Tag: Techniques

by KD

All About Spices & Dried Herbs

spice pile
Have you ever seen a recipe with an ingredient list that includes a bajillion dried herbs and spices? It can send some people running the other way screaming. Spices and herbs are expensive, and finding them (as well as storing them) can be overwhelming without any guidance. It doesn’t have to be this way, I tell ya! Today, let’s boost both your spice rack and kitchen confidence by talking about dried herbs and spices.

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by KD

Kitchen Cleanliness Commandments

Follow these Kitchen Cleanliness Commandments to keep your kitchen spring-cleaned all year long!
Spring just begs to be spent outdoors; birds chirping, flowers budding, the sun staying out much, much later… but don’t forget it’s also the time of year for spring cleaning! The kitchen can be a difficult area to spruce up after the winter months, and even harder to keep clean once the farmers market opens for business. So with that in mind, here are some Kitchen Cleanliness Commandments to keep you on track.

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by KD

How to Dice an Onion

how to dice an onion
As you begin to tackle more and more recipes, you may notice instructions that seem like deja vu. Dicing or chopping an onion is one of these; it’s a crucial step in preparation for any number of delicious dishes. If you want to know why they’re so crucial, I’d recommend reading my post all about alliums. But if you want to know how to prep them, you’ve come to the right place!

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by KD

The Feast of the Seven Fishes

Mussels for Feast of Seven Fishes
Looking for a new Christmas Eve tradition? Trying to avoid the same turkey and ham Christmas dinner you always make? This year, while wondering how to make the meal enjoyable and grand, I decided to try a collection of recipes that would add up to a Feast of the Seven Fishes. It was messy, challenging, and a lot of fun; I’d encourage anyone to try it one year as a part of their own celebrations!

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by KD

How To Cook a Steak Without Fear!

steak
Nothing (NOTHING) has been more intimidating in my culinary adventures than learning to cook a steak. I’m not even talking about grilling, or marinating, or doing some impressive open-fire paleo stuff in a cutthroat competition. I’m just talking about cooking a nice hunk of beef, for myself, in a kitchen, on the stove. Cooking steak while inexperienced (CSWI) is intimidating for two reasons:

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by KD

It’s Tea Time!

tea
The winter drags on. Our only solace is found in a cup of tea. But you know… tea isn’t just for when we’re feeling cold, sick, or tired. There are as many different occasions for tea as there are varieties to explore! Today, we’re going to take a look at the history of this ancient beverage, and discuss types of tea as well as proper tea-brewing procedures.

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by KD

The Assembly of a Happy Pantry

happy pantry items
How is your pantry looking lately? Chock full, a little cluttered? Barren except for some packets of soy sauce? While we’ve discussed the merits of making magic out of leftover meals and ingredients in the past, the foundation for such a practice is an organized, well-stocked pantry. Today I’m going to run down a few ideas of how to stock your pantry, shelf by shelf. We’ll also talk about why you want to keep certain items around, and what to do with them in a pinch.

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