Thomas Keller is most known for his landmark 3 Michelin star restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California. French Laundry food is famously exquisite, requiring an insane amount of preparation for each dish. For those patrons who want the Keller touch without the fuss, he has another restaurant in the area, ad hoc, which is known for its home cooking, done incredibly well. Out of the restaurant came the cookbook, Ad Hoc at Home which made its way to our home a while back and into my father’s hands....

Growing up, I saw the Rusty Nail as a fixture at the poker table where my uncles, grandfathers, and their friends would gather. Enjoyed over ice, this boozy cocktail was served strong and only in the evening hours. I’d argue it still makes for a great wind-down drink. With its smoky scotch base, sweetened slightly with Drambuie—a scotch-based liqueur with a strong spiced honey flavor which also boasts an ABV of 40% (the same percentage as most liquors)—the Rusty Nail is best enjoyed over ice, sipped slowly to curb its boozy punch....

This Seville Orangeade sort of reminds me of Tang, or what Tang would taste like if it were made from fresh, whole ingredients. Or for those of us who outgrew Tang, think, Orangina but without the carbonation. What Are Seville Oranges? Seville oranges are bitter-tasting oranges that are traditionally used to make orange marmalade. They are very sour, not sweet, and have a wonderful flavor. You can use them as a substitute for lemons in many recipes....

Now as an adult, dinner is much more than merely enjoying what was set before me. Years into making nightly dinners, I do my best to find ways to keep it fun. Here’s how: I search for recipes and making food I’m excited about. This is part of what keeps my nightly routine interesting.I also figured out the tasks that are a real downer during the pre-dinner rush and found alternate solutions....

The Secret To Chewy Cookies If you love chewy cookies like me, this is the recipe for you. To get that chewy texture, I add two egg yolks, in addition to a whole egg, to the dough. The extra fat and lecithin in yolks improve both the flavor and texture of the cookie. For even chewier cookies, you could chill the dough in the fridge before baking for up to 24 hours....

I knew instantly what made it so good: the cabbage was cooked low and slow in plenty of pork fat, and the pork served alongside was incredibly juicy. It was a memorable meal, and that wasn’t just the German beer talking. The first thing I did when I returned home was to buy a head of green cabbage and some center-cut pork chops. I decided to brown the pork and then cook the cabbage in the rendered pork fat and juices....

While simmering beef stew in a Dutch oven all day is a thing, using a Crockpot or slow cooker makes this meal almost too easy—you can set it and forget it to some extent. Just be sure to cut your meat and veggies in large enough chunks so they don’t get cooked into oblivion. Everyone needs comfort in a bowl at some point in the fall and winter, and this recipe will deliver!...

This is a simpler version of the full-on braised short ribs, but no less delicious. Instead of homemade pasta, cheesy grits are a rich serve-along. Easy Short Ribs in the Slow Cooker It’s my little secret that short ribs are actually one of the easiest dinners I make. I won’t tell if you don’t. They are essentially impossible to overcook unless you completely forgot about them for…longer than you’d ever actually forget about them....

Soon after though, McCormick started selling it and promoting it as a spice, so it’s much easier to come by, and we are always looking for an excuse to cook with it. What Is Smoked Paprika and Why Use It? If you’ve never used it, smoked paprika is to regular paprika what chipotle powder is to red chile powder. I like to think of it as the flavor of my favorite barbecued potato chips....

Recently, I was craving this hearty dish but was all out of masa. I spied a carton of buttermilk in my fridge and thought, why not top it with biscuits instead? And with that, this Southwestern Vegetarian Casserole was born. This satisfying vegetarian meal has a generous filling of spiced veggies and beans with tender, crispy biscuits on top. It’s great for a weekend family dinner or on a weeknight with a little wiggle room....

In this case you marinate the chicken pieces overnight, but once you take them out of the marinade, they take less than 20 minutes to cook. My father adapted this recipe from one on a local sausage maker’s calendar, of all places. We futzed with it a bit, pounded the chicken thighs for more even cooking, used olive oil instead of vegetable spray, and served it with some of my mother’s awesome Spanish rice....

Case in point, these steamed asparagus! I like asparagus any which way, but drizzle a little (or more than a little) hollandaise over them? Oh my. For an elegant presentation of the spears, use a vegetable peeler to peel off a very thin layer of the outer skin of the lower two to three inches of the asparagus spears. Prepare a large, shallow pan (with a cover) with a half inch of water and a steamer rack....

First you start with browning some bacon, then you add the holy trinity—onions, bell pepper, and celery, then the tomatoes, okra and spices. Everything is cooked together until tender and almost falling apart. Okra is a summer vegetable but you can get frozen okra all year round which is perfectly fine stewed like this. If you don’t have access to okra at all, you can prepare green beans in a similar manner (see recipe)....

It does however produce twice as much sauce as one can reasonably use with the meatloaf. We had ours the next day with pasta. One of the things I like about this recipe is that it is made entirely on the stove top. Most meatloaf recipes are made in the oven, but as the warmer months approach it’s nice to have a stovetop alternative. In a small bowl, combine the milk and bread, and mash until creamy....

The most important thing to remember, though, is that you can’t wing it—you must follow tested recipes when canning. Heat penetration tests performed by food laboratories have analyzed the internal temperatures and processing times necessary to kill dangerous microbes. There’s no way to take into account all the variables that affect food safety with your own recipes, such as the consistency of the food and pH levels. So, follow approved recipes such as those at the USDA’s National Center for Home Food Preservation....

Most reusable ice packs are now gel-based since that provides better cooling power than frozen water. When paired with a suitable cooler, ice packs can keep the contents cold for days. Being able to freeze them for thousands of uses can also save you money in the long run. But there are a lot to choose from, so we picked six for our home tester to put through their paces, based on reviews and product information across a variety of brands....

But not all dishwashers are created alike. There are different styles: built-in, portable, and countertop. Built-in, the most common style, fits underneath your countertop. Portable and countertop models are both generally smaller and hook up to your kitchen sink when running. You’ll also need to look at capacity, features, and if you need it, a sanitizing setting. Whether you have a large family and lots of dishes to clean every night or you’re just cooking for yourself and perhaps another person, there is a dishwasher out there that will meet your needs....

Egg rings are ring-shaped molds made to be placed on a pan. Eggs are dropped into the molds and allowed to cook for a few minutes, then the rings are lifted off, and voila—a perfectly round egg. Egg rings also come in square shapes and more whimsical designs. When shopping for an egg mold, something sturdy with some weight to it, is nonstick, and has an easy-to-grip handle will serve you best....

One trick I use to infuse moisture into ground turkey is to add freshly grated zucchini! This is perfect for summer when those of us who garden have more zucchini than we can possibly use. It’s a trick I learned making these spicy turkey zucchini burgers with middle eastern flavors from the Jerusalem cookbook. No, the burgers don’t taste like zucchini, and yes, the grated zucchini works great to keep the burgers from drying out....