kitchen tips

Take a peak at many of Our Deer’s recipes – or recipes in any gourmet cookbook or website – and you may run across directions asking you to sweat. No, this doesn’t mean the chef needs to work up a sweat. "Sweating" is actually a cooking…

According to The Wall Street Journal, the makers of canning jars say their sales are up 30% this year. They also report a project director for The National Center for Home Food Preservation (a program funded by the U.S. government) saying…

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…

Mussels are a classic gourmet food, but one many amateur chefs are afraid of. There’s really nothing to fear, however. Mussels are easy to cook if you know a few easy tricks. So follow these few, simple steps and you, too, can cook a…

When used correctly, vinegar is an important ingredient that never overpowers food, but only enhances it. Essentially, vinegar is little more than alcoholic fluid that’s been given extra air exposure. This exposure is what gives vinegar…

Greens, the leafy part of a wide variety of vegetables, including collards, spinach, beet leaves, kohlrabi leaves, and sorrel – are not only delicious, they are extremely healthy, too. Packed with vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, fiber, and…

When summertime grilling comes to mind, most people think of tossing hamburgers, hot dogs and maybe corn on the cob on the barbecue. But almost any vegetable grills up well, making it easier to create a healthy, delicious meal any day.…

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…

While it’s true frozen vegetables found in grocery stores are generally of high quality, there are still benefits to freezing your own: It’s cheaper. It’s a great way to make use of bargains at grocery stores and farmer’s markets. It’s a…