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. 

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.

There are a million and one ways to make chili. All of them are excellent and all of them are sure to satisfy a large crowd of hungry people. Whether you like your chili with ground meat or chuck roast, pinto beans or no beans at all, the basic method for making it is the same. Want to make a very good pot of chili? Here's how. More

I am a huge, huge fan of boneless skinless chicken thighs. They are inexpensive, tasty, and easy to cook. In fact, I find it difficult to mess up chicken thighs. They are just dark enough to stay tender, but not so dark as to put off people who prefer white meat. In the summer I grill these babies every week, especially when I have a big table of people to feed. Everyone who eats regularly at my house has eaten chicken thighs! But in the winter, when I don't feel like stepping outside to the grill, I bake the meat, and it's easy as 1-2-3. Here's what I do. More

Salmon is one of the most versatile proteins to work with in the kitchen. It's delicious and universally loved, quite good for you and very easy to prepare. Salmon still retains its fancy and festive reputation, even though it is more readily available these days and can be purchased at a decent price point from most grocery stores. My favorite way to cook salmon is in the oven, very low and slow, with a pan of water for moist heat. Read on for this utterly simple, foolproof way to produce moist, flavorful and luscious salmon fillets.
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Cooking ground beef until it's browned and tender is the first step to many of our favorite comfort food recipes, from shepherd's pie to spicy chili. It's a pretty straightforward process, but just in case you'd like a refresher, here's how I do it. More

One of our favorite summer meals is steak from the grill. But many of us simply do not have access to a grill, at least not on a daily basis. If you're craving that quintessential taste of summer cook-outs, the taste of a juicy steak with crisp, peppered crust, we have you covered. No, you don't need a grill; yes, you can make a perfect steak indoors.

Here is an absolutely foolproof, easy, and quick way to make a steak indoors, in the oven. Add a loaf of bread, a salad, and a bottle of wine, and you have an easy and delicious meal. No grill required.

If there was a favorite breakfast food at our house it would be a lightly toasted bagel smeared with cream cheese, topped with smoked salmon, red onion and capers. You know what I'm talking about — lox. It makes our world go round, but sadly it can be a little harsh on the pocketbook... unless you salt cure it at home like we do! More

Are you roasting a whole turkey for the first time this year? Or perhaps you've done this many times before, but you want a quick refresher to brush up on the basics? We'll help you make your mama proud with these step-by-step instructions for roasting a delicious turkey. Here's our super basic, super simple, super easy tutorial for roasting a super beautiful turkey this Thanksgiving. More

The deeply browned and greasy scrapings from the bottom of the roasting pan might not look like much when you first take the turkey out of the oven. But those drippings are Thanksgiving manna. Let's make some gravy. More