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More Specific Techniques
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Here you’ll find information on everything from very basic techniques such as stirring and sweating to the all important professional chef’s term mise en place. Mise en place is such an important concept in professional kitchens because it allows them to cook a multitude of dishes at the same time. It is well worth learning to employ in the home kitchen, too, especially when planning a large dinner party or a multi-course holiday meal. As well, find information on specific techniques such as how to grill corn, how to caramel |
Barbecue Ribs - Doing Them RightRibs for barbecue can be cut from the back of the pig near its spine. These are called baby back ribs or loin ribs, since they are cut from the back. Aside from the loin, ribs are also cut from areas along the sides and belly of the pig, just up from the sternum. These are called spare ribs. Just two racks of baby backs and two racks of spare ribs can be cut from each pig.
Basic Brining TechniqueWhether you want to believe it or not, Brining Is Better!
I have heard for years that brining is the secret to cooking moist meats and chicken but have resisted from practicing it myself. After numerous letters from visitors about dried out pork chops, I decided to give brining a chance and All I Can Say Is, Give Brine A Chance.
You can see what I had to say about b...
BBQ - What is Barbecue?Ask ten people in ten different cities what 'barbecue' is, and you will likely get ten different answers. Some will say it's just grilling. Others might talk about smoking or steaming. Some say barbecue means beef. Others will call foul and say that pork is the meat of choice when it comes to barbecue. Like many aspects of cooking, everyone has their own definition of what barbecue is and most often this comes from where they grew up and how their parents barbecued at home.
Brining Really Is Better
I have read how great brining is for making meats & poultry more juicy but just never found the time to learn how to do it right, take the time to make a brine nor take the time to actually brine something. Well, that is all going to change now.
Butter - How to Make Clarified ButterWhat is Clarified Butter?
Clarified butter is another one of the many culinary terms that can be intimidating for home cooks to tackle. Let’s take a step back, though, and find out what clarified butter is and how to make it.
Most people think of butter as a solid fat. It certainly looks solid enough. However, if we look closer, we find that butter is actually an ...
Chicken - How to Truss a ChickenWhat does trussing a chicken even mean, anyway? It sounds very fancy and gourmet, but the Miriam-Webster definition of truss is to “to arrange for cooking by binding close the wings and legs of (a fowl).â€
Cooking Smoke Point Versus Flash PointGenerally speaking, the temperature that we are most concerned with when it comes to using oils to transfer heat to our food is the smoke point.
Corn - How to Buy and Cook Corn on the CobHow to Buy and Cook Sweet Corn on the Cob
I'm thinking of eating fresh Jersey corn every night for the next week. That's because I'm on vacation with my family at the Jersey shore and the corn is incredible this year. As sweet as my 4 year old daughters smile, I can't get enough of it. Although we've been serving it on the cob, there are dozens of ways to serve it of...
Corn - How to Grill CornGrilling Sweet Summer Corn
In season, there is nothing like summer corn especially my favorite New Jersey summer corn. That with some fresh Jersey tomatoes and you have a meal. Most of the time we just boil some corn, smear some butter on it, season with salt & pepper and eat it off the cob. But once in a while, I like to grill it, cut if off the cob and use it i...
Deglazing: What it Is and Why Do ItDeglazing is a fancy and intimidating word that means to pour some cold liquid into a very hot pan to get up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Those brown bits are where all the flavors are, and it is called “fond.”
Fond is French for “bottom,” so let’s stick to calling it fond!
How To Deglaze a Pan
You probably deglaze all the time witho...
How to Cook Chinese DumplingsChinese Dumplings Are the Best
I am no expert on cooking dumplings but Suzanna Foo is and I know because I have been to her restaurant in Philadelphia and enjoyed some of the most delicious pork dumplings imaginable. Her restaurant offers some of the most inovative, tasty Chinese food I have ever experienced.
I wanted to learn how to make dumplings at home so I chec...
