While perfectly cooked lobster may seem like something you can only order at fine dining restaurants, I want to show you how to cook a live lobster at home. Most kind lobsters are fairly easy to cook, and once you know how long to boil them and how to prep them for cooking, you shouldn’t …
Did you know that you could cook just about any vegetable in the microwave and have it come out tasting just as fresh and crunchy as if you steamed it? Microwaving your vegetables is a simple way to cook them simply, and you don’t have to sacrifice any texture or taste when you cook them …
I never considered cooking any kind of bacon in the oven until I read about someone else doing it online. After trying it out, I’ve become a convert, and I want to share with you how to cook turkey bacon in the oven perfectly. There are definitely some advantages to cooking turkey with this method. …
If you like how healthy oatmeal is but aren’t too crazy about the taste, then you may be interested to know about how to make plain oatmeal taste good. I know oatmeal is good for me, but the thought of having plain oatmeal for breakfast isn’t enough motivation to get me out of bed in …
How to Make Raspberry Jam Raspberry jam is a good one to start with if you haven’t made type of jam before. That’s because it is so quick and easy to put together. There’s a little bit of prep work that goes into making raspberry jam. It is best if you wash the raspberries …
You need to use the right kind of knife for cutting each type of meat. There is a specific kind of knife that works best for each meat type. With the right knife for steak cutting you’ll slice through the meat much faster and get a cleaner cut. It’s true of turkey as well and …
A seafood boil is great way to put a lot of seafood meats into the same dish quickly and easily without a lot of fuss. You can toss together lobster, crab, shrimp, and more in your seafood boil and cook them all at once. They will all combine nicely and can all cook in the …
I’m the kind of person who prefers stew beef cubes to a steak, and that’s primarily because of how versatile these cubes are. There are so many recipes that I can throw them into and make a quick meal that is different from the one I ate the day before. I want to share with …
Hash browns are the perfect addition to your breakfast or make a great meal on their own. I’m going to show you how to cook frozen hash browns at home so you can enjoy these tasty potato patties at any time. Hash browns are made from potatoes that have been cut and then reformed into …
I know more and more people are using rice cookers to make their rice, and I don’t blame them. It’s a lot faster and easier than cooking your rice the conventional way, in a pot on the stove. The rice cooker is specially designed to make rice in the simplest way possible. Best of all, …
Blueberry jam is a super simple topping to make that is so much better when you make it yourself. This is one of those foods that is often packed with additives in the store-bought version. There are so many preservatives and unnatural substances in the grocery version of blueberry jam that anyone trying to live …
It used to be very difficult to make ice cream at home, and it involved a lot of work. Most people wouldn’t bother to try making their own ice cream from raw ingredients, but it’s a lot easier these days thanks to electric ice cream makers. Once you know how to make homemade ice cream …
I am going to share with my recipe for how to make boba at home. Boba pearls are made from tapioca and a few other basic ingredients and often used in Chinese tea or South American dishes. Some people use boba pearls to make pudding, smoothies or taro milk tea. Once you know how to …
Are there certain vegetables your kids don’t like to eat? For a lot of parents, that veggie is mushrooms. I found that for every veggie that kids refuse to eat, there’s a way to fix it that most kids will absolutely love, and they will request that the food be fixed that way every time. …
To make succulent savoury fall off the bone ribs, it is going to take some work and some time. To slow cook baby back ribs in oven 200 degrees, you have to be prepared to be in it for the long haul. The Challenge and Rewards of Slow Cooking Ribs You can cook the ribs …
What’s broccoli rabe? It’s not actually broccoli, and if you didn’t know that already, it may come as a little bit of a shock. Broccoli rabe (pronounced like “rob”) is a green, leafy, cruciferous vegetable that has a bitter taste to it. You can use it in similar ways to kale, spinach, or other thin …
Bok choy is a staple of Chinese food. It’s crunchy texture, slightly better flavor, and varied nutrients make it a good addition to your stir fry. I want to share how to prepare bok choy in a number of ways to help you expand your at-home cooking possibilities. Depending on what you are making, the …
