‘Mise en place’ is a term I learned about half a year ago, and while not complicated, it can seriously help your cooking. ‘Mise en place’ is a French phrase that literally means ‘put in place.’ In the culinary world, it means to have your ingredients ready for cooking before you begin. [...]

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Freezing food is a great way to save it for later - but how do you thaw it safely? Much to my surprise, the book Culinary Fundamentals advises not to thaw food at room temperature.
Many, but not all, pathogens grow best within a temperature range from 41 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit (5 to 57 [...]

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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. [...]

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I made butternut squash the other day (you’ll see the recipe soon) and the recipe called for braising. I followed the recipe, but due to my ignorance with braising, I didn’t realize the amount of liquid in my pan was too low. The time it took my squash to cook more than doubled. [...]

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If you’ve seen Iron Chefs dice onions faster than you can peel one, you may be wondering how they do it. Unfortunately, I can’t answer that; I don’t know. I do know, however, that the proper grip on food when cutting is imperative for improving both safety and speed. It is [...]

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