How to Care for Your Kitchen Knives

You use your kitchen knives almost every day, from slicing your morning banana to chopping vegetables for dinner at night. Because good knives can be expensive, you likely want to keep them in top working condition. Here are a few simple tips for properly caring for those important cooking knives.

  • Don’t let them soak. It may be tempting to simply toss your knives in with the rest of your soaking dishes, but avoid doing so. This can cause the knife to bend or get scratched, and it can also be dangerous if someone reaches their hand under the water.
  • Don’t run them through the dishwasher. Likewise, the dishwasher can also dent or ding your knives. Instead, wash them thoroughly by hand after every use.
  • Don’t store them in a silverware drawer. This is especially important for renters who might not have much extra space in the kitchen. Instead, invest in a small wooden knife block that you can keep on the counter, or at least use a knife sheath to keep the blade safe.
  • Keep them sharp. In order to get the best results from your knives, you need to sharpen them frequently. Use a honing steel or a knife stone if you’re comfortable doing it yourself, or if you’re not, you can always send them out to be sharpened by a professional.

Caring for Kitchen Knives: Dos and Don'ts [About Food]
How to Take Care of Your Knives [David Lebovitz]
How To Care For Kitchen Knives: 6 Common Mistakes [Huffpost Taste]

Creative Takes on Classic Peanut Butter and Jelly for Adults

Do you love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but you’re worried about the strange looks you’ll get from your friends when you pull one out at a party? Don’t be! With these fun and fancy recipes for adult PB&Js, you can enjoy the treat in style.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Pie [cookingchanneltv.com]
This sweet and nutty pie is the ideal dessert for any social gathering. The classic flavor of fruit jelly perfectly mingles with a peanut butter and cream cheese filling, while a whipped cream topping is just the icing on the cake.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars [chow.com]
Guests of all ages will love these peanut butter and jelly dessert bars, which are made with a browned oat crust and thick strawberry jam for a hearty taste that’s the perfect grown-up version of your childhood favorite.

PB&J Cocktail [delish.com]
If you want to add a really adult twist to the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich, this PB&J cocktail is a lively and exciting choice. Although the two flavors seem like an unlikely pairing with alcohol, once you taste them with aged rum you’ll certainly become a believer. Line the rim with salted peanuts for a truly authentic taste.

Expecting Company? Try These 4 Simple, Elegant Appetizer Recipes

Don’t get caught off guard the next time you have a last-minute gathering at home. With these convenient appetizer recipes, you can prepare beautiful and delicious hors d'oeuvres without taking time out of your busy schedule.

Bacon-Wrapped Apricots with Sage [Real Simple]
With such contrasting ingredients coming into play, this appetizer seems like it’s much more complicated than it is. All it takes is some apricots, crispy bacon, simple seasonings, and a few toothpicks to create a handheld appetizer.

Orange and Fennel Marinated Olives [Oprah]
No one hosts a party better than Oprah, and her sweet and savory marinated olives will have your guests asking for the recipe all night.

Endive with Ricotta, Almonds and Raisins [Real Simple]
Endives make an attractive vessel for eating the creamy ricotta in this simple appetizer, and the crunchy almonds and sweet raisins are just the icing on the cake.

Leek Tart [Martha Stewart]
A tart looks pretty and it’s easy for guests to eat, but most tarts are complicated and time-consuming to make. This one uses basic frozen dough and a few simple tricks to turn create a perfect tart crust.

Food Canning 101: 5 Basics

Your grandmother may have been on to something with all of those canned fruits and vegetables. Canning is a great way to preserve the lifespan of fresh produce, and it creates a number of unique new ways to eat your favorite veggies. If you want to start canning in your own home, here are 5 things that you need to know.

  1. Do not use overripe produce. Although canning helps you to extend the lifespan of produce, it won’t reverse the ripening process if it has already happened. Be sure to use only crisp, fresh fruits and vegetables.
  2. Sterilize cans before starting. Because your produce will be sealed tightly inside of the glass jars, you want to make sure that there is no bacteria inside of there as well. Wash each jar with hot, soapy water and soak them in a boiling water bath for at least 10 minutes before you begin.
  3. Research acid additions. Many types of fruits and vegetables require ascorbic acid or citric acid to prevent browning or maintain pH levels, so do your research before canning.
  4. Do not fill the jars completely. Your produce will expand during the boiling process, so be sure leave an inch or so of space at the top of each jar.

More Canning Tips and Do's/Don'ts [Pick Your Own]
Canning 101: The Basics [Simple Bites]
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2009 revision [NCHFP]

4 Potato Salad Recipes for Your Next Picnic

With fluffy potatoes and tangy seasonings, potato salad is a decadent side dish that complements many summer barbecue entrees. While you may only be familiar with traditional potato salad, there are a variety of unique ways to prepare this classic recipe. Here are four potato salad recipes that will pleasantly surprise everyone at your next picnic.

Potato Salad [Inspired Taste]
With a traditional base and creative additions, this potato salad recipe blends the best of both classic and modern tastes. The mayonnaise, potatoes, and onion are the same, but dill pickles, hard-boiled eggs, and yellow mustard add a surprising burst of zesty flavor.

