There's lots of slow ways to seed and chop a pepper, and a couple simple ways. I like this one. … [Read more...]
All-time Favorites
Beef Roast
March 23, 2008 (Updated March 24, 2014) by
I always keep a vacuum-sealed beef roast in the freezer. (Usually there's a pork roast right next to it.) With two hours notice I can have it on the table. Sure, it's better fresh, but it's an easy thing to keep for emergencies. As soon as as you decide you're going to make it, put it in the sink -- still in the vacuum pack -- and fill the sink with hot water. Don't worry that you'll cook it. The center will be so cold that the outside will barely get soft. For a really large roast you might … [Read more...]
How To Core a Cabbage
March 17, 2008 (Updated March 23, 2014) by
Cutting the core out of a cabbage is pretty easy. But you can also make it hard on yourself by trying to do it the same way you'd cut the stem out of a tomato. Cabbages are too big and too firm to do that. Here's the easy way. … [Read more...]
How To Mince Garlic
March 3, 2008 (Updated March 24, 2014) by
In case you didn't already know, the smaller you chop garlic the stronger the taste will be. When you cut or smash the cell walls, you're releasing the oils that carry the flavor. If you want to go a little milder than you get with smashed or pressed garlic, or if you just hate cleaning the garlic press, you'll need to learn how to mince. As a bonus, this is also a good technique for using cloves that are actually a little past their prime. It's better, of course, to get something perfectly … [Read more...]
Making Mirepoix
January 30, 2008 (Updated March 23, 2014) by
Mirepoix is a simple combination of onion, celery and carrot sautéed together. It is so common in French cooking that recipes will sometimes call for a certain amount of mirepoix, instead of listing the three vegetables separately. When you do see recipes for the mirepoix, it is typically either two parts celery to one part each of onion and carrot, or equal parts each. I have found that you don't have to be really precise with this. As long as there's enough of each that you get all three … [Read more...]
