Cooking Basics

Sure we all know how to crack a hard boiled egg -- smack it on the counter once and the pick at the bits of shell until we've removed all particles. Not only does this take time, but also gives...

Making that perfect holiday gravy is the golden ring of cooking. Try as many do, getting that perfect thick and creamy turkey gravy is a dream to be fulfilled. This year, it is going to be easy to...

If you have ever chopped garlic you know that smell just sticks to your hands! If you aren't planning on trying to fend off vampires then you would probably like to get rid of that smell quickly....

Tomato sauce is a thick puree of tomatoes, generally seasoned with Italian spices and served on pasta. Tomato soup, on the other hand, contains broth and usually milk or cream, and is a popular...

Water or sauces that boil over can leave a sticky mess on your electric range. If you don't quickly notice what has happened, the mess will burn, filling your home with the odor and potentially...

Who doesnt like to have compliments thrown at them after you've slaved for hours over a meal? Especially when you have several of your friends over for a dinner party. Here I will tell you how to...

Every wonder what to do with all those left over hard boiled egg you used for the kids Easter Eggs hunts? Every wonder how to get your kids to learn to love eggs? Well here are the answers to all...

Oftentimes we cannot avoid buying more meat and vegetables than will be needed for a specific recipe leaving these ingredients to go to waste. Knowing how to create new dishes by using leftover...

Cooking for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday can be tricky if you are watching your waist line. Here are some tips on how to lighten your favorite recipe and not skimp on flavor.

Yucca root, also known as cassava, is a fibrous vegetable that grows in warm climates including the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and parts of Asia and Africa....

From the chef to the laboratory scientist, an accurate grasp of measurement is necessary for many professions and hobbies. Liquid measurement is typically done through the use of marked measuring...

To fully understand what happens when an egg boils, you must first understand the composition of the egg itself. Although many egg connoisseurs may consider the inside of eggs liquids, an egg's...

Calories are a measure of energy. A food calorie indicates the energy content of food.

Ginger root adds bright, spicy and sweet flavor to many types of cooking--it's a common ingredient in Asian stir fry dishes, and it livens up many fruit-based desserts. To best take advantage of...

Most cooks just starting out rarely know the terminology used to describe supermarket chickens. The poultry packing industry hasn’t made understanding it any easier. Novice cooks can find...

Home canning is a great way to preserve your favorite sauces, spreads, pickles and fillings. They can make great gifts to others, or can be saved for use in the future for yourself. Either way,...

Mountain House has been marketing freeze-dried packaged and canned meals since 1963. The company packages its products in individual serving pouches or cans. The canned meals are larger and able...

Tofu started being used for cooking around 200 B.C. in China. This ancient food has a number of health benefits and is surprisingly adaptable. Tofu doesn't carry much flavor on its own, but it...

Tofu is a protein rich food and is also an excellent source of B vitamins and iron. It is a healthy alternative to meat, and is delicious when prepared properly. To properly cook tofu you'll have...

Making raw tofu is a task that might seem beyond your reach at first, until you consider that it's a lot like making many simple, soft cheeses. If you've ever made your own ricotta, queso fresco,...

To the uninitiated, fennel might seem a mysterious vegetable. You might well wonder what you would do with it, and how it might taste and feel in your mouth. Like other vegetables, fennel's flavor...

This easy recipe idea makes a great warm quick dinner when you watch movies at home. It is inexpensive and healthy for you and your whole family.

A Macdonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King sure don't have a tastes in the morning like this. This sandwich has 2 to 3 sausage patties on buttered biscuit with cheese, and sauced with your choice of...

Dress up your plain old Macaroni & Cheese! This recipe is a new twist to an all-time family favorite, easy to prepare and cost effective too - only 3 ingredients. Macaroni & Cheese is a...

Maybe you're a college student living in the dormitories. Maybe you're stuck in a position where your stove is broken. Making food with a hair dryer is a simple but time consuming alternative to...

