Cooking Methods

When it comes to cooking salmon, versatility reigns. This is a fish that works with a huge variety of flavor combinations, and you can take your pick of cooking method. Dress it up for a dinner party with a slow roast, or keep it casual for a mid-week meal with a quick sear for a grain bowl. Either way, you can get salmon on the table pretty quickly. But before you turn on the heat, don’t let these blunders get in the way of your perfect salmon dinner.

The winner truly makes a tastier burger on the grill or in a skillet!

The Kitchn’s Baking School Day 1: Learn all about eggs. Join The Kitchn’s Baking School: Sign up and see all The Kitchn’s Baking School assignments Welcome to Baking School! In day-to-day cooking, eggs can be scrambled, poached, or boiled to create easy, straightforward dishes all on their own. But when it comes to baking and pastry, the importance of their role changes from breakfast food to a vital ingredient for giving structure, texture, and flavor.

The right type will make grilling easier.

It doesn’t matter if they’re sweet or savory — homemade muffins are a timeless and comforting breakfast. (Especially when your morning involves grabbing a breakfast sandwich or quick bite as you dash out the door.) Fill them with fruit or veggies for a healthier spin, or go for something more indulgent. Either way, fresh-baked muffins are a total treat. As you crank up your oven for your next batch of muffins, be sure you’re not making any one of these muffin missteps.

No one wants to mess up steak on the grill. For one thing, a leathery over-cooked steak makes for an extremely sad eating experience. For another, steaks are expensive! From grilling pro Jennifer Chandler, we have six steps that will guarantee a perfectly grilled steak every time.When I asked Jennifer about steaks and explained my nervousness about grilling them, her excitement kicked up a few decibels.

There’s something that truly can’t compare to the warm, sweet scent of vanilla. Beloved in everything from ice cream to cakes, a vanilla is as much a scent as it is a powerful flavor. Even in chocolate recipes, vanilla acts as a secret ingredient that makes everything taste just a little bit better. You’ll most often see vanilla extract called for in recipes, but there’s a whole world of vanilla products to explore.

Plus, the best way to use each of them.

Never suffer through a dry piece of chicken again.

Fresh ginger! It’s one of our very favorite things. This spice which is also known for its medicinal properties is often used in cooking, including in soups and in stir-fries. Here are five ways we eat a lot of ginger. What about you — how do you like to eat ginger?Fresh ginger, ready for hot ginger tea.Fresh ginger is good for so many things. We love how crystallized ginger safely and naturally soothes an upset stomach. We love ginger, strong and spicy, in hot tea.

A friend of ours who embarked on a gluten-free diet was heard complaining about wheat-free pastas that are gummy, mushy, and just plain unappetizing. We suggested exploring Asian noodles, instead. Although noodles made from ingredients like acorns, mung beans, and sweet potatoes might not work with your favorite marinara sauce, they do offer wonderful textures and flavors of their own. Their appeal isn’t just limited to those on gluten-free diets, either.

Alongside the usual savory and sweet items that every pantry needs, there are a few ingredients that are particularly useful for vegetarians and vegans, as well as those wanting to eat more meatless meals. All of these items are ideal for adding protein, texture, and flavor to what you’re cooking. Each household’s pantry will vary according to personal taste, ethnic background, and food allergies, but these 15 items are a great way to get started.

Here's a guide to help you figure out if you should reheat your food on the stove, in the oven, or in the microwave.

Even though the gluten-free market has come a long way, there’s still a lot to learn, if you’re trying to make the switch.

Calling all pulled pork fans.

It's a subtle difference, but an important one.

If you think sugar is just sweet, think again. Sugars like muscovado, demerara, and turbinado have flavor depths and aromatic heights that blow plain ol’ granulated sugar out of the water. Find out the differences of each kind of sugar and know their color, tastes, texture, and uses.

If you've never worked with yeast before or, like me, haven't been successful in proofing your yeast, here's everything you need to know about getting started with dry yeast.