How To Prevent Fish From Sticking To PanI think we've all experienced that awful feeling when you try to turn your fish in the pan and it just won't turn. Hopefully this lesson will give you the tools you need to perfectly cook a piece of fish.
Mayo - Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe
Homemade Mayo is easy to make and tastes so much better than store bought.
We all have our favorite brand of Mayonnaise. All you have to do is look at some of the comments on my blog post - What Mayonnaise Tastes Best to see how people react when it comes to this staple. And please go over and leave your comments.
Whether it's Hellman's, Kraft's Real Mayonnaise ...
Mise en placeI know what you are thinking,” I thought this was a culinary guide for novice cooks and now you are throwing some fancy French terminology at us.”
All mise en place, pronounced MEEZ ahn plahs, means is to have all your ingredients prepared and ready to go before you start cooking. Translated, “ to put in place.”
It’s kind of like when you go on a trip, fir...
Onions - Caramelizing OnionsCaramelizing Onions - (Or Is It)?
When I think of raw onion, I think of a punch of concentrated, peppery flavor. I think of watering eyes and harsh sulfur compounds. I think cold, crisp, crunchy and pungent. Caramelized onions are a whole other ballgame.
Caramelized onions are sweet and buttery, soft and kind of slippery. They are mellow and full of deep, rich, swee...
Onions - How to Cut an OnionHow to Cut an Onion
One of the most basic and fundamental tasks you will perform in the kitchen over and over again is cutting an onion.
There are so many recipes that call for diced, sliced and chopped onions. Think about how many times you cut an onion each week and you will understand why it is so important you learn how to do it safely and properly.
Below are ...
Pasta - How To Cook PastaMaking good pasta is easy, but to make great pasta.....
How Much Pasta Per Person
If you will be serving pasta as a main course with, say, a salad and some crusty bread, count on 4 ounces of pasta per diner. In other words, a one-pound box of dried pasta will serve four as a main course. If the pasta will be a side dish to a protein (think chicken Parmigiana), allow...
Pounding Chicken Breasts, Smashed Potatoes, Egg ExpirationI get email from you guys all the time asking me questions about various cooking topics. The questions come from all over and I do my best to answer them. If I can't give you a good response, I recruit the help of one of my many professional chef friends. Here are a few questions I bet many of you would like answers to.
Scallops - How to Cook ScallopsOkay, but scallops are small. How do you know when they're done? After all, overcooked is bad. Fortunately, the scallops can show us when they're done. As the proteins cook, they go turn from translucent to opaque. This is dramatically evident when cooking an egg--the whites turn from clear to white as the egg cooks.
Shrimp - How to Peel and Devein ShrimpIs there a better way to peel and devein shrimp?
Here is one way taught to me by a professional chef that I can recommend to you.
The easiest way I know to peel and devein shrimp is to buy them already done. The problem with that is
They cost more money
They are less protected against freezing
There are times when you just want the shell and tail left on especi...
Simple Brining Tips
Now I want to mention a few brining tips from his book that should be very helpful. By the way, this book is filled with tons of information and hundreds of recipes that will change the way you look at grilling and barbecuing.
Stirring - The Do's and Do nots of StirringThe Art of Stirring
Peter Hertzmann is the author of Knife Skills Illustrated, instructor at Sur La Table and owner of à la carte cooking website. You may have seen my interview with Peter on Novice2Pro Chef Interviews. His website is very informative with tons of articles, recipes and videos.
His video titled “Stirring Conclusions” struck me as interesting, be...
Sweating - How To Sweat VegetablesSweating is supposed to be something we do when we play sports. What in the world does it have to do with cooking?
Actually, there is somewhat of a parallel. When a person begins to exert themselves and their body temperature begins to go up, we sweat. Sweating is our body’s defense to overheating. Likewise, when we put some diced vegetables into a pan with a littl...
Who Is The Reluctant Gourmet? I'm a work-at-home dad who enjoys cooking, learning everything I can about the culinary world and sharing it with you. To learn more about me, click here. Lets Get Social!
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