Can you cook a steak or salmon filet that's straight out of the freezer and get good results? Ordinarily, I would say no. Usually your steak ends up a sad grey mass fit only for the family dog and the fish is burned on the outside with an icy, undercooked center. However, it ...more
Ever wonder why when you defrost meat, there's all that pink liquid at the bottom of the plastic bag? That liquid is called "purge," and it's not good. What happens is that ice crystals form and expand within meat as it freezes, which puncture the cell membranes. When the mea ...more
True's Owner Maintenance Video Series shows us how to set the defrost time clock on a True freezer, and also how to cut the shipping band on the compressors of all larger freezers. The time clock is behind the grill at the base of the unit, behind a gray box. There are instruc ...more
Thawing frozen food on the countertop or in warm water may put your family at risk from food-borne bacteria. Keep them safe by following these methods. Step 1: Know the dangers Keep food out of “the danger zone” – between 40 and 140 degrees. Freezing stops bacteria from growi ...more
Over a period of a long time, the evaporator in a fridge will freeze up. So the defroster will switch and start defrosting. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to do a bench on a residential refrigerator.
If you’re still living in the Ice Age—that is, with a non-defrosting freezer—you’ll need these ancient skills. Learn how to defrost your freezer. You Will Need: * Cardboard boxes * Newspaper or cloths * A pan that will fit at the bottom of your freezer * A towel Step 1: Empt ...more
This how-to video is about how to winterize the car windshield washer and windshield wiper. First winterizing a wiper is shown in this video, it includes both windshield wipers as well as windshield washers, every car has a windshield fluid reservoir which may be located in d ...more
For those of you that still have to defrost your freezer, either because you have an older one or because the frost-free mechanism does not work as well as advertised, there is something you can do to make the whole thing a little easier in the future. Unfortunately, before yo ...more
Jacqueline Hansen shows ways to defrost a freezer to help save money spent on utilities. Each step is explained thoroughly including unplugging the freezer, bagging up the food, wiping down the fridge with a hot cloth and washing the drawers. Watch video for best results. Defr ...more
It's a basic law of cooking: whenever you're really craving something, you don't have it. All you want is a glass of wine? Chances are you finished the bottle while braising meat last night. Want nothing more than a sandwich right now? Yep, you finished the bread with breakfas ...more
When to throw meat away is a common question, and one I often ask when faced with meat sitting in the fridge after a few days. With vegetables, you can usually tell on sight (or with this guide) when they're past due, but meat is not as simple. As long as meat is refrigerated ...more
Your hair dryer can come in handy for a number of unexpected uses, from removing crayon marks on walls to helping mold your plastic store-bought glasses to fit your big head. Not surprisingly, your hair dryer can also be used to defrost things, quickly dry wet things, and spee ...more
Bread doesn't have a long shelf life, as most of you probably know quite well from firsthand. You get it home from the store and before you know it, the loaf has turned from soft and perfectly pliable to hard and crumbly—and maybe even moldy! So what's the best way to keep you ...more
Frozen meat is a saving grace for weeknight meals. Whenever I crave a certain protein, all I need to do is defrost it. Sometimes, I don't even need to defrost it in order to use it. But every once in a while, I would pull a frozen chicken breast out of my freezer only to see ...more
There is no greater food to master than steak. If you can make a steak that's only marginally better than your neighborhood Applebee's, you'll still have friends waiting outside your door for steak night. And if you can make steak as good as that expensive gourmet steakhouse y ...more
When I was 12, for some mysterious reason, my dad put my little brothers and me in charge of cooking the Thanksgiving turkey. Naturally, my brothers and I spent the rest of the day playing hide-in-seek in the backyard and forgot all about the humble bird defrosting in the sink ...more
Last week, I showed you why your refrigerator is one of the best tools in the kitchen when it comes to saving money and preserving food at its tastiest. But did you know your freezer is another underutilized ally in the cooking game? Chances are, you've been using your freeze ...more
Most of the time we only use the microwave to reheat or defrost, but you can actually save a lot of time by using it for cooking. These genius recipes make the most of this underused appliance, and also turn out some pretty tasty dishes. First: Is It Safe to Cook in the Micro ...more
Cooking with animal blood is as old as civilization itself. I promise that your ancient ancestors, no matter where you're from, didn't have the luxury of throwing away any part of the animal, including the very lifeblood that used to run through it. Animal blood, along with ev ...more
There are few things more satisfying than fulfilling a craving with instant gratification. Companies like Pillsbury and have made this possible with the introduction of their famous Ready to Bake Cookies line: just rip open the package, break off the cookies along the creased ...more
When given the choice between canned and dried beans, many of us are guilty of reaching for cans. They're much more convenient than investing 5-6 hours of your time to make dried beans edible. Unfortunately, while canned beans are convenient, they're certainly not better. The ...more