KitchenAid makes a variety of kitchen appliances, such as slow cookers, toasters, waffle bakers, microwave ovens, refrigerators and more. But it's the KitchenAid stand mixer that serves as the...

Convection ovens are equipped with a fan which circulates heated air throughout the oven. This feature allows the oven to shorten the cooking or baking time by as much as 30 percent. Some...

If you've never worked with fennel before, it might look a little intimidating at first. No matter how you plan to prepare it, trimming fennel is the first step you'll need to take in order to...

Acidic means that something contains an acid, with a pH below 7. Acidity, or the amount of acid in food, is very important,.The higher the acidity, the less likely that microorganisms can grow....

Astragalus is an herb that is native to china, and known for its anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Astragalus contains antioxidants which help to support and protect the body's...

Fruit pectin is a natural substance found in fruit. Fully ripe fruit contains less pectin than under ripe fruit. Grapes, tart apples, sour blackberries, currants, raspberries, cranberries and sour...

Cutting fennel is an easy task, as long as you know what you'll be doing with it. Some types of cooking require a wedge cut, while some other types require thin, uniform slices. If you're...

Oysters are a type of shellfish that contain a small, tender piece of meat within a tough hinged outer shell. If you're going to eat fresh oysters, you must purchase them live and keep them alive...

If you have any aspirations to be a cook, chances are that you will eventually have to heat cooking oil on top of an electric stove. From the surface, you might think that heating the cooking oil...

Lasagna is an old dish that gets its origins from the great kitchens of Italy. Not only can lasagna make an extremely delicious meal it can also provide a number of important nutrients needed to...

Are you on a diet? Are you on Weight Watchers? This recipe is a great way to make a meal for a few days. Its also only 5 Points on Weight Watchers. This is also a great recipe for anybody on a...

Your family has enjoyed a mouth watering roast, but what should you do with the leftovers? :) Also, do not throw any broth away from the roast. It makes a delicious homemade gravy if you decide...

Holidays are a time to splurge. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a big holiday dinner and not put on weight? It is possible if you make your dinner less fattening by paying more attention to the...

Corn oil, like other vegetable based oils, is made from the processing of vegetable seed to extract natural oils. This is usually accomplished at a large scale with industrial-grade presses....

Bromelain is a protein-digesting enzyme that is found in the stem and core of the pineapple fruit. This digestive enzyme is used in many supplements, health treatments and some skin care products....

Hazelnuts are "sweet, rich, grape-size nuts" that "are used chopped, ground and whole" in a variety of recipes from snacks to sides and appetizers to desserts. However, the "best flavor is...

Because a spiral ham comes pre-cooked and sliced, many people just plop the hunk of meat onto a plate and serve. For your next holiday dinner, try dressing your spiral ham up before serving it....

Rice has been a staple in most Asian cuisine for thousands of years. It is native to China, but is now grown all over the world. All varieties of rice require very specific growing conditions in...

Salmonellosis is a potentially fatal disease caused by salmonella, bacteria that can often be found in the intestines of animals, including chickens. The symptoms caused by salmonella can start...

I have been making fried chicken, chicken fried steak, and chicken fried chicken for years with the same old boring batter. Then while in a waiting room at a doctors office, a lady and I struck up...

Even though duck eggs are a lot less common than their chicken counterparts, they are quite easy to prepare. The duck egg yokes are fattier than chicken eggs, and their whites contain more...

Frozen fruits and vegetables are handy when you are preparing a meal and you can't (or don't want to) run to a grocery store. Just about any fruit, including raspberries, can be cleaned, packed in...

Whole ground fennel is a wonderful addition to your spice rack. You can use it to flavor any number of foods, from your own fresh sausages to poultry, eggs, and international cuisine. Most recipes...

Fennel seeds, both whole and ground, are a spice commonly used in European, Asian, and Mediterranean cuisines. Some of the world's most well-known spice blends feature fennel prominently. Unlike...

When you make a sauce using certain acidic ingredients, the most common being tomatoes, it can taste bitter and unpleasant at first. Adding your standard seasonings may help, but in most cases you...