My family loves hard-boiled eggs; however, I don’t cook them well. I either overcook or undercook them, but I never get them just right. Is there a way to cook a hard-boiled egg perfectly?
Ah, a perfectly cooked hard-boiled egg – with a tender yolk cooked just until it's done all the way through, but not until that nasty grayish-green ring appears around it. And if you're lucky – or you read the trick at the end – the yolk is nicely centered, which makes sliced eggs sturdier and prettier and deviled eggs so much easier to fill. It must
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Fresh vs. Dried Herbs
by TT on February 7th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
I know that fresh herbs impart better flavor than dried. However, I have a limited amount of window space for growing herbs. Are there certain herbs that are better when used fresh, or oppositely are there herbs that are more acceptable in dried form?
Fresh herbs aren't always preferable to their dried counterparts. Some, like oregano, are often better dried. (There are many different varieties of oregano. The one I planted years ago I didn't realize is virtually tasteless, but the flowers are pretty and the bees love it, so it maintains a place in my garden.) Bay leaves are
Fresh herbs aren't always preferable to their dried counterparts. Some, like oregano, are often better dried. (There are many different varieties of oregano. The one I planted years ago I didn't realize is virtually tasteless, but the flowers are pretty and the bees love it, so it maintains a place in my garden.) Bay leaves are
Cake Flour
by Elizabeth Skipper on January 24th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
I've been using cake flour for pasta dough lately, but it always seems to come out too sticky. Is it something to do with the wet weather we've been having, or should I go back to all-purpose flour?
Wet weather will somewhat influence how much moisture flour will absorb, but that's not the problem here. Trying to substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour is the culprit, no question.
The first thing you'll notice when substituting cake flour for all-purpose is how much less liquid it absorbs. If you use the amount your recipe usually calls for, you'll be surprised to find
Wet weather will somewhat influence how much moisture flour will absorb, but that's not the problem here. Trying to substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour is the culprit, no question.
The first thing you'll notice when substituting cake flour for all-purpose is how much less liquid it absorbs. If you use the amount your recipe usually calls for, you'll be surprised to find
Eliminating Butter?
by Elizabeth Skipper on January 10th, 2012 | Ask the Chef
With the start of a new year I am trying to eat healthier foods. I would like to reduce the amount of butter I use in cooking, but I am worried that I will lose lots of flavor. How can I make food taste great, like a baked sweet potato or creamy polenta, without using butter?
Butter, being 80% fat, is a wonderful carrier for flavor. That's why we love it on foods like baked potatoes, steamed vegetables, and hot toast, biscuits, toast or polenta.
One way to maximize flavor while minimizing fat is to caramelize the food in some way.
Butter, being 80% fat, is a wonderful carrier for flavor. That's why we love it on foods like baked potatoes, steamed vegetables, and hot toast, biscuits, toast or polenta.
One way to maximize flavor while minimizing fat is to caramelize the food in some way.
Confit
by Elizabeth Skipper on December 27th, 2011 | Ask the Chef
I’ve been reading a lot about meats that are cooked in a confit style. What does confit mean?
In its simplest terms, confit means meat that has been preserved by cooking and storing in fat, usually its own. The word comes from the French word "confire" which means to conserve. ("Confiture" is the French word for jams, jellies, and the like, just as English uses the word "preserves" for fruits prepared for long-term storage.)
In the days before refrigeration, other methods were required to store food, including salting, drying, fermenting, and preserving in fat. Nowadays we use these methods more for
In its simplest terms, confit means meat that has been preserved by cooking and storing in fat, usually its own. The word comes from the French word "confire" which means to conserve. ("Confiture" is the French word for jams, jellies, and the like, just as English uses the word "preserves" for fruits prepared for long-term storage.)
In the days before refrigeration, other methods were required to store food, including salting, drying, fermenting, and preserving in fat. Nowadays we use these methods more for