Perfect Potato Salad [Pioneer Woman]
This potato salad looks more like thick mashed potatoes, but it offers the same tangy flavor that you love from your favorite barbecue side dish.

Potato Salad [Martha Stewart]
Thick chunks of red potatoes and simple mayonnaise are the main ingredients in this classic potato salad recipe, and salt and pepper, lemon zest, and fresh chives are all you need to finish off your delicious dish.

Authentic German Potato Salad [AllRecipes]
Get back to the roots of potato salad with this authentic German recipe. It uses white sugar and bacon to add uniquely powerful flavor, and the lack of mayonnaise and other heavy dressings make it much lighter than the American version.

Public Domain/Public Domain

Channel Your Inner Chef With These Culinary Terms

It’s fun to try new recipes in the kitchen, but that fancy new dish may involve a few cooking techniques that make you scratch your head. Here are a few helpful definitions of some kitchen terms that you might encounter in a gourmet-style recipe.

  1. Crème Fraiche. Crème fraiche is a sort of sauce with a tangy, sharp flavor. You can purchase it in most high end grocery stores, or you can make your own using 1/2 cup of whipping cream and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Cover the mixture and let it sit for at least two hours to thicken.
  2. Fillet. If the word is used as a verb, fillet means to remove the bones from meats like steak or fish. As a noun, this is the piece of meat after the bones have already been removed.
  3. Glaze. A glaze is a thin coat of sugar syrup that’s applied before cooking. After cooking, the glaze turns to a hard finish that’s almost to the point of cracking.
  4. Gratin. Gratin is literally the French word for “crust.” This is usually used for oven-baked savory dishes, which are prepared in a shallow, oval-shaped gratin dish and covered with a browned crust of breadcrumbs or cheese.

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]

Quick and Easy Meal Ideas to Put on the Dinner Table Tonight

"What's for dinner tonight?" It's a question we ask ourselves on a daily basis, which is probably why it's so easy to run out of ideas! With the promise of short prep time and bold flavors, these four meals are deserving of a spot in your recipe box. Bonus: They can feed a family for just pennies on the dollar.

Easy Calzone Rolls [Disney Family]
With all the flavor and fun of take-out pizza without the expense, these cheese and meat roll-ups cost just $1.10 per two-roll serving. Kids will love helping to make this recipe, which can go from start to finish in 30 minutes.

Braised Chicken With Red Onion and Carrots [Martha Stewart]
This recipe from Martha Stewart feeds four people with a four-pound chicken and one pound of carrots. It only requires 25 minutes of prep time.

Bacon Pierogi Bake [Cooking Light]
For a mere $1.84 per serving, this hearty casserole relies on a package of ready-made pierogies, two types of cheese, and bacon.

Easy Chicken and Dumplings [Southern Living]
The beloved comfort food is given a quick and easy makeover through the use of canned biscuits, a can of cream of chicken soup, and pre-cooked shredded chicken.

Decode That Recipe With This Glossary of Common Cooking Terms

Even the most experienced chef gets stumped by a recipe every now and then. To prevent road blocks during your next cooking session, memorize these three common cooking terms.

Baste
You've probably come across this term when cooking that Thanksgiving turkey. Simply put, to baste is to keep meat or other foods moist during the cooking process by spooning over a sauce, water, or its own juices. This adds flavor, while preventing the meat from drying out.

Roux
Used as the foundation of thicker sauces and gravies, a roux is a mixture of equal parts butter and flour that's stirred constantly over low heat until smooth.

Macerate
Commonly applied to dessert recipes, macerating entails covering fruits or veggies in liquid, then letting them marinate until the fruits and veggies soften and the liquid's flavor has been absorbed. Said liquid is typically a mixture of lemon juice and sugar.

Cooking Terms [Recipe Goldmine]
The Basic Kitchen: Glossary of Cooking Terms [Les Petites Gourmettes]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [BHG]
Glossary of Cooking Terms [Cookery]

Nutritious Root Vegetable Cooking Guides for Winter

From carrots to beets, root vegetables are certainly having a moment in the spotlight in the culinary world. These creative cooking websites all have guides to help home chefs prepare these starchy, savory vegetables in a variety of different ways.

Healthy Cooking Every Day
The Food Network’s Healthy Cooking Every Day page now features a full guide to root vegetables, with recipes, tips for choosing the freshest veggies, and advice for how to pair each root vegetable with complementary foods. Here you’ll learn things like how to steam nutrient-rich parsnips and prepare a delicious Root Vegetable Hash with Horseradish Cream.

The Daily Green
The Recipes that Make Root Vegetables Taste Good page of The Daily Green website informs readers of root vegetables’ health benefits, from reducing heart disease to improving vision. It also features simple, delicious recipes like Creamy Potato Soup and Smoky Root Vegetable Gratin, separated by type of veggie for your convenience.

Fine Cooking
These hearty Roasting Recipes from Fine Cooking magazine are elegant, simplistic takes on the nutritious root vegetable. The search bar allows you to search the recipes by type of vegetable, while the photo gallery is a great opportunity to browse recipes by what looks most appealing. This guide features Carrots and Warm Lentil Salad, Roasted Beet Sandwiches with Herbed Goat Cheese, and a variety of other recipes that your friends and family will love.

Public Domain/Public Domain

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