Avocados

Boxed brownie mixes advertise their convenience compared to homemade brownies—with only a few ingredients, they promise a moist, chocolatey crumb. However, these "instant" mixes still require fresh ingredients and a baking time that matches that of homemade brownies. When you' ...more

Polenta can cause risotto-like anxiety for the most experienced cook. First of all, making polenta is time-consuming—it can often take upwards of 45 minutes (unless you use this shortcut). And in the midst of this long cooking time, you're constantly stirring to keep the polen ...more

Ethylene is an invisible, odorless, naturally occurring gas that aids in the ripening process of fruit. As a fruit produces more ethylene, it begins to create enzymes which help break down cell walls and starches, making the fruit softer and sweeter over time. If it weren't fo ...more

The late, great writer Laurie Colwin once wrote that if she were allowed to have only one fruit in her kitchen, she would always choose lemons (or limes, since they can often be used interchangeably). Any dedicated home cook would agree wholeheartedly. Lemons add dimension t ...more

When you come home from the grocery store, you probably put away every single fruit and vegetable in the bins and drawers in your refrigerator. Any fifth grader knows that fridges work to preserve food, thus everything should go in there, right? Nope! Chances are, you've been ...more

Whipped cream is one of the most iconic dessert toppings around, but the full-fat version is not the most forgiving when it comes to fat content. With the holidays just around the corner, learn how to spare yourself a few calories—especially if you love the creamy texture of w ...more

All day I dream of eggs: scrambled, poached, over easy, hard-boiled, fried, baked, raw... Okay, the last one is a joke (unless you're Gaston, which means that you eat five dozen of them and you're roughly the size of a barge). But eggs are freaking good in just about any cooki ...more

Hands down, chips and dip are the best entertainment foods to ever exist. This fact can be confirmed in an instant by any grocery shopper strolling down the chip isle on Super Bowl Sunday or New Year's Eve. However, you may want to hold off on buying those standard salsas or d ...more

Summer is the season to enjoy stone fruit: peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots are all kissed by the sun and bursting with juicy flavor—which is all well and good when you're eating them as is. But trying to cut up soft, ripened stone fruit for jams, baked goods, chutney ...more

The potato masher is one of the most dreaded tools in my kitchen; it always gives me flashbacks to when I had to mash potatoes for Thanksgiving dinners while growing up. Don't Miss: 8 Essential Instant Mashed Potato Hacks If you're not fond of mashers either, or just don't ...more

When it comes to proper tomato storage, conventional kitchen wisdom (and Alton Brown) state that tomatoes are best stored at room temperature—not in the refrigerator. Supposedly, refrigerated tomatoes develop a mealy texture and lose their flavor if they are exposed to cooler ...more

As glorious as a good drink (or five) can be, the aftermath of alcohol on the body is one of life's least enjoyable features. A few hours of fun can come at the expense of a day or two of feeling dead to the world, with an upset stomach, an aching body, and a headache that mak ...more

Biting into a perfectly ripened piece of fruit is enough to convince you to give up baked goods and plant your own garden. The combination of flavor, juice, and sweetness in a ripe mango, apple, plum, or berry is the stuff of life itself. Alas, most people don't know how to c ...more

Eggs are a staple food for most Americans, which is no surprise, considering how necessary they are in savory and sweet recipes alike. On their own, they're usually not too eggs-citing. However, these clever egg hacks will make your egg-making easier, more fun, and more intere ...more

During the summer, fresh strawberries are everywhere: at your neighborhood farmers market and in many desserts like strawberry shortcake and strawberry rhubarb pie, to name just a couple. Bringing home a few baskets of the ruby red fruit always seems like a good idea... until ...more

Greek yogurt has always been in my regular snack rotation. Packed with more protein than plain yogurt, it fills me up and stabilizes my energy with its low levels of carbohydrates and sugar. I have always tended to go the sweeter route, adding berries, honey, and coconut flak ...more

Watermelons scream summer like no other fruit, and there's nothing like biting into a sweet one on a hot summer day. Although there's no exact right way to cut watermelon, there are many occasions when you might not want to cut it into wedges. It may be the classic cut, but th ...more

