These days, electric kettles come with updated features for safety and convenience, like expanded water capacity, automatic shutoff, and the ability to detach from the electric base while pouring. We sent our top picks to our home tester to determine which ones on the market perform best. She looked for attributes like speed to reach the boiling point, how the kettle poured, and how long the water stayed hot. She also made note of each kettle’s durability, cost value, design (yes, aesthetics matter!...

While consideration of options is important, it is also paramount to understand how to care for your knives once you decide what to buy. Some descriptions may say “dishwasher safe,” but like most chefs and avid home cooks will advise, handwashing knives will help them stay sharp and attractive longer. Dishwashers use high-powered spray, steam, and uniform baskets to clean cutlery. Sharp blades can be jostled against each other, opening the blade for rust and corrosion....

If you struggle to make rice or haven’t strayed far from pre-cooked bags of microwaveable rice, a rice cooker may be right for you. You can also use your rice cooker to make a variety of one-pot meals and side dishes, such as steamed vegetables, soup, porridge, risotto, and more. But there are a lot of options out there. To make the buying process easier, our editors took home some of the top rice cookers on the market and put them to the test....

If you don’t have sour cream, here are 5 quick and easy substitutes that’ll do the job, including a solid non-dairy sour cream substitute. What Is Sour Cream? Sour cream is a dairy product made by fermenting regular cream. When lactic acid is added to cream, it results in a thick and creamy ingredient that’s as rich as regular cream but also pleasantly tart. Sour cream’s rich flavor and texture is welcomed as a condiment in baked potatoes, soups, and chili, as well as an addition to dips and classic dishes like beef stroganoff, potato salad, and deviled eggs....

Do you ever cook with tomatillos? They look like smallish green tomatoes, and are even called “tomate verde” in Mexico, and are used for making salsa verde and chile verde. Why Roast Tomatillos Tomatillos are typically boiled with some chiles to make the green salsa. But roasting them, as I’ve done in this recipe, will bring out more flavor. If you don’t have access to fresh tomatillos, you can use canned salsa verde for the sauce (sort of like using canned tomatoes versus fresh)....

The Original Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe Tetrazzini is thought to have been originated in San Francisco, named after a famous opera singer of the early 1900s—Luisa Tetrazzini—who lived there for many years. To my mother, however, turkey Tetrazzini is just another way of saying turkey casserole. In her opinion casseroles are passé; she hasn’t made one in twenty years. (Note to readers: my mother is anything but a snob, although she can sound like one at times....

But Fahr, a recipe developer and writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Serious Eats, and Taste, isn’t out to reinvent the wheel. Rather, her recipes are designed to help burgeoning home cooks develop skills that are practical and get dinner on the table before midnight. “You want things to be different and interesting in a way that’s not boring to people, but I want it to fit into their lives seamlessly, not be like, ‘Oh my God, I have to learn this new thing....

Here’s a quick and easy zucchini fritter recipe that’s perfect for a side or snack. How to Make Zucchini Fritters This recipe uses a simple batter of zucchini, egg, flour, green onions, herbs and lemon. You gently fry the fritters in hot oil until lightly browned on both sides. We’re making a sour cream dipping sauce with lemon and garlic, or you could skip that and just serve with a dollop of yogurt....

The key is to pick the right type of dinner recipe and upping the amount you make. Do that and you can get leftovers into lunch containers before the dinner dishes are done. Here are a few tips for packing up leftovers: Invest in a sturdy thermos that keeps hot food hot. The old-school Thermos brand is a reliable option. Heat soup, chili, or any food that you want to keep warm until piping hot....

Each one of these recipes takes as little as five minutes to prepare for the freezer—10 minutes at most! Commit less than an hour on a Sunday and you will have four main courses ready when you need them. One Basic Recipe, Four Easy Variations These skillet chicken freezer meals start with the same basic concept: chicken frozen with a marinade, then cooked with a vegetable or two. But each has their own blend of spices and seasonings that make it unique and give you some variety during the week....

In the menu below, you’ll find five dinner recipes that offer something a little different on the culinary front. This week you’ll be grilling fish and experimenting with Asian and Middle Eastern flavors. We’ll also be pushing you out of your comfort zone (that is if you’ve never made Cornish game hens), since we’ve got a spatchcocked version under a brick, ON YOUR GRILL. If you’re not that comfortable on the grill, don’t worry we have a few tips to turn you into a master griller!...

Most folks follow the directions for roasting the chicken pieces in the oven and heating the sauce in the microwave before tossing the two together (the package also includes directions for pan frying the chicken). But devotees will tell you the real joy of Trader Joe’s most popular item comes in upgrading this beloved basic. We scoured the web and brought you 5 of the best glow ups for this popular freezer find....

Ordering takeout is certainly no moral failing, but the takeout where my family lives is not good. After browsing a few uninspired online menus, we pushed through and cooked a simple pasta dinner that easily outdid anything we could have ordered. Plus, it was ready in about the same amount of time it would have taken to go pick it up and drive home. These minimalist recipes are made for just those occasions....

Chicken groundnut stew is, in various forms, common all over West Africa, and this is my version, inspired by my colleagues at UW. Video: How to Make African Peanut Stew The best way to make this stew is with two whole stewing hens—older chickens available at Asian and Latin markets. You start by simmering the birds to make stock, which then becomes the base of the stew, and then you use the meat from the hens....

Achieving that crisp exterior and fluffy interior takes less time in the air fryer, meaning dinner comes together quicker. It also clears up space in the oven for other dishes and is a fantastic option for warmer days when turning on the oven is less than ideal. Oven Or Air Fryer: Which Makes The Best Baked Potato? To really examine the differences, I made one baked potato in the air fryer and one in the oven and noticed several advantages with the air fryer....

Okra is capable of so many things, and when handled right, it can be slime-free and sublime. Before any of us write it off for good, let’s learn how to treat it better. There’s an okra preparation for everyone; if anything, you just haven’t found the right one yet! This guide is for the lovers and the haters. Here’s what you need to know to help okra reach its full potential....

Arepas can be grilled or fried, stuffed or served plain, savory or sweet, big or small, and every region of the country seems to have a specialty. Arepas con queso—with cheese—are perhaps one of the most basic yet delicious versions. They are a blank canvas for adding toppings and fillings, though they are scrumptious with just some butter slathered on top. The Many Kinds of Colombian Arepas Colombian chef and book author Carlos Gaviria estimates that there are more than 55 different types of arepas in Colombia....

Baharat means “spices” in Arabic, and refers to the combination of warm, earthy spices used in the blend. There isn’t a set recipe for baharat; it differs from household to household and brand to brand! What is Baharat? Baharat is a spice that earns its everyday reliability as it works in both sweet and savory dishes, providing a balance of earthy and warm tones as a base. As Adeena Sussman writes in her cookbook “Sababa,” baharat is made of many warming baking spices—think cinnamon, clove and allspice—and balanced with earthy black pepper and cardamon....

You’ve most likely seen this delicious dessert on restaurant menus—I always order it. It’s a classic American dessert that originated in New Orleans. I always serve mine with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream to deliver on its delightful sweetness and restaurant-quality drama. The (Simple) Magic of Bananas Foster Bananas foster may look intimidating, but it’s SO simple! First, make the sauce by caramelizing butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon....