The Kitchn Archive: 2014

The bounty of summer produce is over, but here in South Carolina we find a lot of greens at the farmers’ market. That’s fine by me, because collards, chard and kale are abundant and I love them. What I don’t love is slicing them. Tearing greens with my bare hands will usually suffice, but there are times when I want strips, and I’ve finally figured out the best way to get them. When I discovered pre-sliced collards, I was thrilled, but I craved chard and kale, too.

Q: I am about to be living in a hotel room for the next two months with access to only a mini-fridge and microwave in my room. I’m not against going out and buying a small slow cooker or something, but I have all of my normal sized appliances in storage for the moment. What can I make to eat using what I have or eating raw? I do not want to depend on a dining facility and eating out for all of my meals! Sent by Sarah Editor: Some of these posts might have some good ideas for you!

My first real job as a teenager was bagging groceries at the local grocery store. It was the first of many food-related jobs for which I’m truly thankful. Not only did I learn the proper way to place cans in a paper sack, I also encountered a number of ingredients and foods I’d never heard of. This was the late 80s in Los Angeles County; you’d think that we were really cosmopolitan back then, but we weren’t.

Commercial baking mixes are pretty mainstream these days. What was once a novelty for our grandmothers is common place today. Some folks can’t dream of making pancakes or muffins without a box. I myself once thought that was baking “from scratch.” Unfortunately, despite their convenience, these boxed mixes contain dubious ingredients and often lack substance or flavor.

I’m a member of a Facebook group where people share what they’re making in the kitchen: the trials, the tribulations, the recipes. It’s a fun group, and most of the cooks are southern like me. Recently, a member posted this, “I made really good rice!!!!!!! yeah 2014.” I responded to the post, asking what brand she used, prepared to hear about her amazing rice cooker. Her answer surprised me, though it shouldn’t have.

Folks’ thoughts turn to casseroles when they think of frozen meals. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good casserole, but you do your freezer and yourself a disservice if you limit your options to lasagnas, enchiladas, and noodle bakes, as good as they may be. With six children ranging in age, personality, and culinary maturity, I’ve found that I need to think outside the 9×13-inch baking dish if I’m going to put a meal on the table that we’ll all enjoy.

Q: One of my resolutions for the New Year is to conquer my fear of the broiler in the old gas oven in my rental. It is the kind that is a drawer at the bottom of the oven. I love cooking and there aren’t many things I am afraid of, but I just haven’t been able to work up the nerve to do this. It looks so tight in there! Do you have any suggestions or tips?

Whether you’re cooking in an ill-equipped vacation rental, battling your parents’ dull knives, or just itching for an impromptu picnic, you know that preparing meals outside the familiar confines of your own kitchen can be a challenge. This year we shared a number of tips to make cooking and eating well a little easier while you’re away from home, from expert advice for traveling with cheese to the ten things you should always pack to make cooking on vacation easier.