Salt and (good) pepper can get you pretty far in your cooking, but true grown-up cooks use an arsenal of herbs and spices to flavor their meals. How you stock your spice cabinet will depend on the type of cuisine you want to enjoy—a “basic” Anglo sp…
Lees meerThroughout the culinary kingdom, there are many foods that pair famously well, with salt and pepper being perhaps the most iconic. These two grace nearly every dish, every recipe, every dining room table, and every restaurant table. But the two play…
Lees meerI’m not being hyperbolic when I say salt is the most important seasoning of all time. It makes things taste salty, sure, but it also makes things taste like better versions the themselves, and more importantly, salt is a powerful preservative and na…
Lees meerIn all my years writing about “food hacks,” there is one that I wish I could eradicate from the internet entirely. It’s the ol’ “Check How Done Your Steak Is by Touching Parts of Your Palm” trick, and it sucks, man. Thermometers are right there, and…
Lees meerBelieve it or not, adding a pinch of this, a handful of that, and a dash of “the good stuff” all counts as “measuring” your food; even if the unit of measurement is unique to you. There’s nothing wrong with spontaneously exploring flavors and ingred…
Lees meerHaving a quality knife you can depend on is only half of the cutting equation. A knife needs to be maintained with honing and sharpening, but knife care extends to the cutting board. Cutting boards provide you with a large, stable surface for slicin…
Lees meerBuilding your official grown-up kitchen involves selecting big ticket items–cast iron skillets, stainless steel pans, and a set of knives you treat like family–but don’t forget about the little guys. Your utensil holder (that big cylinder from IKEA …
Lees meerYou’ve finally invested in a few high quality knives. You won’t regret it. Not only will a good knife make cutting easier, but the materials used will ensure your knives stay sharper for longer. (Unlike the set of knives in the molded plastic box th…
Lees meerKnife blocks seem like a great idea at first. You assume there are a variety of useful knives in there, and you get a whole row of steak knives for one low price. You may not eat steak that often, and never with seven other people, but who can say “…
Lees meerWhether you have no interest in baking, or can’t wait to get your oven mitts dirty, you’re going to need some solid baking gear. There’s a huge range of fancy and fascinating tools, but most of it is only necessary if you plan on making a specific g…
Lees meerNonstick cookware makes cooking easier, but it doesn’t necessarily make cooking better. It doesn’t sear as well as cast iron or stainless steel, its finicky finish is at odds with both the dishwasher and metal utensils, and Teflon has a reputation f…
Lees meerStainless steel cookware is the journeyman of the kitchen. It quietly and competently does its job, without the need for pampering (like cast iron) or any public drama (like Teflon-coated nonstick). If cast iron is a flashy Leo who lives for praise,…
Lees meerPeople love to get weird about cast iron pans. Some fear them, some fetishize them, but everyone has an opinion about them. Be not afraid: Cast iron is cheap and hard to permanently damage beyond repair. With a little know-how and a reasonable amoun…
Lees meerHello, and welcome to The Grown-up Kitchen. While Allie and I usually focus on helping people cook better, smarter, and faster through tips, tricks, and (of course) hacks, we’re getting back to basics here, and giving true culinary beginners the att…
Lees meerIf you’re looking for the Connections answer for Friday, October 13, 2023, read on—I’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solutions to all four categories. Beware, there are spoilers below for October 13, NYT Connections #124! …
Lees meerIn this homecoming game, Penn State’s Nittany Lions are hosting Umass’ Minutemen in a cross-conference game. This is only the second time these teams have ever faced each other, and it seems tailor made for returning alumni who want to see Penn dest…
Lees meerThe imaginatively named Utah Utes are hosting the California Golden Bears this weekend at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Both teams are coming from losses last week with scores that highlight each team’s strength—Cal went down 52-40 and Utah…
Lees meerUggs are ubiquitous in the winter, though they cycle from being actually-trendy to ironic-trendy and back again pretty regularly. Regardless, the sheepskin boots and slippers are a staple—albeit one that gets pretty dirty in all the slush and salt. …
Lees meerThere was a time, not long ago, when I thought the concept of a smart diffuser was like giving a fish a bicycle. Why does a diffuser need to be smart? Well, after trying out the Pura 4 Smart Diffuser, now I know. (But if you read this review and sti…
Lees meerThe concept of finding a hack that makes your life easier or cheaper is especially tempting when it comes to cleaning your house—and TikTok is full of such advice. But many of the cleaning “hacks” you find there feature superficial results, basic mi…
Lees meerI can say without fear of contradiction that this Saturday’s game between USC and Notre Dame will be the most dramatic football contest since Knute Rockne’s inspirational “win one for the Gipper” halftime speech in 1928.Read more...
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