Ah, Irish soda bread! Comparable only to cornbread in its many variations and allegiances, any Irish soda bread recipe is guaranteed to stir up a little controversy. I present this one for the simple reason that it's my favorite and you can adjust it any which way to suit your needs. Want it a little sweet? Add some sugar. Think it can't be Irish soda bread without currants and caraway? Have at it! More

Have you ever tried making your own crackers? Your very own crispy, crunchy, seed-topped crackers? My recommendation: try it. Definitely. Crackers are surprisingly easy to make at home with just five basic ingredients, a rolling pin, and a baking sheet. Make yourself a quick batch tonight and have homemade crackers for lunches, snacks, and dinners all week long.

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Ah, bacon. We use it in every meal, from breakfast straight through to dinner and even on into dessert. While it can seem like a messy endeavor, cooking bacon on the stovetop is the classic way to crisp up those delicious strips of smokey goodness and it's dead simple to boot. Read on for our step by step guide, including tips for choosing a good pan, dealing with splattering, and getting rid of that lingering fried bacon smell. More

How many times have you found yourself in desperate need of pancakes, but without the requisite buttermilk in the fridge? Or there's the other scenario: you want to make a recipe, but you're reluctant to buy an entire carton of buttermilk when you only need a half cup. For either situation, we have a solution. It's easy to make a very quick buttermilk substitute in less than ten minutes.

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"Begin by cooking the onions ..." is perhaps the most common phrases in savory recipes the world over. But what does this mean exactly, and what if you have to 'sweat' your onions instead, or cook them 'until translucent'? Read on for our handy guide (with pictures!) on how to cook an onion. More

One of the very first cooking tricks I ever learned was just how much a slice or two of bacon can boost the flavor of an otherwise simple soup or braise. I was hooked from that first subtly smoky, bacon-enhanced bite. You can bet I had bacon stocked in my freezer ever after. Here's how to freeze bacon so that you can grab just a few slices when you need them. 

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Prepare for your minds to be blown. Ready? Homemade energy bars. Three ingredients. No cooking. No tricks. No kidding. More

A half of a grapefruit is a pretty wonderful way to start your day. Sure it's healthy, but even better, it's a delicious and juicy treat that wakes you up with its puckery taste! Grapefruits do require a small amount of prep work, but it only takes a sharp knife and a short minute to free up those segments. Read on for our step-by-step instructions. More

Like a good chili or chicken noodle soup, homemade beef stew is one of those dishes that is just good to have in your back pocket. It's a dish that will serve you well through long winters and family visits and other small moments of need. Making one isn't hard and will surely nourish you through several meals. Here's my tried-and-true method for making a very good beef stew.

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Leeks are a staple in my household. They are a sturdy, versatile, flavorsome vegetable with many uses, and you will always find a few lurking in my produce drawer. A real kitchen workhorse, they can be blanched, steamed, braised, or grilled and then used in soups, stews, omelet fillings, or even confit. But sometimes it can be confusing to encounter a leek. How much of the greens should one cut off? What's with all that grit? More