I’m a recent convert from skillet bacon to oven bacon. The reason is that the oven makes multitasking easier. Multitasking on the weekend means bonus Eggs Benedict, sourdough pancakes, or a Pullman loaf. The idea isn’t new, but there are…
Author: mike
Steel-cut oats in a rice cooker
Someone like me benefits the most from a thoughtfully planned breakfast. The alternatives often are granola bars and cold cereal. I never find those satisfying. Steel-cut oats are satisfying. However, cooking them on the stove is impractical. I don’t know…
Uses for a kitchen scale
Many exist. For all those reasons I recommend home cooks buy a scale. This holds for beginners especially. Some writers are passionate about scales to the point of posting a manifesto. Instead I’ll provide a few examples and none of the…
The Arnold Palmer
I finally got around to watching a “30 for 30” short on the iconic drink. It’s worth a few minutes. As I can’t get the video to embed, here’s the link. My favorite parts are the Dave Arnold segments. He’s…
Anise seed popcorn
I kicked off the blog with a post on thyme salt brussels sprout chips. The trick was to grind the thyme to a powder so that it would be light enough to stick to the chips. I borrowed this solution from an…
Smoked paprika chicken soup
Until recently brothy soups escaped me. During the “Snowpocalypse” I finally figured one out. The idea that had eluded me was the balance between a strong stock and aromatic vegetables and other aromatic ingredients (e.g. herbs and spices). In the…
Olive oil infusions
Good cooking requires transfer of flavors and aromas. A soup without transfers is just hot water and floating vegetables. One way to transfer flavors is to add that ingredient directly to the dish, as in adding fermented shrimp paste to…
Animal slaughters
Every now and then my wife and I talk about our future home. Recently we added a chicken coop to the imaginary layout. My wife likes the idea of freshly-laid eggs. I know raising chickens will also involve harvesting their…
January cooking
I always wonder what food blogger home cooking really looks like. I figure some of you think like me. So here are a few of my recent home-cooked meals.
Leftover tomato sauce
When I’m organized I cook tomato sauce ahead of time. It’s insurance against too-busy-to-cook nights. It’s amenable to small portions and saucing pasta practice. The general principle is disaggregating cooking. The more cooking I’ve put in the fridge, the easier…