Sometimes I just don’t feel like cooking, whether I am getting home late, contemplating what I should pack for lunch, or just feeling lazy. It can be a hassle. I also like restaurants - greasy pizza, the perfect burger, a well crafted omelet. Convenience can be a strong temptation, so I came [...]

Posted in Other 7 Comments »

The safety of nonstick, Teflon coated pans is a topic that I’ve mentioned recently and I decided it was worth looking into. My cookbooks offered a little information, but nothing extensive. Mark Bittman voices his worries in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, explaining that he only uses nonstick for eggs or sauteing, and [...]

Posted in Equipment, Health 7 Comments »

Breakfast links are on Sunday today because my girlfriend dragged me to multiple events, including two buffet meals, yesterday.  This past week I made a no-knead bread and a garlic and basil tomato sauce.  I have also added a new feature, Recipe of the Week.  Here I will pick my favorite recipe that I’ve read [...]

Posted in Links 4 Comments »

A reader, Maloof, submitted a recipe for basmati rice, Iranian style, a couple weeks ago. I was intrigued and decided to try it out the other night. I expected some sort of interesting spices or ingredients, but his recipe called only for rice, butter, and salt - the technique is what made it [...]

Posted in Recipes 5 Comments »

From my recent forays into cooking, I frequently have come across recipes asking me to brown a food. I also remember Alton Brown mentioning it on his show, Good Eats, when discussing stews. He made sure to brown the outside of his short ribs in a skillet before braising them in the oven. [...]

Posted in Food Science, Techniques 3 Comments »

I wanted to mention a few tips and tests from the latest issue of Cook’s Illustrated magazine (March/April 2008).
PAM Professional, the new high heat line, does actually hold up to high heat better than original PAM. In a pan over medium-high heat, the original burned while the Professional stayed clear. Cook’s Illustrated does, [...]

Posted in Equipment 4 Comments »