This coconut lime rice has a subtly sweet and nutty flavor from the coconut, well-balanced by the acidity of lime juice. I mix it with a healthy helping of fresh cilantro for added brightness. What I love about this rice is that it’s almost as fast as cooking plain white rice, but it stands on its own as a side dish with all of these additional flavor elements. Jasmine Rice Provides the Perfect Balance of Textures In testing, I found that basmati rice yielded a slightly drier texture than I preferred....

The act of getting the toppings on just right, without making a complete mess, was challenging. But we had such a feeling of accomplishment, keeping the mustard or ketchup inside of the bun instead of all over the floor. Of course, eating the hot dog was another matter. Hard to avoid that mess. ;-) My favorite topping, next to mustard of course, was sweet relish, which I would pile on with gusto....

This particular breakfast casserole is known as a strata. It’s in the same family as a quiche or frittata, with one little difference: You stir torn or cut pieces of bread into the beaten eggs before popping it into the oven to bake. Best Bread for Breakfast Casseroles You can use a fresh loaf of practically any crusty bread—Italian, levain, or baguette, for example. Or, make use of any slightly stale bits and bobs you find in your bread basket....

Enter Burrito Casserole: Seasoned rice, shredded chicken, beans, salsa verde, and cheese are layered in a casserole dish and baked until perfectly melty. Cut them into small, medium, or generous portions, and leftovers, if any, reheat beautifully. Serve Burrito Casserole with plenty of toppings—the usual suspects are sour cream, cilantro, shredded lettuce, avocados, tomatoes, and your favorite salsa. Get creative and serve the toppings on the side as a fun BYO (build-your-own) meal!...

It’s great for parties since you can make it ahead of time, and a good excuse to drink gin at brunch. What’s not to like? Why Is It Called a French 75? The French 75 first appeared in print in 1927 and was named for a field gun popular during World War I, supposedly because it packed a similar punch. The French 75 is not a particularly strong drink, but it’s so light and refreshing – with the herbal flavors of the gin and the grape flavors of the Champagne complementing one another so beautifully – that you might be tempted to finish yours very fast....

A bowl of fresh, sweet Northwest cherries is one of the true glories of summer. Once you’ve feasted on a bowlful (which we plan on doing quite frequently), you’ll want to seize the moment and preserve them to enjoy when cherry season is over. And what better way to continue celebrating cherries than with a simple compote featuring a hint of orange and balsamic vinegar? Spoon it over pancakes and waffles, make a breakfast yogurt parfait, or add it to your next cheese plate....

The Best Chocolate Brownie Recipe I have no doubt that this recipe came from the back of a box at some point, but I only have the small index card she wrote in her beautiful penmanship. It’s a simple formula: chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, all stirred together in one pot. Video: How to Make Fudgy Chocolate Brownies These brownies are fudge-like, dense, and very chocolaty. They’re also very sturdy, which makes them ideal to send to someone who needs some TLC or to take to a picnic or potluck....

This is not a bad problem to have. We may complain about the zucchini beast and her cousin the cucumber monster, but the chile plants? Uh uh. We roast and eat every one. Here’s my new favorite recipe for putting to good use garden or market green chiles—a green chile mac and cheese casserole, with corn. Yum! This is so good that even my friends who typically shy away from cheesy dishes asked for more....

Whether you want to round out your home bar or give a gift to someone you clearly treasure, making your own bitters is as easy as it is sexy and addictive. The Ingredients for Chocolate Bitters Most bitters recipes are a balance between bittering and flavoring agents. For today’s chocolate bitters, you’ll use gentian, wild cherry bark, and black walnut leaf to embitter your alcohol, while cacao nibs, cardamom, vanilla bean, and a cinnamon stick add the complexity, flavoring, and chocolate notes....

It’s perfect for practically any cake and any leftovers are great dolloped onto some freshly cut fruit. Video: How to Make Cream Cheese Frosting Swaps and Suggestions for Cream Cheese Frosting This is the basic recipe. You can reduce the amount of butter if you want a bit more tang, and increase or decrease the sugar according to your taste. Dress up with ginger, vanilla bean, or coconut flakes. Here are some fun variations!...

Savory with just the right amount of tartness, veggie dip is punctuated by fresh herbs and garlic. Think store-bought veggie platter dip, only ten times better. Serve it with crisp and colorful vegetables, like carrots, radishes, and cucumber. You can serve the dip immediately or, if you’re prepping ahead, store it tightly covered in the fridge for up to a day. It’ll keep for longer, but the fresh herbs will be at their best within 24 hours....

These are all excellent questions, dear reader. How Does Sous Vide Cooking Work? How does sous vide work, exactly? Well, an immersion circulator immersed in water creates an environment with a consistent temperature, which ensures consistent cooking results. It’s the equivalent to a slow, gentle poach that helps food retain its moisture, too. There’s a little bit of a learning curve with using this style of cooking, but it’s nothing to be too wary of....

Enter sous vide. It’s a cooking style that is known for its ability to keep cuts of meat, such as pork chops, moist and tender. It’s also a failsafe way to cook pork and guarantee it’s going to turn out spectacular. Every single time. Promise. How Does Sous Vide Work? How does this work, exactly? Well, sous vide cooking uses an immersion circulator to create a consistent temperature environment for cooking, and therefore, consistent cooking results....

My father’s method is simple, though not at all obvious by just looking at the pineapple. How to Properly Cut a Pineapple First you off the green spiky top. Then carefully cut the skin off the sides, as close to the edge of the pineapple as you can. The sweetest and juiciest parts of the pineapple were usually right at the very edge. Cutting close to the edge exposes a bunch of brown, scraggly dots, called eyes, that need to be removed....

Dinner rolls can either be frozen as unbaked balls of dough, or you can bake, cool, and then freeze them to reheat later. Each method has advantages as well as a few things to watch out for. Here’s what you need to know about freezing and baking dinner rolls. Wait, I Can Freeze Yeasted Rolls? The short answer is yes! While freezing and thawing does impact the yeast’s effectiveness every so slightly, there are tricks to limit the impact temperature changes can have on it....

That being said, a successful grilled fish is a goal within reach! Here are my tips to ensure your next grilled fish dinner has your guests asking for more. Grilling Prep Successful grilling starts with a well-prepared grill (and griller - that’s you!). Keep these three things in mind if you’re planning to grill fish: Preheat the grill for at least 15 minutes. When grilling fish, a preheat is more than necessary; it’s a critical step to preventing the fish’s flesh from sticking to the grates....