kitchen basics – In Good Taste

Kitchen Tip: Pantry Basics

Maris Callahan — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:23:13 +0000

Stocking your kitchen with pantry basics is not an easy task, especially if you’re still in the apartment rental stage in your life where you move every couple of years. Every time I’ve ever moved into a new apartment, I’ve accompanied the move with a rather pricey grocery shop because I was never properly stocking my kitchen with pantry basics. When you move from one apartment to the other, even if you try hard to take your non-perishables with you, you will still have plenty on your shopping list. If you’re moving into your first place, your list will be even longer. And finally, if you aren’t moving but have decided to do something about the embarrassingly bare cupboards in your kitchen, you will definitely have your work cut out for you. Stock your pantry with the basics first, the extras second. So you might be wondering now: what are pantry basics? Do I mean things like cereal, frozen bagels and Lean Cuisines? Absolutely not. If you don’t like to cook, those might be your pantry basics. But if you don’t like to cook or even want to learn, you probably wouldn’t be reading this in the first place. Pantry basics, […]

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Kitchen Tip: Knife Skills

Maris Callahan — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Every budding chef needs a chef’s knife, which has a broad, tapered shape and a fine sharp edge. Every chef also needs to learn a few basic knife skills (are you thinking about the scene in Julie & Julia where Julia Child was chopping piles of onions?). Chefs knives are designed so they rock on a cutting board as they cut food. A dull knife is more likely to slip during cutting, putting your hands and fingers at risk of accidental injury. A razor-sharp knives make cooking a far easier, quicker task and can help make your food look more visually appealing. You can cut perfect cubes, ribbon-thin julienne vegetables and perfect minces; no more unwieldy chunks of onion in your favorite marinara sauce. Here are a few knife skills basics to get you started. Use sharp knives If you’re sharpening your own knives at home, you can use whetsone or a steel rod to refresh your blades. Also, most kitchen stores offer knife sharpening services that will do it for you for a small cost. No matter how you decide to sharpen your knife, it’s important to start with the right blade. According to our friends at Fine Cooking, one size does not […]

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