It is very important to have an incredibly sharp knife to work with in the kitchen. Well sharpened knives are more effective and easier to work with than dull ones. They are also safer to use, since sharp knives make your cuts slip less. If your knife is dull, it might slip as you try …
I love making cookies of all kinds for myself and for family members. They usually come out pretty good, but that wasn’t always the case. When I first started making cookies, a lot of times they would come out flat or burnt or overly crispy or even kind of greasy. I wondered what I was …
Have you ever tried blanching your vegetables? This is a method of heating and then freezing the vegetables that traps in their nutrients keeps them from degrading. It is very useful for anyone who is trying to freeze veggies and who wants them to stay fresh while in the freezer and while being stored over …
What do you do when you run out of cheese? Instead of running to the store to buy some more, why not make it at home on your own? Maybe the idea has never occurred and you don’t know how to make cheddar cheese, but once you learn how to make it, you might be …
Is there a more perfect simple dessert than ice cream? The sweet, creamy flavor and the refreshing coldness make for a beautiful combination. And then the fact that you can make ice cream in just about any flavor ensures that you’ll never run out of dessert options if you stick with ice cream. But there’s …
If you go to a county fair in the southern United States, you will find a wide selection of fried foods not found anywhere else. Some of these fried dishes have expanded beyond that area of the world, like fried okra, corn dogs, and funnel cake, but others have mostly been confined to a small …
If you’re like most people, you season ground beef by sprinkling some seasoning over the ground beef as it cooks. Most people don’t measure out how much seasoning they use with this method, nor do they season the food consistently. This works okay sometimes, making a surprisingly delicious beef dish from time to time. Other …
What makes eye of round steak stand out is how lean it is. In fact, it is one of the leanest steak cuts you can find, meaning it is healthier for you than most others. There is no need to trim the fat when the cut is already this lean. The low fat and low …
What is delicata squash? It’s a soft-fleshed squash that is versatile and rich in vitamins. You can most often find it at the grocery or the market during the winter, as that is when it is harvested, and it belongs to the same family of summer squash as zucchini, pattypan, and yellow crookneck squash. Because …
Why make pizza in the air fryer? There are a few good reasons. First of all, the air fryer is considered healthier than deep frying. There is a lot less oil involved, so you get fewer calories and less artery-clogging fat. It’s simply better for you. The other reason I want to share with you …
The flat iron steak gets its name from the fact that it is shaped like a traditional flat iron. This thin cut of beef comes from the shoulder of the cow, one of two parts of meat that are cut from the shoulder. The other piece of meat that is cut from there is the …
Did you know that you can cook a sweet potato in the microwave? This method is much faster than baking in the oven or roasting, and it produces some very similar results. I like to microwave sweet potatoes and white potatoes when I am short on time. You get a different texture than if you …
We are probably all familiar with stiffed chicken breasts. That’s a common holiday dish that always delights, but have you ever heard of stuffed pork chops? This one was a new dish for me not long ago, but I immediately got excited about the idea. The notion of sweet pork meat being stuffed with cheese, …
Proper freezer storage is vital if you are going to preserve food well. If your freezer storage container is made of low quality materials or is not airtight, then it won’t keep food fresh and safe. You may go to defrost your food from the freezer and find that it has freezer burn or has …
There are certain species that you will use more often than others. These are versatile spices and seasonings that can be used in a variety of dishes, so it makes sense to always have them on hand. When you ensure that you have certain species in your kitchen ant all times, you will be able …
Buffalo chicken wings are one of the most popular appetisers in the country, thanks to their incredible flavour, slightly spicy kick, and juiciness. You can find buffalo wings being served at most football games and any respectable restaurant that serves burgers. Buffalo wings are a party favourite, and even people who don’t like spicy foods …
Potato Kugel is a traditional Yiddish dish that wasn’t originally made with potatoes at all. It started as a pudding, really, made with noodles, bread dumplings and rice. Those who have made kugel before probably baked it in an oven, but this dish started as a steamed food, mostly because ovens weren’t widely available in …
