Tips for Grilling with Fruitwood & Charcoal We received a lot of questions about using charcoal, wood chips and wood chunks. I prefer to use natural hardwood charcoal, lit in a charcoal chimney without lighter fluid. I use fruitwood, such as cherry or apple, when grilling or smoking chicken, fish or fruit. Soak wood chips… Read More →
The Best Way to Start a Charcoal Grill Put down the lighter fluid. Using a chimney is the easiest and best way to light charcoal, without any toxic fumes or unpleasant flavors. All you need to do stuff some newspaper underneath the chimney, then fill it with natural hardwood charcoal. Light the paper in several… Read More →
What’s the easiest way to peel fresh ginger? The best tool for prepping ginger is something I guarantee you have in your kitchen cabinet: a spoon. Because the irregular-shaped root has thin, delicate skin, a spoon can easily scrape it away without much waste. It’s also much easier to get into all of the nooks and crannies… Read More →
Make Whipped Cream from Scratch, It’s Easy Canned whipped cream doesn’t even compare to freshly whipped cream. It’s so easy to make, and in my opinion, the best way to top off my favorite dessert—key lime pie. Really, the only mistake you can make is over beating it and turning your cream into butter. When making whipped cream, it’s… Read More →
The holidays are a time for celebrating food, reliving fond memories next to a roaring fire and perhaps trying on new traditions for the future. While plenty of ink has been spilled about holiday recipes and tips, there’s still a lot of confusion in the air. Andrew took to Twitter for a Q+A session to… Read More →
Deep Fry Like a Pro The word ‘fried’ is one of the most maligned terms in the kitchen. There’s no denying that fried foods aren’t the healthiest thing you can put in your mouth. But let’s face it, we’re pleasure seekers at heart and a little fried food every now and again is soul satisfying.… Read More →
7 Ways to Hone Your Cooking Skills I sit down with Disruption Mag to discuss seven things that’ll change the way you think about cooking, from tasting your food at every stage of the process to practicing the correct ways to cut your ingredients. For more, visit disruptionmag.com.
Wok Cooking Essentials Wok cooking is intimidating, but it’s the most versatile and handy tool in your kitchen. It can braise, fry, sauté, and even make a handy smoker (I use one of my woks fitted with a small inset grate to tea smoke duck and squab all the time). Because of its unique shape,… Read More →
4 Rules for Better Braising Everyone loves to braise, and the mythology indicates that it’s easy, but it’s not—it’s simple (and there is a difference). But for everyone who thinks that braising is forgiving, I would remind you of the last dried-out pot roast you’ve eaten. Here are some handy tips for braising. Brown well.… Read More →
Partners. Be aware of what you cook tomatoes with. The high acid content of the tomato slows down the cooking process of some other foods. Dried beans cooked with tomatoes can take up to twenty percent more cooking time than beans without tomatoes. If you have some unusually highly acidic tomatoes and you want a… Read More →
Cooking Pasta in My Kitchen Everyone loves a good noodle. It’s a quick, easy and economical way to eat. It can also be as elegant as you care to make it, and is universally beloved in every country I can think of. These are some fun tips to keep in mind next time you are… Read More →
Don’t Forget the Oil Spray oil is really handy for both cleaning your grill and for applying a thin coat of oil to the grill grates before you put a piece of fish or chicken down. I use PAM Cooking Spray or canola oil all of the time when I’m grilling. I usually give a… Read More →
Up Your Burger Game The hamburger is a cultural constant in this country, the most iconic of American foods that defines us in many ways. It’s proletariat, it’s a kids meal, it’s high-end luxury food. And it’s one of my favorite things to eat. Now that summer is in full swing, it’s time to perfect… Read More →