A purée is a great side dish for any dinnertime meal, because it's a healthy and creamy substance from fruit or vegetables. In this video recipe, you'll learn a vegetable variety, full of butternut squash. See how to easily turn a whole butternut squash into a homey, flavorfu ...more
Hair dyers are pretty straightforward tools, but they can actually do way more than just dry your wet hair or defog your bathroom mirror. From the kitchen to the backyard, a blowdryer can help you solve common problems around the house and beyond, and here are our 10 favorite ...more
It's winter, and you've just woken up to find your car covered in a thick sheet of ice. What are you going to do? Turn your automobile on and hope that the heater and defrost melts that ice before it's too late, before you're late for that big meeting, or your final exam. Wel ...more
The last iOS software update was a modest one, but iOS 17.4 has a lot more for your iPhone, including changes to emoji, Podcasts, security, Safari, widgets, Apple Cash, CarPlay, and more. Many of the exciting changes in iOS 17.4, as well as iPadOS 17.4, apply to users in the ...more
What is maki? Maki is a classic Japanese dish consisting of sushi and raw vegetables, wrapped in seaweed. Sounds good, right? Well, this spicy, baked scallop and avocado maki sushi is sure to be the best maki you've ever tasted. Try it out. This funky-looking maki roll is not ...more
Depending on what state you are in will have different laws on the amount of tint that is legal to have on your car window. If your tint is too dark for the state you are in there is a way that is not too difficult for you to remove the tint yourself. You will have to heat up ...more
Turning your oven on in the summer is just asking to convert your house into a sauna. No matter how badly you want to bake cookies during a heat wave, having to deal with the boost in temperature is a deterrent at best. However, this doesn't necessarily mean you have to go co ...more
Beef: it's what for dinner. And if you really like the taste of it, it can be what you season the rest of your dinner with, too. My favorite food hacks are the ones that not only make cooking easier or cooler, but more flavorful as well. That's why I was pretty excited when I ...more
When it comes to your baby and your time, nothing but the best and most efficient will do. These high standards carry through every aspect of your life as a new parent, from diapers to strollers and especially to food. Luckily, making your own baby food isn't as complicated a ...more
Need to bike around in cold weather to get to places? Winterize your bike by adding plastic zip ties around your tires to add more traction when you are biking through ice and snow. Avoid the dreaded scenario of having to defrost a frozen lock by using hand sanitizer, muscle ...more
Looking for a fast way to thaw your meat without using the microwave? Thawing meat can be unhealthy if you do it without the proper care. Be safe! Here are two techniques that will give you great thawed meat that will be ready for dinner. Thawing meat and poultry can be a con ...more
Eat wonderful peaches all year long. Freezing fruit is easy and a great ways to preserve and retain nutrients. Freeze your peaches now and thaw them when you are ready to make a peach pie or smoothies. This is the perfect way to make the most out of your fruit. In a few simpl ...more
Cooking bacon is about as easy as boiling water or making toast. Anyone can do it! Defrost the bacon, get a frying pan, and some tongs, then you're ready to start cooking. Learn how to cook bacon in a frying pan by watching this video cooking tutorial.
Thanksgiving is all about the turkey. So much can go wrong with a turkey, though. The turkey could come out tough and dry, and totally unappetizing. Learn how to combat gross turkey, and turn out a moist, flavorful turkey for an awesome Thanksgiving. Follow the CHOW basic roa ...more
Katny Maister tell us that so many recipes require ground beef, so it's only natural we start from the beginning: how to defrost it! Once you get the hang of it, you'll notice how easy it is, and you'll be on your way to making your hamburger, chili, or meatloaf recipe in no t ...more
David, the one pot chef, shows us how to make a hot dog flavored sausage rolls. Firstly, the sausages are browned up using a frying pan but not totally cooked though. They will be later cooked in the oven. To make things easy, puff pastry is taken and is made to defrost and is ...more
Lila from Asian Cooking Made Easy shares her recipe for Singapore Noodles, which she makes with shrimp, chicken, rice noodles and a semi-sweet curry sauce. The rice stick noodles must be soaked in warm water for about 15 minutes, and the pre-cooked frozen shrimp goes into coo ...more
This video is about making chili paneer. The ingredients required are paneer, onion, bell peppers of four colors, tomato puree, spices, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chilly, ginger and garlic, jalapeno, red pepper and turmeric, salt, soy sauce to give a Chinese flavor and ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to make London broil with Chef John. If your meat is frozen, slowly defrost it in the fridge for two days. After it's thawed, cut the meat in half so you have two thick pieces. Next, find the half that has fat on each side, and cut off the part w ...more
The microwave "defrost" button typically serves as Tom’s magic one-step "braising" method. Fortunately, Chef Paul shows the correct way by featuring braised lamb in cabernet franc with currants and dried plums and braised osso buco with bacon. He even makes spaetzle on the side.
