Technique, substitutions, seasoning, heat control and fixing everyday meals when something goes wrong.
Home cooking centered on understanding what happened, not just replacing the recipe. Equipment, ingredients and taste can lead to several equally good solutions.
I want deeply browned mushrooms, but mine dump water into the skillet and simmer sadly until dinner is almost ready. I usually crowd them because it seems wasteful to cook in batches. I'm trying a wider stainless pan, hi...
My roasted potatoes either brown beautifully while staying slightly undercooked in the middle, or become tender and dry before the edges get crisp. I'm cutting them into uneven chunks, which probably isn't helping. I'm g...
After searing lean meat I sometimes have great fond but almost no fat. I usually add a little butter, soften shallot, then deglaze. Is there any reason not to deglaze first and add butter at the end, apart from needing s...
It's a pasta night and the fridge contains no cream or parmesan. I do have garlic, olive oil, canned tomatoes, a lemon and a few herbs. Instead of treating it as an emergency, I'm thinking of a simple glossy sauce using...
Leftover pizza at work, no oven and only a microwave plus a small stovetop. The microwave gives me hot rubbery crust; I miss the crisp bottom. At home I've had luck warming slices in a covered skillet over low heat, then...
I want lentils for a cold salad with vegetables and vinaigrette, not a pot of soup. My last batch turned soft enough to collapse when I stirred it. I used ordinary brown lentils and boiled them vigorously while cooking o...
When I cook frozen fish after thawing it, I keep getting enough water in the pan that it steams instead of browning. I thaw it in the fridge and pat the surface dry, but I suspect it is still releasing a lot of moisture....
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