The Kitchn Archive: Aug 2015

A while back a video circulated around the Internet showing a guy using a blow dryer to turn a brown, overripe banana back to a good-looking yellow banana. I had to watch it a few times because I couldn’t actually believe what I was seeing. So I had to try this crazy trick for myself. Do you believe that a hair dryer can really revive an overripe banana? The original tip suggests that simple household items, like rice and a blow dryer, have the power to revive an overripe banana.

Whether you’re packing a lunch for the office or lunch for the kids, you want to make sure you pack the right foods properly to help prevent food-borne illnesses. We talked to Katie Morford, registered dietitian and author of the book Best Lunch Box Ever, to share her tips on how to safely pack lunches so you keep everyone healthy and happy! “Avoid putting certain foods in lunch boxes altogether.

Whether you want to quick-chill a glass of warm white wine or rosé, or keep it chilled as you sip, there’s a simple solution — and it does not involve ice cubes (keep those in the freezer, please). Instead, keep your glass of wine chilled with a few frozen grapes! Not only are frozen grapes a refreshing snack, but they do wonders for chilling otherwise warm drinks.

A commonly used homemade substitute for buttermilk is made by mixing an acid with milk (usually a tablespoon of vinegar for every cup of milk). When you’ve done this at home, you’ve probably noticed that the milk curdles and becomes lumpy over time. If you’ve ever wondered why acids curdle milk, I’ve got the answer.

Q: I have to make the cakes for a party three days in advance of the event because of an already-scheduled weekend trip. I have a couple questions about how to do this. I know I can freeze them, but what is the best way to wrap them before freezing? I’m planning on decorating the cakes the morning of the event — when should I take the cakes out of the freezer, so that they will be defrosted in time for the event? The night before? Thanks so much!

Q: I have purchased dried hominy for the first time — do I need to soak it overnight before cooking or can I put it straight into a stew? Sent by Mike Editor: You should definitely soak dried hominy in water overnight before cooking it, so it starts rehydrating. After soaking, it can finish cooking in the more flavorful liquid in a stew or soup until tender. You can also just cook the dried hominy in salted water until tender and use it in recipes that call for precooked, canned hominy.

Waiting for water to boil is boring. Let us entertain you with a poem! That’s right — today’s kitchen education is coming to you in the form of poetry. You’ll never look at a pot of water quite the same again. Never again will you wonder what separates a simmer from a boil! Or why a recipe might demand you “rapidly simmer” that sauce you just made! Nevermore will a pot of water befuddle your senses as it moves from a mere bubble to a full-on boil!

In theory, making burgers is a simple process: buy your meat, shape it into a patty, season it, and toss it on the grill or stovetop to cook. But there are a few important dos and don’ts that can make the difference between a burger that’s just okay, and one that’s really great. The hallmark of a good burger is one that is nice and juicy when you bite into it, and you just can’t get that juiciness if you use really lean ground beef.

It’s important to know how long foods can be stored and the right ways to store them — especially for perishable foods — but how exactly is the term “perishable food” defined, and which foods fall under this category? Perishable foods are items that aren’t safe to eat unless they’re kept refrigerated at 40°F or below, or frozen at 0°F or below.

There are many videos and articles out there that tell you how to say hard-to-pronounce food words. You’ve seen them, I’ve seen them. Now is the time to test your skills. Look at the word and image, say the name in your head – or go crazy and say it out loud! – and then see if you’re right. Tally up your points and tell us how you did in the comments. Answer: Keen-Wa (Quinoa). Answer: New-Tell-Ah (Nutella). Apparently this is controversial.