Have you ever noticed a lumpy, oblong-shaped fruit with pointy ends in the produce section of your grocery? You might have had a peek at the bitter melon, also known by the name bitter gourd. It’s actually a close relation to the cucumber, pumpkin, squash, and zucchini families. It may look different depending on which …
Russians love their bread, and they have a special kind of bread that a lot of the world doesn’t even know about. That’s Russian black bread, which is really more brown than black, but that’s not important. What is important is that this is a rich and flavourful bread that will definitely change up the …
Have you ever tried to make your own pasta dough at home from scratch? It may not be the easiest thing, and you might be tempted to just buy pasta from the store after you try to make pasta on your own, but there are definitely some benefits. You can make pasta out of any …
Sometimes, I will do something very unhealthy and sit in my bed watching Netflix while snacking on a bowl of Cheetos. The Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are my favourites. I love the kick that they have, putting just enough spicy flavour in my mouth to make them exciting to eat. I’m not one for very spicy …
I need my cup of coffee in the morning to boost my energy levels and wake me all the way up, and I know a lot of other people feel the same way. Some people need a couple cups in the morning just to get started, but I don’t have it that bad, yet. I …
In-N-Out has a very small menu but is known around the country for their animal style fries. It’s pretty amazing that a fast food joint with so few choices does do well and has such a great reputation. I guess it is a case of making what you know and getting really good at it. …
I know that to some people, each kind of cooking oil is interchangeable. One seems just as good as another, but substituting one for the other doesn’t always work out well. I know some people are curious about when cooking, can you substitute coconut oil for olive oil vs canola oil? All of these different …
Turkey burgers are the leaner, healthier (and some would say tastier) burger patties. They are a better choice for those of us who like to indulge our cravings for burgers far too often. Instead of stopping by the fast food restaurant to grab a greasy, artery-clogging cheeseburger, we can make up a turkey burger patty …
Guava paste is a common Latin American condiment, used in a lot of different ways, but it’s not as familiar to us in the United States. I came across some in a gift basket I received not that long ago and wasn’t entirely sure what to do with it, and you may have had a …
I think the sweet potato gets overlooked sometimes and is considered a not quite standard potato. The slow roasted baked potato is a favourite for family dinners, as it shows effort was put into the meal and honestly tastes amazing. The slow roasting creates a delicate texture and brings out all of the lovely flavours, …
Can anything really top the gooey, chocolatey goodness of chocolate chip cookies? I don’t think so, and this cookie is a staple of many a picnic, sporting event, cookout, and school lunch. It’s the dessert we all have in common- popular among kids and adults both. If you have ever made chocolate chip cookies, then …
I love pizza as much as the next person, but I know how unhealthy it can be. Even homemade pizza can be oily and loaded with carbs, so I feel like I need to balance it out with something healthy. Instead of loading up the dinner table with buffalo wings, fries, or cheese sticks to …
One of the most respected and well-known cooks in the world is Ina Garten, known more widely as Barefoot Contessa. She has her own series of cookbooks, a television show, and a large following online. People often come to her first as a source of advice for how to make foods they have never tried …
Have you ever tasted juicy tender chicken breasts and wondered how they turned out so succulent? I was always asking other people what their secrets were for making food taste a certain way when I first started cooking. I still do that, and I learned some good tricks and tips on how to make chicken …
Piri Piri chicken is a traditional Portuguese food that isn’t very common in the United States. There is a chain of restaurants called Nando’s that serves Piri Piri chicken as its signature dish. You won’t find these restaurants all over the states, though. They are only located in Chicago and Washington, DC. You may not …
If you have never made cheese quesadillas before, you might be surprised at how easy they are to make. The trickiest part, really, is just getting the right cooking equipment for it. Flipping the quesadilla over while it is cooking can be tricky as well, but I will get to how to do that later …