe calls for one cup of butter, you can substitute one cup of regular margarine or one cup of vegetable shortening in baking. If the recipe calls for melted butter, you can use one cup of oil instead.
  2. Whipping Cream. Instead of whipping your own cream, which can often be difficult and time consuming, you can substitute a commercial pre-whipped cream if you know how to do it. Keep in mind that one cup of unwhipped whipping cream expands to two cups after it’s whipped. This means that if a recipe calls for one cup of whipping cream, you could substitute two cups of already-whipped cream.
  3. Egg. There are a number of different substitutes for a basic egg, which come in handy when your carton runs out or if you’re attempting to do some vegan baking. Try 1/4 cup of an egg substitute product or two tablespoons of mayonnaise for a perfectly moist cake or other baked goods. If you don’t have those products, you can also use a blend of 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, one tablespoon of vinegar and one tablespoon of water.

Common Ingredients Substitutions [All Recipes]
Cooking: Ingredient Substitutions [UNL Food]
Baking Ingredient Substitution Table [Joy of Baking]

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5 Classic Apple Pie Recipes

April 4, 2014 by

There are few things more American than sweet apple pie, and there are a number of different ways to prepare this classic dessert. Here are a few delicious apple pie recipes that are easy enough to make at home.

Scrumptious Apple Pie [Betty Crocker]
With a buttery, flaky crust and perfectly gooey filling, this is a classic recipe for everyone’s favorite dessert.

Old Fashioned Apple Pie [Simply Recipes]
If you don’t have an old family recipe, this apple pie recipe can be just that. It uses real, whole apples, a variety of spices, and even an egg wash to finish everything off.

Apple Pie [Williams Sonoma]
When you want an apple pie that looks just as good as it tastes, this pretty latticed version is the recipe to use.

Apple Pie Recipe and Video [The Joy of Baking]
Ideal for beginning bakers, this recipe features an informative video to follow along with as you bake.

Dreamy Apple Pie [The Pioneer Woman]
This recipe involves real butter and heavy cream to create a truly decadent apple pie.

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There’s No Need to Knead With These 4 Bread Recipes

March 21, 2014 by

Baking bread at home seems difficult, but no-knead recipes make it much easier than ever before. You’ll impress your family and your guests with the scent of freshly baked bread coming from the oven, and you’ll be the only one who knows just how easy it was to prepare.

No-Knead Bread [Steamy Kitchen]
This recipe creates a rustic, gourmet-looking loaf of bread, and it’s so simple that a four year old can make it— and one has! The New York Times made this no-knead recipe famous, but its reliability is what makes it so popular.

No-Knead Bread [Smitten Kitchen]
Using instant yeast to create a fluffy, dense center and a crispy outer crust, this incredible bread recipe is the perfect addition to any sandwich or evening meal.

No-Knead Crusty White Bread [King Arthur Flour]
If you want to make a large amount of bread for a gathering or holiday party, this is the recipe to use. It makes use of the same simple no-knead technique, but this recipe yields four full-sized loaves.

How to Make No-Knead Bread [The Kitchn]
This online tutorial will show you the most important steps for making no-knead bread, with detailed pictures along the way. It also includes video tutorials for certain techniques, such as shaping the dough into a perfect ball.

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