Published in Kitchen Tales·Dec 8, 2021Member-onlyThe Flavor of an Onion. There’s More to Learn Than You Think!Onions are part of the allium family along with garlic, leeks, and shallots. They have a potent, sulfury flavor that makes them unpleasant when eaten like an apple. But it’s also what keeps away wascally wabbits, and other animals that might eat them. But lucky us, we know how to…Cooking4 min readCooking4 min read
Published in Kitchen Tales·Nov 14, 2021Member-onlyWhy You Should Make Dukkah And How To Do It!It’s the perfect way to add aromatic flavor and crunch to just about any dish — Quick pickles, garlic confit, caramelized onions, and chili oil, are some of my favorite flavor bombs*. What are flavor bombs? They’re “condiments” that are…you guessed it…big on flavor! And having jars of them in your fridge makes weeknight dinners a breeze. …Cooking5 min readCooking5 min read
Published in Kitchen Tales·Nov 8, 2021Member-onlyWhy You Should Cook Pasta in Less WaterWhen making pasta, we’ve all read the instructions: “Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.” Everything I’ve always heard about cooking pasta is that you must use a large amount of boiling water. But why? If you don’t, the pasta will stick together and turn gummy…right? Nope. Like most…Cooking4 min readCooking4 min read
Published in Kitchen Tales·Oct 19, 2021Member-only3 Ways to Prevent Dry EggsIsn’t it crazy that eggs go from liquid to solid just by applying heat? 🤯 — Do you like your scrambled eggs so smooth they’re practically a sauce? Or do you prefer them to be large fluffy clouds? Are you a folded omelet fan or like it rolled? Do you like the top of your frittatas browned or would rather skip that crust? Whichever way you…Cooking4 min readCooking4 min read
Published in The CookBook for all·Sep 27, 2021Member-onlyHow to Start Cooking with AnchoviesDid I lose you already? 😬 I used to be afraid of anchovies (and honestly still am a little 😰). And if you watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid, you probably have the same fear. But Michelangelo lied to us! It’s not just the bad guys that eat…Fish4 min readFish4 min read
Published in Kitchen Tales·Sep 26, 2021Member-only🧂 It’s about how you use it. Not how much you use.Salt is the building block of flavor. Which is funny because salt doesn’t have a flavor. But it does enhance the flavors around it. Salted cucumbers taste fresher. Bitter dark chocolate tastes sweeter with flaky sea salt. Meat has more umami when it’s been salted in advance. So salt makes…Cooking4 min readCooking4 min read
Published in Kitchen Tales·Jul 24, 2021Member-onlyHere’s the Perfect Way to Caramelize OnionsJust kidding. There really isn’t a perfect way. Like anything in cooking, the perfect way to caramelize onions is the way that works for you. Today, I’m going to focus more on the factors that impact the process than I am on the specific steps you should take. There are…Cooking6 min readCooking6 min read
Published in The CookBook for all·Jul 11, 2021Member-only🌶 The Mystic Art of Dried PeppersDried chile peppers are intimidating. They’re leathery, shriveled, and all entangled together. In fact, they look like they belong on a witch’s shelf because they might poison you. 🧙♀️ Kind of scary, right? But I’m going to give you a quick pep(per) talk! 📣 Dried chile peppers are a flavor…Cooking5 min readCooking5 min read
Published in The CookBook for all·Jun 17, 2021Member-only🍲 3 Factors that Affect How Beans CookWhen I take the time to cook dried beans, I’m never disappointed. But dried beans are finicky. You need to soak them to reduce the amount of time they take to cook. You have to cook them at a low simmer, so they don’t disintegrate. And there are certain factors…Cooking4 min readCooking4 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jun 3, 2021Member-only🍞 What Toast Teaches Us About Cooking Without RecipesOne of my goals with writing is to make people feel comfortable cooking without a recipe. And coming up with a dish on the fly can be intimidating. But even if you’ve never cooked without a recipe before, you at least have toast! Whether you call it bruschetta, crostini, molletes…Cooking4 min readCooking4 min read
