So I’m working on an impromptu dinner last night consisting of sauteed chicken breasts with a sweet and sour pan sauce, mashed potatoes, and frozen corn, when my chicken breasts take way too long to thaw. Of course my potatoes were already boiling and practically done when I finally started to pre-heat the [...]

Posted in Failures, Kitchen Tips 3 Comments »

Last week I intelligently left a quarter inch of water in the bottom of my cast iron skillet in order to help soften the cooked egg layer on the bottom. Also intelligently, I forgot about the skillet and left it over night. When I found the skillet the next morning, the bottom was [...]

Posted in Equipment, Techniques 3 Comments »

I made these beans a couple weeks ago for my burritos and was surprised how good they were on their own. They would make a pretty good meal with some rice. Because I was making them for burritos, I halved the recipe.  This was also my first time cooking dried black beans.
I had [...]

Posted in Recipes 1 Comment »

I considered delaying my Halloween Breakfast Links until Halloween, but decided instead to post some links now so you can actually make them on Halloween.  Oh, and pumpkins are included in my Halloween criteria - mostly because I’m terrified of cooking with them after this fiasco.  I am going to finish up the mise en [...]

Posted in Links No Comments »

This post is part of a series called Cooking 101, which introduces the basics of cooking. The series follows the book Culinary Fundamentals, with supplements from The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America. Check out the previous posts here.
Unit 13: Basic Mise en Place
Part 4: Mirepoix
What It Is:
Mirepoix, like the [...]

Posted in Cooking 101 2 Comments »

This post is part of a series called Cooking 101, which introduces the basics of cooking. The series follows the book Culinary Fundamentals, with supplements from The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America. Check out the previous posts here.
Unit 13: Basic Mise en Place
Part 3: Sachet d’Épices and Bouquet Garni
You [...]

Posted in Cooking 101, Techniques 1 Comment »