The Kitchn Archive: Oct 2016

If there was ever a time to put a seasonal, boo-zy spin on the beloved ice cream float, it is right now. Grab your favorite pumpkin beer along with some ice cream, and consider this your invitation to skip the PSL in favor of something a bit more festive. If you love beer and ice cream separately, but the thought of them together leaves you slightly skeptical, let me reassure you that not only does this duo work, but it’s also an exquisitely delicious treat.

Whether it’s homemade or from a box or can, sometimes soup needs just a little something extra to help spice it up. That’s when we reach for the heavy-hitting flavors from the side door of the refrigerator. Think of condiments as soup’s finishing touch. Go beyond that squirt of Sriracha and try one of these instead. The beauty of fish sauce is its versatility beyond the Asian canon of flavors often found in noodle dishes or curries.

I love a big bowl of soup for dinner, but often I find that I need a salad and some crusty bread to really call it a meal. Thicken that soup up a bit and make it creamy and suddenly it feels like it can hold its own on the dinner table. Here are five quick and easy ways to thicken any soup and make it a meal in a bowl.

If you have a Bundt cake pan that gathers dust in the back of the kitchen cabinet, pull this decorative pan out and use it in your everyday cooking. Remember, it’s still essentially a baking pan, so you can use it for way more than dessert and chocolate cake. Here are four savory ways to bake with a Bundt pan. I admit that I used to have an obsession with Bundt cake pans. At one point, I owned a standard pan, a castle pan, a rose pan, and a fleur-de-lis pan. Why all the pans?

Are you roasting sweet potatoes to go with dinner? Before you get started, there’s one more thing you need to do: Add one or two extra to the baking sheet! It takes almost no extra work, but pays big dividends later. Here are five reasons to always roast extra sweet potatoes. When it comes to roasting sweet potatoes, you have a choice to make: Do you want to cut up the potatoes? You’ve got four options. Whole, with the skin on. Cut into wedges (skin on or off).

People change and feelings flow, but griddles are forever. My parents still have the shiny aluminum griddle that began my lifelong devotion to pancakes. I’ve had my own favorite griddle for 25 years, and I use it all day long. I start with pancakes or English muffins, and often end the day with pancakes too. You could steal my plates and cutting boards and nearly everything in my kitchen, but please don’t touch my griddle.

It’s true, roasted vegetables are pretty irresistible in their own right; they hardly need a helping hand. But try this tasty trio and you’ll want to give them one anyway. This is the finishing touch that brings spicy crunch to your favorite fall side. Try it once and I’m sure you’ll want to use it to amp up the flavor on everything from roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes to cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Mornings are about efficiency. How can you quickly get out the door while still managing a healthy breakfast and a caffeine kick? Here’s your answer: Cook your oatmeal in tea. You’re not only getting a buzz from your breakfast bowl, but it’s also creamy, spicy, and delicious! The concept is simple. While you usually cook your oats in a simmering pot of water, cook them in a simmering pot of tea instead.

Wanna know a little secret? I often put ice in my soup. Gasp! Yes, you read that correctly. Hear me out. I have three very good reasons and I’ll bet my favorite knife that you’ll be able to relate. Now that I’m an adult, I can have whatever I want for dinner (wine and cheese, at times). I also don’t want to revert to my 7-year-old self and have to blow on my soup for what seems like an eternity. I just want to eat it!

The idea is simple enough — cut open a pumpkin, fill it with ice, and add tasty beverages. But if you’ve ever attempted do this yourself, you know there is more to this magic that meets the eye. Here are three tips for a better pumpkin ice bucket. Most pumpkins have interiors that are at least one inch thick. While the pumpkin might be large on the outside, it is going to have a smaller interior than you think. Look for a wide, deep pumpkin that sits nice and flat.