Do you love picked ginger but aren't so interested in the red dye and white sugar many commercial brands use to sweeten and color the pickles? Or maybe you're curious about how to switch things up if you used a different vinegar/sweetener combination? Breakaway chef Eric Gower has been experimenting with pickled ginger for years, and he's found that you can step way out of the box with this delicious, palate cleansing condiment. More

In college, I occasionally worked at a small café tucked inside a local art museum. It was a ladies-who-lunch scene, and the food was brought in by a local caterer. The menu was what one might expect for that crowd—chilled soups, tea sandwiches, and dainty salads. Accompanying every entreé was a pile of tangy yellow squash laced with diced red bell peppers; it was our signature side. More

We love the salty, savory taste of miso, but hate ending up with leftover miso paste. Recipes rarely call for more than a few tablespoons of the stuff and suddenly it's months later and the package is still sitting in the back of your 'fridge. Does this happen to you? Read on for 10 ideas on how to use every last spoonful! More

Have you ever smacked your forehead in December, wishing that you had started a DIY food gift earlier? Well, now is the time to do exactly that. Things like homemade vanilla and booze-spiked fruits are best when given several months to steep and mellow - not to mention the infamous fruitcake (which can be really delicious when you make it yourself). More

We've posted a fair amount about small-batch canning here at The Kitchn, but I'd like to take this concept one step further and encourage the tiny-batch, refrigerator method of jam making, especially for the solo cook. The approach is simple: make a single jar of refrigerator jam every couple of weeks, or whenever you are inspired by what you find in the market. More

Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Schneider of MPR's The Splendid Table are two of my most favorite and trusted cooks, so I was excited to discover this video of the two of them cooking together. (Well, actually Lynne is mostly holding a microphone but her questions and comments are spot-on as usual.) At first I wasn't so sure about the subject matter: a recipe for a homemade garlic herb salt. Do I really need another flavored salt in my pantry? Turns out the answer is yes! More

Do you have a few almost-empty jars in your pantry? Some half-full containers in your fridge? Curious what to do with those crumbled tortilla chips or that bowl of egg whites? What about creative ways to use pickle juice, or what to do with packets of powdered hot chocolate? Before you throw them away, take a look through this list: there are a few handy tips to help you clean out and eat up!

CONDIMENTS
• How to use up molasses.
• How to use up miso paste.
• How to use up tahini.
• How to use up marmalade.

See the whole list below! More

What better accompaniment to summer's fresh tomatoes, zucchini, and peas than pesto! And not just the classic basil and pine nut variety, either. How about sun dried tomato and Aleppo pepper or pistachio and lemon? Read on for more great pesto inspiration! More

When out of soy sauce, do you reach for tamari? Similar in color and flavor, these two actually differ in a few ways. We keep both on hand — here's why. More

Q: Today I put together a salad of shaved summer squash, radish, and sugar snap peas after a trip to the local farm. Tossed with S&P, olive oil, and vinegar, and it's just too bland! Added chives, and still not quite right. What's a mellow dressing that can kick this up a bit without drowning the sweetness of the veggies?

Sent by Erica
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