Quality grades for beef were established in 1927 to create uniform standards by which to judge meat. These grades measure the overall flavor, tenderness, and juiciness of the meat based its age, marbling, color and texture.
The USDA grades are:

Prime - Prime beef is the best quality, with only about 2% being graded so. [...]

Posted in Food Profiles, Stocking the Kitchen No Comments »

Recipes are always calling for fresh herbs, and I never have them. I am trying to grow a few of my own this year in a pot with the hope of keeping them once I move into my apartment in July. I’ll update you on my progress occasionally over the summer to let you [...]

Posted in Other, Stocking the Kitchen 6 Comments »

My girlfriend and I found out on Monday that we got the apartment we wanted for next year. We’ll be moving in this July, as she’ll be starting medical school in August. The prospect of moving out has become more real and it got me thinking about stocking my kitchen. What equipment [...]

Posted in Equipment, Stocking the Kitchen 9 Comments »

Here is a tip on keeping fresh ginger without letting it go bad. I got this from the my free issue of Cook’s Illustrated and thought I would pass it on.

Cut leftover ginger into 1-inch pieces and place them in a zipper-lock bag.
Store the bag in the freezer for one month or longer. [...]

Posted in Stocking the Kitchen 3 Comments »

Maintaining a kitchen that facilitates cooking without special preparation or shopping for every meal is a vital part of incorporating cooking into your everyday life. If I have to run to the store to buy food to make a real dinner or just boil a pot of boxed macaroni and cheese, I usually choose [...]

Posted in Stocking the Kitchen 4 Comments »