Tips & Tricks

Whenever a server brings a flambe out in a restaurant, it’s sure to capture every diner’s attention. To flambe a dish just mans to make it flame using liquor or liqueur. Drama is certainly one reason to make a flambe dish, but the technique…

With its slightly bitter taste, spongy texture, and its (usually) gorgeous appearance, eggplant is a versatile vegetable. It is available in many colors and sizes, from jade green to orange (and yes, it’s more common deep purple), from…

There many reasons cooks love cast iron pans. Cast iron is an excellent conductor of heat, heating consistently and evenly. It also goes from stove to oven, you can use cooking tools or utensils of any materials on it, and it cleans easily.…

Many home chefs would never cook a steak without marinating it first, but they neglect to do one something similar to improve their poultry: Brine it. Brining poultry is very like marinating steak; it makes the food more tender and…

It’s said the British called avocados "alligator pear" because of their rough, alligator-like skin. But despite the fruit’s rough skin, avocados are rich, creamy and delicious on the inside. Available year round in grocery stories, but at…

A favorite gourmet dessert, mousse has a reputation for being difficult to make. In French, "mousse" (pronounced "moose") means foam. And that light, airy, foamy texture is exactly what makes mousse so delicious—and so tricky to prepare,…

Onions can add sharp, distinct flavor to your cooking, or a just a mild change to your favorite dish. Choosing the right onion for the job is a matter of understanding the flavor you want to create. Some onions are sweet and mild. Others…

Many amateur chefs are afraid of adding flavor to their food. They worry they will overpower the dish, or make it unhealthy – or they simply don’t know how to add more flavor to the ordinary white rice or chicken breast nobody seems…

If you love meat, then you probably agree there’s nothing quite so delicious as eating a great steak. The trouble is, steak is expensive, and many amateur chefs end up disappointed with the end result, sometimes. Because they don’t know…

Easter is special day, and with it comes not only fluffy bunnies and sunrise church services, but a wide array of traditional foods. Each region of the world has it’s own special Easter dishes, including the Italian "Colomba" (sweet…