For me, shredded coconut is something that is eaten several times a week in a variety of ways—and that includes in savory dishes. It can be added to just about anything, and this is a good thing if you enjoy having some variety in your diet. Because I get tired of eating the s ...more

We've seen these bean-filled blondies trending on social media for a while and, with some inspiration from The Kitchn, we finally decided to grab some chickpeas and give them a go. Don't Miss: 5 Amazing Ways to Bake with Coconut Oil We opted for coconut oil in lieu of butte ...more

In my opinion, spices are the key to a successful kitchen. With a healthy array of spices and spice mixes, you have the foundation for nearly any dish that you want to make; the culinary world is your oyster. With a depleted cupboard of spices, however, nearly every recipe loo ...more

I have to confess: my egg slicer has been neglected ever since I bought it. I had ambitious dreams of using it to slice perfectly symmetrical slivers of hard-boiled egg into my salads... but the truth is, once I tucked it into a kitchen drawer, I completely forgot about it. Th ...more

At-home cooks tend to be scared of soufflés. Either they don't rise at all or they end up all sad and lopsided. However, when successful, the end product cannot be matched in impressing your guests. As a dinner party appetizer with a wow-factor, try a savory cheese soufflé. F ...more

See how to bake without butter, sugar, eggs, dairy milk and more. If you think it’s impossible to bake without butter without losing flavor and texture, then keep on reading. Even if you already substitute butter in your cakes and cookies, there may be some things in this art ...more

Sushirrito offers burrito-sized sushi rolls that are on the cusp of becoming the trendiest handheld snack to hit the foodie world. According to its website, Peter Yen created the Sushirrito brand, trademarked it in 2008, and opened his first restaurant in 2011 in the Bay Area ...more

There are a few key ingredients that you always need on hand when baking cookies and other desserts, but when you run out, you run out. You either have to stop what you're doing and go to the grocery store, find a good substitute, or scrap the project entirely. Chances are, yo ...more

We always want to find more ways to help brilliantly lazy cooks make great-tasting food and save money and time in the process. Luckily, our Facebook fans are invaluable sources of information when it comes to getting cool tips, behind-the-scenes info, and more. We've already ...more

Most of us know that chocolate is bad for dogs, but many other human foods are also extremely harmful if accidentally eaten by your pet. For example, foods that are healthy for humans, such as grapes, raisins and avocados, can be detrimental or even fatal if eaten by cats and ...more

Whether you are vegan, lactose-intolerant, or cooking for someone who is, standing before the non-dairy milk shelf in the grocery store can be daunting. Instead of playing it safe with the two most common milk alternatives—soy and almond—perhaps you should explore a few other ...more

Onions add essential flavor to almost any dish, whether it's a sauce, main dish, or salad. They are one of the humblest "superfoods," full of vitamins and nutrients but generally inexpensive, which is why they're also one of the most widely eaten ingredients in the world. Her ...more

Fried food is the best. That's not an opinion; that's a fact, Jack. And while fried standards like wings, French fries, and onion rings are all stellar, there's no way you should stop there. I believe that nearly anything and everything should be fried—even the healthy stuff. ...more

Just as how plastic grocery bags have many amazing reuses if you have a whole bunch of them stocked up in your home, the same goes for their papery counterparts as well. Paper grocery bags are pretty super-useful no matter what size they come in. You can use small paper groce ...more

As government officials scramble to contain the new coronavirus outbreak with bans on large gatherings, travel restrictions, and school closures, the rest of us have to worry about how we're going to safely purchase water, toilet paper, groceries, and other household goods dur ...more

The yogis of the internet have started a wonderful food trend that has everyone wanting to eat healthy—gorgeous buddha bowls. Okay, so maybe not everyone, but a lot of people are definitely entranced by these beautiful, multicolored meals. Buddha bowls, also known as rainbow ...more

In many places, May has given way to a surplus of strawberries cluttering the produce aisle. These sweet berries are great in a wide variety of delicious baked goods, from pies to cakes and everything in between. Don't Miss: The Secret to Making Strawberries Taste Like Candy ...more

Surprise desserts (aka peekaboo desserts) are a gorgeous way to celebrate anything, whether it's a birthday, new baby, or just a brand new day. You can pretty much hide anything you want inside: candy, a cool design, and even other desserts. To help inspire you, try one of the ...more

