chef secrets

There is perhaps no more common fear among amateur cooks and bakers than making a pie crust. Many people won’t even attempt it and rely solely upon ready-made refrigerated pie crusts found in the grocery store. But, truthfully, pie…

Do you waste time or energy in the kitchen by adhering to myths? Find out, as I examine some of cooking’s most prevalent urban legends. Searing Meat Helps Keep it Juicy You’ll often hear that searing meat seals in juices, but…

When cooking, you may run across the terms stock, broth, bouillon, and fond. Each is a type of liquid and each typically has a word in front of it describing what the liquid is made from. But what is the difference between the stock and…

Is it possible to be a budget gourmet? As the economy in many parts of the world spirals downward, this is a question more and more gourmands are asking. The answer is "yes," if you spend time instead of money, and use a little creative…

Yeast is an essential baking ingredient, but far too many home bakers are afraid of it. Is the yeast active? Will it make the dough rise, many bakers wonder. It’s true that one or two generations back, yeast was a tricky thing to handle.…

Among the world’s more famous gourmet desserts is tiramisu. The funny name hints at its delicious nature. In Italian, tiramisu means "carry me up." To gourmet heaven, apparently. Or perhaps the name refers to the fact that tiramisu is…

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…

Glance through any cooking tool catalog for home chefs and you’re sure to find a wide selection of non-knife chopping tools. But the truth is, you really only need a good knife set and a little know-how in order to make cutting up foods…