Once upon a time, if you wanted to make a recipe that called for soba, udon, or any other kind of Asian noodle, you had to also find your nearest Asian grocery store. Happily, these noodles have become much easier to find in recent years. Here’s a quick guide to the most common kinds!You generally cook these Asian noodles the same way you cook any other kind of pasta: in a large amount of salted boiling water until the pasta is al dente.

Here's why you should keep both on hand.

Have you ever reached for the eggs while baking only to realize that the recipe calls for large eggs, and you only have extra-large? Or have you ever eyed the medium eggs at the grocery store and wondered how different they really are from jumbo? Eggs come in different sizes and they differ quite a bit in both weight and volume. When a recipe calls for an egg, substituting them with one size smaller or bigger is not a major problem.

Testing the upper limits of your oven's heat might give you better pizza at home.

Without eating half of it.

When it comes to no-bake desserts, it’s hard to find anything better than ultra gooey, marshmallowy rice krispie treats. They’re a classic. While they seem easy enough to make, there are a few missteps that can leave you with bars that are far from the soft and chewy treats you hoped for. Here are five common mistakes to avoid, plus our favorite tips for making the best rice krispie treats ever! This is not an area to be stingy.

No special tools required!

Have you tried any of these?

Are you baking with coconut oil yet?

Knowing when you can stop kneading the dough is among the more mysterious aspects of baking bread. Sure, it’s no longer a wobbly mess of bubble-gummy dough, but is it really done? To find out, there are ways to tell whether the dough is ready after kneading it for 10-12 minutes by hand or 8-10 minutes in a mixer. Here are a few clues to look for. The point of kneading dough is to strengthen the gluten, which are the stringy bands of proteins that give bread its structure and texture.

This tiny step will make your wings so much better.

Prettier loaves ahead!

More and more of us are discovering what a fantastic ingredient concentrated miso paste can be in our daily cooking – and not just for soup! Happily, many major stores have caught on and are starting to carry a variety of traditional misos to choose from. There are different types of misos and each is made from soybeans that have been fermented with either rice, barley or other grains. The real question is: how to choose?

A member of the kelp family, kombu is a seaweed that makes for a versatile pantry ingredient, providing dishes with umami flavor, nutrients, and minerals. While most kombu comes from Hokkaidō, Japan, it is also cultivated in Korea, where it is known as dashima, and China, where it is known as haidai. (Maine kelp is similar and can be substituted for kombu.) Dried kombu can be used to make Japanese dashi (a savory broth), added to beans to make them more digestible, and eaten in salads.

A reader recently asked about substituting gelatin leaf (called for in one of the recipes) with powdered gelatin, and the thing is, none of us really knew for sure! Hear our thoughts below – care to weigh in?First off, all three of these products are derived from the same source – animal collagen. When heated slowly, collagen in the skin, bones, and connective tissue of an animal breaks down into gelatin, which can then be used to set liquids into jellies.

When it’s time for fall and winter baking, dark, sticky molasses gets pulled out from the back of my cabinet. There’s no replacement for the sweet, almost smoky flavors it adds to cookies and cakes, like chewy molasses cookies and dark molasses gingerbread cake, plus it plays oh-so-nicely with winter spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Molasses comes in different forms and each has its taste, use, and way of making it.

Avoid these missteps and you'll be on the path to puff pastry perfection.

I don’t bake with yeast all that often, but I always reach for the packets of dry yeast when I do. But what about those little cakes of fresh yeast, the ones professional bakers are always talking about? It was time to find out more about fresh (or cake) yeast, and see what the fuss was all about. How is it different from dried yeast, is it easy to use, and would breads made from fresh yeast taste better?

It's super-easy and the fish doesn't stick to the grill.

Take your baked goods to the next level.

And why it matters.

Star anise just may be the most unique and fun-looking spice in the pantry. But it's more than just good looks.

Baking soda and baking powder are both essential pantry staples for bakers. They have long shelf lives, but can they go bad? The answer is yes. Both baking soda and baking powder will eventually expire. You’ll know when they won’t give your baked goods the lift that they deserve. You might ask yourself, “How can I tell if it’s still active before I ruin my next batch of muffins?” To find out if your baking soda or powder is still effective, follow the steps below.