Believe it or not, you can put your money to use very efficiently in a new way: your credit or debit card can serve as a blade in desperate situations. (It might even be handier than dental floss as a brilliant substitution for specialized kitchen tools.) While I wouldn't take ...more

It's easy to take the food we eat for granted, but the truth is, there are a lot of bizarre, wonderful, and just plain weird things about what we eat and drink, the effects it has on our bodies, and vice-versa. Read on to learn how bugs provide food dye, the Japanese grow squa ...more

If you could save the world by eating a burger, would you? Two companies, Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, are on a mission to redefine veggie burgers and eliminate all of the downsides of animal farming on our planet. With over five years of research and product testing, th ...more

It's no secret that exercise is good for you, but you may be surprised to know that a good workout can actually boost your memory, too. They key to giving your body and your brain muscles a good workout is by adding more weight and pushing hard for an extra 20 minutes. Accord ...more

Cheesecake is a nearly flawless dessert. It's rich but light, has a toothsome crust but a creamy body, and tastes good served room temperature or frozen. What's not to like? Don't Miss: How to Prevent Cracks in Cheesecake (Or Fix Them) I can only think of one thing cheeseca ...more

To me, the term muffin tin is a lot like Voldemort—it should never be uttered. Not for being evil, however... instead, it's because it's inaccurate. First of all, muffin tins are hardly ever made out of tin anymore. (The materials on trend are stainless steel, cast iron, and ...more

You probably already know that cooking involves a ton of chemistry. Bread rises because of the reaction between the flour and leavener, and the delicious crust on your steak is formed by the Maillard reaction. Understanding the chemistry going on behind the scenes is one of th ...more

When I get struck by a craving for something SCJ (savory, crunchy, juicy), nothing fits the bill better than a BLT. But why settle for the sandwich form when there are so many other possibilities? Some of my favorite alternative ways to serve up a BLT are 1) as a salad, 2) in ...more

This decadent dessert is inspired and created by marrying tiramisu and s'mores. It's a moan-worthy version of that classic English dessert, trifle, that combines the soft, creamy layers of tiramisu with the gooey, sticky goodness of s'mores. You can make it as easy as you wish ...more

Who doesn't want to decrease time wasted looking for misplaced car keys or remembering a long-forgotten computer password? Keep your memory in prime shape by regularly eating fruits, vegetables, and proteins that are known for boosting memory and decreasing your risk for Alzh ...more

I think we've all had that childhood (or adult) desire to have ice cream for dinner. But veggies for dessert? It's something I had nightmares about as a kid. That being said, the truth is that when properly prepared, veggies can easily star in desserts as the main ingredient. ...more

The Clean 15 Compramise. The key to any successful relationship. So lets say a boozy Friday night made you oversleep your alarm resulting in you missing your nearby farmers market Saturday morn. No need to stress yourself out or overextend your limited funds at "Whole Paychec ...more

We are huge BLT sandwich fans. We are also huge sushi fans. After a morning spent heatedly debating which of the two we would like for lunch, we ultimately decided that we wanted both. Thus, we created what we're not-so-cleverly calling 'The BLT Sushi Roll." Pieces of thick r ...more

Tell the truth. The bat picture creeps you out. You are not alone. But in reality, bats truly are some of our best friends. They gobble thousands of disease-spreading bugs a night. But they also carry viruses that can be deadly to humans. So, bats — friend or foe? There are o ...more

I keep Pico De Gallo around all the time. I find it is very versatile and can be used for any meal. My youngest son loves to cook and it was one of the first things I taught him to make. As you read my writings about food I've made, you will find a lot of references to the pic ...more

I keep Pico Degallo around all the time. I find it is very versatile and can be used for any meal. My wife is 1/2 mexican and I learned about this from her mother. My youngest son loves to cook and it was one of the first things I taught him to make. As you read my writings ab ...more

Up until the last 15 years or so, watching the commercials during the Super Bowl was arguably more exciting than the game itself. Super Bowl XXIV featured the San Francisco 49ers blowing out the Broncos, 55-10, in the worst Super Bowl beatdown of all time. The game might not h ...more