When the weather turns hot, deciding what’s for dinner can leave you feeling completely cold and clueless. The problem may lie less with the weather and more with our mealtime “wardrobe.” Find out how to add a little “summer style” to make your mealtime lineup more appealing when the hot weather rolls in.
6 Healthy Cooking Building Blocks
Green Kitchen Tip: Use Citrus Bags for Herb Washing
Try to chop a waterlogged bunch of herbs and it turns into a mess of green slush. This trick spin dries herbs quickly–using citrus bags that would otherwise end up in the landfill!
Scrubbing Vegetables: “Veggie Scrub” Makes It Easier
Check out this great new 2-for-1 find: A vegetable scrubber + fresh herb colander for just $3.50 Although I'm a still big fan of my $2.50 nail scrubber from the cleaning supply store, I put the "Veggie Scrub" to the test on Jerusalem artichokes (also known as...
Make a Simple Salad Special
I just wanted to make an easy meal after a long day of gardening and computering. Just a little soup and salad–but we have no dressing. Was I going to have to futz and fuss with a homemade salad dressing before I could sit down and eat?
So That’s What They Mean by “Slow Cooking”
For years, I’ve known the rule for cooking tough meat cuts: low and slow. But in my hurry up world, I tried to do low on a gas stovetop that was calibrated for hot, fast cooking. My last batch of soup bones came out as tough as leather, even though I had cooked them on low. . . Patience and forethought came to my rescue
Using Herbs and Spices: More on Flavor Families
Here’s the great thing about herb and spice flavor families. Find one you like and you’ve got an easy springboard to creative fun, as in this recipe for Eggplant and Garbanzo Stew with Spicy Coriander Flavors.
Is it OK to use the garlic and ginger that comes in jars?
Those little jars of prepared garlic and ginger are so completely convenient! No fussing with paper-thin garlic peels, no paring gnarly knobs of ginger or endangering fingers on the ginger grater and no garlic-smelling hands for the rest of the night. But is it OK...
What to Do with Extra Eggplant?
Know how many pounds of eggplant are grown in China each year? A lot. That’s why Chinese cuisine is a good source of inspiration when facing a surfeit of eggplant.
Don’t Pitch that Browned Rice
“Browning” rice is not like “browning chicken breasts until golden,” or “toasting nuts until brown and fragrant.” No, it means forgetting about the rice simmering on the stove until a thick brown, hard crust forms on the bottom. But now there’s a new use for it–so don’t pitch it in the composter.
Mutant Produce Now Comes Complete with Stickers
Do you remember when you could buy a pear, wash it, then eat it? Not anymore. Mad scientists have successfully hybridized every last produce species. Shortly after harvest, fruits and vegetables now develop a brightly colored, impossibly sticky scab on the outer...
Food Safety: Why Don’t We Just Eat Peanut Butter?
With yet another food scare, maybe it’s time to start relying on our own wits to ensure the safety of what goes in our mouths. Here are some quick guidelines to begin regaining a sense of control and comfort when it comes to eating.
Comfort Stew: Beef Daube Provencal
A classic, no-fail stew. Make it in the slow cooker or on the stovetop, and learn several tricks for a more tender and tasty stew. Cooking School notes included as well as modifications.