And you probably already have everything you need.

Here's everything you've ever wanted to know, including how they get their names.

Pickles last a long time — but not forever.

How convenient!

Pretzel pie crust? Yes, please!

Not everyone's a pro at grilling, but this tip will make you look like one.

How did I not know this?!

Learning how to do both will make you a better home cook in seconds.

Add one simple ingredient for guaranteed success.

So THAT’S why we’re supposed to use room-temperature butter in our cakes!

Sweet, creamy roasted garlic is a favorite for slathering on bread or adding to soup, pasta, and mashed potatoes (and that’s just the beginning). Popping a whole head of garlic in the oven may be the most common method, but there are lots of ways to get your roasted garlic fix, whether you use the oven, stovetop, microwave, or grill.• Oven (whole head) – This is the classic method for roasting one or more heads of garlic in the oven.

Speaking of birthday cakes, I made one last weekend. This particular cake was for a friend’s son, who was having his eighth birthday. My friend’s son is madly into LEGOs, and when he saw a building block cake on LEGO’s website, he fell in love. My friend, who is a magnificent cook but doesn’t bake, asked if I would try it. Sure! Why not? I went looking online for LEGO cake inspiration and discovered many, many cakes — but a dearth of really practical directions.

We’ve talked a little bit about box mixes this week, and tomorrow we’re going to look at what’s better, when it comes to cake — boxed, or from scratch. But we also wanted to interject this note into the discussion: Did you know that you can make your own cake mix? This bright tip comes from I Am Baker. She assembles this cake mix out of flour, sugar, and a few other staples and throws it all into a jar for quicker cake-making down the road.

Have you ever had fried capers? Crispy, nutty, and briny, these little blossoms add big impact to salads, pasta, meat, and vegetable dishes.Fried capers take just seconds to make, yet they add such a wonderful, unexpected dimension to even the simplest dishes. Check out Jacques Pépin’s tutorial and some recipes for inspiration.

Are you grilling fruit this summer? Just as barbecue cooking doesn’t have to be limited to savory ingredients (see our recent roundup of grilled desserts!), your skewer options are not restricted to bamboo and metal.Cinnamon sticks make splendid skewers for fruits like peaches, nectarines, plums, figs, and pineapple, holding them together and imparting a bit of flavor as they caramelize.

We’ve talked about melamine plates and other alternatives for paper plates, but what about no plates at all? Especially at a barbecue, when it’s okay to drop things on the ground, finger food is very welcome. But we’re not talking tea sandwiches. These finger foods are hot off the grill.Speaking of… let’s not go grabbing things right off the grates. Let these things cool a few minutes before you offer them to your guests.

We know grilling month is long gone, as is the summer barbecue season. But we got one last, lingering taste of smoky, outdoor flavor in yesterday’s New York Times Sunday Magazine — only it was for smoking food indoors (hooray for apartment living!)…In the article, Jill Santopietro describes smoking all sorts of food (ribs, mozzarella, pears, tomatoes) in a wok in her apartment.

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for a quick but filling and nutritious meal on a busy day. One thing I’ve learned to do is to tuck a few sweet potatoes into the oven whenever I’m baking something. That way, I have a head start on a delicious, nutritious meal, ready to go whenever I’m hungry but pressed for time. Read on for several suggestions for how to use a baked sweet potato.

A subtle hint of woodsy smoke is one of our absolute favorite flavors in a dish – meat-based or vegetarian. Of course, cooking food on a charcoal grill will give us the flavor we crave, but we can think of a few more ways…1. Make an Indoor Smoker: It’s not as hard as you might think and can be done quite easily on your stove top using a wok and a grilling grate. Here’s how – but don’t forget to take the battery out of your smoke alarm!2.

