I love them in stir fries, especially fresh, crisp, tender green beans. An Easy Way to Cook Fresh Green Beans How do you know your green beans are fresh? Break one in half. It should “snap”. If it bends limply like a rubber band, it’s not fresh. Only buy fresh. This stir fry cooks up quickly, with onions, ginger, and garlic, and a sauce of sweetened soy sauce with sesame oil....

These stovetop burgers can be made any time of the year, and I love them so much that I crave them even when the grill is an option! The Best Stovetop Burgers These burgers are very different from my standard grilled burger. When I grill a burger, I keep the patties thicker and really let the grill do its thing. These stovetop burgers are closer to what many Americans think of as a fast food burger, except the absolute best version of that!...

You can actually taste the wonderful flavor of sweet potato in this pie, which is only enhanced, not supplanted by the additions of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and vanilla. Add a Splash of Bourbon We’ve also added a splash of bourbon to the filling (of course, right?). You can skip the bourbon if you want, but if you have some bourbon in the house, by all means use it. How to Make Sweet Potato Pie Making sweet potato pie is a two part process: First, roast the sweet potatoes in the oven....

For instance, Japanese chopsticks are shorter with narrow tips that may have ridged threads for easier gripping. They’re meant for precise grabbing of single bites, such as with sushi, and the textured grips are ideal for noodles. Korean chopsticks, on the other hand, are flat and rectangular, typically made of metal and paired with a long-handled spoon. Classic Chinese chopsticks are thicker, longer, and don’t taper as much toward the bottom, making them best for delicate cuts....

While losing errant berries and wily spaghetti strands can be annoying, steam burns, hot water spills, and blisters from too-hot handles are a real risk when pouring out pasta. That’s exactly why Leigh Hamp, vice president of product at Banza, is particular about how she does it and what she uses. “I cook a ton, between my job leading the Product team at Banza and life in general, and am always using strainers for different things in the kitchen,” says Hamp....

Patented in 1931, the first electric opener was described as a “power-operated cutting device specially adapted to be hand-held.” Still, it took the gadgets another few decades to find commercial success. Well-made modern electric can openers are first easy to use. In most cases, a magnet holds the can in place while it spins through a sharp blade, removing the top of a can at the push of a button or pull of a lever....

Yes, the vessel you choose for grilling and barbecuing is of chief importance. But really, what grill tongs you choose couldn’t be more integral. Grill tongs function as an extension of your arm, handling your food on your behalf. If they don’t have the right grip or strength, or they’re too tough to squeeze, your cooking and the food you make will suffer. To help you choose from the abundance of options out there, I did the research and rounded up a list of the highest-rated and top-selling grill tongs....

Pasta bowls are workhorses in the kitchen because they can do double or even triple duty. They can also be used for many other types of food, including salad, soup, fresh fruit, grain bowls, and fish fillets, according to Chef Antimo DiMeo, executive chef and partner at Bardea Food & Drink in Wilmington, Delaware. (It also happens to be one of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden’s favorite restaurants....

Some of you know I’ve just published a book called Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking. It’s all about proportions and how knowing proportions for fundamental techniques liberates you in the kitchen. Here is a perfect example of a culinary ratio, one that’s fairly standard: The 3-to-1 vinaigrette, or 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar. Making Your Own Vinaigrette Saves Money That we are willing to pay three or four dollars for bottled salad dressing when a delicious vinaigrette costs just pennies to make yourself, is an example of just how far away from the kitchen our processed food system has taken us....

While the taste of our raw garden tomatoes might be oddly unspectacular at the moment, they still cook up into something wonderful. Of course, in our book everything is better with bacon, which is probably why we like this soup so much. Yukon Gold potatoes are preferred because they hold their shape well and don’t disintegrate into the soup the way Russets can. Recipe adapted from one submitted by Verrill Farm for The Best of Tastes cookbook fundraiser for Concord Family Service....

This salad swaps plain pasta for plump cheese and spinach-filled tortellini. Cucumbers and bell peppers add crunch, and artichokes, kalamata olives, fresh basil, feta, and summer sausage add big flavors and textures. This recipe makes enough to bring to a potluck and is quick and easy enough for when summer temperatures are too hot to cook—you do have to boil the pasta. Plus, it’s a great pasta salad to prepare in advance since it only gets better as it sits— fresh, bright, and zingy!...

Typically, the noodles and chicken are cooked in different pans, then tossed together right before serving—but for this dish, I layer the flavors and make the whole meal in one skillet! It’s magical and makes mealtime so much easier. An Easy-Peasy One-Pot Dinner The chicken is marinated with olive oil and Italian seasonings for maximum flavor on the surface. It’s seared until golden brown, then sliced. The dried pasta, minced garlic, and tomatoes are cooked in the same pan with boiling water....

Vietnamese Pickled Carrots For Báhn Mi The pickles are traditionally served on Vietnamese bánh mi sandwiches. They’re a little like bread and butter pickles, though crispier, not as sweet, and with a slight radish taste from the daikon. What Are Daikon Radishes? If you are unfamiliar with daikon radishes, they are very large, long (over a foot), white, mild radishes. Pickled daikon, sliced crosswise, are often served with your food at Japanese restaurants....

My parents established sitting down for dinner every night with my brother and me when we were infants, and it has been so significant to our family’s dynamic. Especially once my brother and I started school, dinner was the one time of day where my dad could come home from work and have quality time with us, and where my mom could have us all together in one place—even if just for a few minutes....

More often than not, I’ll find a use for these leftover ingredients. When it comes to coconut milk, I might stir it in my morning oatmeal or swirl in a warming soup. Even if you only have a little coconut milk leftover from last night’s curry it’s easy to find a way to use it up. For the recipes below, look for brands of canned, unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk (not coconut extract)....

There are so many different pizza doughs to work with, a wide variety of sauces, and the topping possibilities are endless. You can choose a vegetarian pizza, pile on a variety of meats, or just go with a classic cheese pizza. Whatever you choose, it’s sure to be a winner. Each bite will be sure to steal a pizza your heart. Before you dive in, here are some pizza basics:...

When you’re lucky enough to have a few strawberries hanging around, I enjoy them in all sorts of different recipes. They make for a fantastic addition to salads, they’re a great way to start the day, and of course, they’re brilliant in a variety of different desserts.

No, fried chicken is not a traditionally French food, but yes, there’s always room for some decidedly French improvements. As Peppler explains, putting a French touch on fried chicken isn’t just about how you make it, but how you enjoy it, too. “While roast chicken is a Sunday tradition in France, fried chicken (poulet frit) isn’t something classically French,” Peppler says. But “classically French” isn’t a boundary by which French cooks feel confined these days, as the poulet frit at Paris restaurant Ellsworth proves....

Tip #1: Measure your ingredients with a kitchen scale Nearly every professional baker and pastry chef says to bake with a scale, and for good reason: Measuring cups (which measure by volume) can vary slightly in size and produce different flour amounts depending on how you measure. If you dip a measuring cup into the flour and then sweep across the top (the dip and sweep method), you end up with a denser measured cup, somewhere between 140 to 150 grams of flour....