The secret to one-ingredient ice cream is froze fruit. Facts and Ingredients Using fruit is quite healthy compared to buying this delicious treat from a store. You can use pretty much any fruit, for example, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe, etc. Feel free to experiment. Fo ...more
If you open your refrigerator door and find leftovers there, then you are fortunate—even if you don't realize it right away. Leftovers are the ultimate budget hack because they maximize the value of your meals; and it's a smart way to save money while making the most of your f ...more
Use this recipe to make chocolate covered strawberries, and add optional decorations and ingredients to them. You will need: 1 dozen ripe strawberries, 12 oz semi sweet chocolate, cookie sheet, wax paper, microwave safe bowl, wooden spoon, toothpicks and a fork. It's optional ...more
Pour confetti in their car's defrost vents. So, when they turn it on the whole car will fill with confetti.
When you know how to cook it, tofu is a delicious dish in and of itself—truly. Too many people have been subjected to poor quality or badly cooked tofu and told to eat it because it's a "healthy alternative" to meat. Usually what they bite into is a bland, rubbery mess coated ...more
Knowing how to cut and slice raw meat is a skill all omnivorous cooks need in their arsenal. However, raw meat's limp and gelatinous character can be challenging to work with, especially when you're trying to slice it into symmetrical, attractive sections for a stir-fry or a s ...more
In my opinion, there is nothing in the culinary world as satisfying as cutting into a steak, and seeing that you've cooked it to perfection. Even if you're one of those bizarre people that prefers their steak medium or well done (hey, no judgement... okay, fine, a little bit o ...more
Ginger root is one of the most underappreciated and versatile spices around. It's simultaneously hot, sweet, and piquant. It's also a pain in the tush to peel, thanks to its thin, fragile skin and the thick, knotty rhizome that contains all the flavor. We've already shown you ...more
Traveling can be pretty expensive, but your meals don't have to be. Though hot dogs made in the cheap coffeemaker of your hotel room probably won't be the best dinner ever, you can bet that it'll be oodles cheaper than ordering room service or going to a fancy restaurant. If ...more
I'm no coupon-cutter (I just don't have the patience for it, sadly), but I do love buying things in bulk to save a buck or two. And one of the staples on my bulk-buy list is chicken; I cook with chicken so often that trying to save money on it is a no-brainer. Since I'm only ...more
I love eating fish at restaurants—the flesh is flaky and tender; the scent, fresh and sweet. Cooking fish at home is a completely different story, though. Even when I do cook successful fish dishes, it often leaves this (for lack of a better description) fishy smell that perme ...more
Please read the following in Rod Serling's voice. Picture, if you will, a mother. She comes home after a long day at the office, relieved that she took some chicken breasts out to thaw and will be able to make a quick and easy dinner for her family. She opens her refrigerator ...more
Tater tots have a bad rap as a soggy cafeteria staple, but bake them at home and they crisp up nicely in the oven. Drain any unwanted oil from them on paper towels and they become perfectly crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. They're also highly underrated as an ...more
Shrimp is one of my all-time favorite foods. It's versatile, delicious, and incredibly fun to use in the kitchen. That said, if you buy fresh shrimp, you're probably used to getting them with their tail, shell, and sand vein still intact. The tail and shell are inedible, and ...more
Out of all of the "odd couple" food pairings you could imagine, this has got to be one of the outright weirdest. Fish and... milk. Sorry, what?! I didn't sign up for being grossed out today, but according to Andy Baraghani of Bon Appétit, cooking fish in milk is the ticket t ...more
Eggs are incredibly important to cooks, and not just because they're tasty and a complete protein (many erratic genius/artist types make a point of eating an egg or two for breakfast). Yes, they are great when perfectly poached, scrambled, hard-boiled, and even scram-boiled, b ...more
When I was a little kid, I was obsessed with shells. And while most of my shell collection came from combing the beach for treasure, some of it came from a different source: dinner. Whenever my parents had fresh clams or mussels, I would take the leftover shells, soak them ove ...more
If you have a local Trader Joe's, you know first-hand how enchanting the frozen aisles are—almost every item offers the promise of a delicious meal or dessert. (We're always tempted to open the package and eat the cookie butter cheesecake, stat.) While cooking from scratch is ...more
It's Friday night, you're in the kitchen, and your guests are arriving way sooner than you want them to. The soup is not thickening like it's supposed to, the salad still needs dressing, and the pine nuts for the salad are... wait, what's that smell? Crap, the pine nuts! No, t ...more