Ah, gluten. Bread bakers love it and pastry chefs keep it at a respectful distance. So what’s the deal with gluten and what can we oh-so-humble home cooks do about it?All flour contains a certain percentage of protein, ranging from 8% for cake flour to around 13% for durum semolina (pasta) flour. When activated, these proteins cling together to form strands of gluten.

One question we hear again and again is: Can you help me learn to cook meat properly? Our readers have tackled An instant-read thermometer like the Thermapen lets you quickly and accurately test the temperature of a piece of meat, while a probe thermometer has a probe that can be left in the meat while in the oven, allowing you to track its temperature as it roasts. Whether you are grilling, roasting, baking, or braising, a great thermometer is indispensable.

We credit Rachael Ray and other TV cooking hosts for the popularity of the stovetop grill pan. They can “grill” food on camera without having to move the entire production crew outside. Brilliant. But we’re apartment dwellers with no outdoor space, as we know many of you are, and let’s be honest. A pan with raised ridges does not a grill make.

Folks can get pretty particular about how they like their steaks. Some of us like it well-done while others say the more red and rare the better! When we’re cooking steaks at home, it can be hard to get it just the way we like it, especially if we have guests with different preferences.Cutting into the steak to see how things are coming along works well, but this also lets out juices and moisture that we’d rather keep for ourselves.

For a long time I thought there was something mysterious and hard about grilling- the process of hauling out, cleaning, and lighting the grill just seemed so complicated, not to mention actually cooking food on it. Then I met my husband’s grill-obsessed family, who cheerily grill year round, even through frigid New England winters. They showed me that grilling was such a perfect way to be outside, hang out, and get a meal on the table, all at the same time.

Have you caught the jam-making bug this summer? In the past week, we’ve put up batches of strawberry, cherry, peach, and plum jam, and there’s no sign of stopping! If you’re like us, you might be wondering what to do with this abundance of preserves. Say hello to the bakewell tart.Deliciously textured and the perfect way to show off your seasonal preserves, this classic English pastry consists of a shortcrust base, a layer of jam, and an almond frangipane sponge.

With the arrival of summer tomatoes, we’ve been eating a lot of BLTs. We spread our bacon slices out in a very large pan and cook them on the stovetop, and we were reminded last night that it pays to turn the heat down…When we’re hungry and in a hurry, we’re always tempted to crank up the flame and sizzle the bacon fast and furious. But inevitably, we burn it.

Pickling involves little more than marinating vegetables over time. How much time depends on the method. And for new picklers, the best way to try it out is through refrigerator pickling. You don’t need a garden’s worth of vegetables or canning equipment – just pick a vegetable (or several), add spices and brine, and into the fridge it goes. Best eaten within a week or two, this method is your answer for quick and fresh pickled fare. 1.

Getting the sweetest sweet potatoes isn’t about picking out the ripest or most promising potatoes in the bunch. Nope! Rather, a little culinary magic trick will transform your toughest tubers into delicious treats. Here’s how! If you like your sweet potato casserole extra sweet, all you have to do is bake the sweet potatoes low and slow! Raw sweet potatoes are mostly starchy fibers, but they also contain an enzyme that will break down the starch into sugar at certain temperatures.

Certainly you don’t need a panini press to make grilled sandwiches, but if you happen to have one of these appliances, it can do much more than the name implies. A multitasking panini maker can be used to cook all sorts of foods quickly, creatively, and often healthfully.From dinner to dessert, on busy weeknights or when it’s too cold to grill outdoors, here are ten more uses for a panini press:• 1.

If you’ve got a few spoonfuls of jam in your refrigerator, you can turn a plain yellow or chocolate cake into something special without altering the recipe one bit. We added a hint of raspberry flavor to a basic chocolate cake, above, just by mixing some jam with a little hot water.

We try to avoid turning on our oven as much as possible during the summer. It heats up our apartment faster than you can eat a popsicle! That’s why when we do have to use our oven, we make it work double-time.The picture above is from a few evenings back. We baked two loaves of bread (one for now, one for the freezer), and roasted a bunch of beets while we were at it. The beets are what you see wrapped in foil next to the loaf of bread.