Although I love a good kitchen gadget just as much as the next food writer, the truth is that my drawers are bursting with unused tools. I usually like to take the simpler approach to cooking and prepping, and for everyday cooking, I find that the best gadgets are usually the ...more
You may remember string art from your elementary school days. If so, it probably makes you think of the 2D geometrical designs that took every ounce of patience you had as a kid. Or those laborious curve stitch drawings, which string art was actually birthed from. But thanks t ...more
Planning a BBQ this summer? While it may be tempting to buy your ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, and mayonnaise from the store, it's actually really easy to whip up your own homemade versions in your own kitchen. Aside from the DIY aspect, they will be healthier and taste b ...more
I have a weird fondness for the texture, if not the taste of Velveeta (and Kraft American cheese slices). No other cheese has quite the same amount of slip or smoothness and manages to stay that way, undoubtedly because Velveeta contains sodium alginate, an algae derivative th ...more
Nowadays, it feels like you can't talk about eating healthy without bringing up quinoa. Quinoa (KEEN-wah) has been the "superstar" of the health movement for a while; 2013 was declared the International Year of Quinoa by the United Nations, and has only continued to grow in po ...more
Potatoes are one of cheapest, most nutritious whole foods that you can make and eat. Is it any wonder you can find budget-friendly, low-fat potatoes in every cuisine in the world? I love simple baked potatoes, but it's always good to change it up. Here are some of my favorite ...more
For the days when you don't want to, or don't have time to wash your hair, dry shampoo can be a lifesaver. There are tons of commercial brands that make them, but personally, I've always had better luck with homemade ones. Read on to learn how to make your own dry shampoo for ...more
Bottled water is a rip-off. Not only is it pretty much the same stuff that comes out of your tap for free, but plastic bottles are rarely recycled and thus account for a huge amount of the waste that's overflowing our landfills. Next Up: Water Bottles You Can Eat Fortunately, ...more
If you have an oil stain on your asphalt driveway, wipe up the excess oil with an absorbent cloth or mop it up, then act quickly using the common household items below to make sure that it doesn't become a permanent eyesore or a headache to clean up later. Dawn dishwashing so ...more
Cool, refreshing fruit, ice-cold margaritas (or beergaritas), and popsicles... this combination of food and drink just screams summer. Turn up the chill jams on the stereo, fire up the grill, and throw on your shades—you're just one pool away from the best summer party ever. ...more
Pickling isn't rocket science. In fact, anyone can make their own speciality pickles using just about any fruit or vegetable. For example, I've pickled everything from lemons, watermelon rinds, and apples to red onions, carrots, radishes, and cucumbers. Don't Miss: DIY Pickle ...more
When we think of pickling, we usually think of using veggies like cucumbers, carrots, and peppers. However, with summer upon us, we found ourselves thinking about fancy pickled berries as a novel way to use all those gorgeous gems that are popping up at the market. We did a l ...more
Cocktail rims are an easy way to add extra fun and pizzazz to your favorite drink; Most cocktail rims only take a few minutes to put together, and are a great way to add a burst of flavor to compliment what you're drinking. The best part is that you can save money and get a m ...more
Eating vegetarian isn't just for vegetarians. There are plenty of reasons, health and economics-wise, to consider forgoing the meat for a meal or three. Rather than get deep into the world of fake meat (although there's many a tasty alternative to be found there, to be sure), ...more
When you're young, utensils tend to be optional—and eating with your hands is optimal. One of the best examples of finger food for kids that has pervaded today's nostalgia-driven culture is tater tots. Tater tots are one of those snacks (or meals) that pairs well with just ab ...more
Let's say you're with friends at a sporting event, music festival, lounge, or some other fun venue, and you want to create a fun split-screen compilation from all the videos you took independently. It's not an easy task, because someone has to get all the video footage and the ...more
We keep at least half a dozen hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for times when we're on the go and need a quick snack. Often, we eat them sliced in half with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, or we just make some deviled eggs or a quick egg salad—but these gets old very quick ...more
You've probably noticed artichokes at the front and center of your local grocery store or farmer's market recently, as spring is artichoke season; They may look like strange, complicated vegetables if you've never cooked them before. Don't Miss: How to Select Veggies at Their ...more
My father never cooked a meat without some kind of marinade. He always used a slew of ingredients: salt, pepper, Season-All, Cajun seasoning, vinegar, olive oil, liquid smoke, Worcestershire, hot sauce, onions, lemons... I'm pretty sure this isn't a complete list, but I've hon ...more
Don't you just love snack food? Me too! but as I get older I notice how the small food choices I make affect my belly. So how do we get over this potato chip world? Easy make your own chips. This recipe with Zucchini is not only a healthier option but also delicious. Video: . ...more
If your shoulders are starting to look like a white Christmas in the summertime, then you might have a chronic dandruff problem. Thankfully, there are numerous DIY home remedies at your disposal, which use cheap and common household products that are probably already in your k ...more
Ice cream never gets old in hot weather, especially if it's super cheap and made within the comforts of your own home! Last week, I illustrated a recipe for homemade ice cream where you roll an empty coffee can of cream, sugar, and whole milk inside of a larger coffee can ful ...more
Within the gastronomic melting pot of America, pizza was first introduced in the late 19th century by Italian settlers in cities like New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia. The slice-by -slice phenomenon gained popularity when immigrant street peddlers walked the sidewalks with ...more
We're year-round pesto eaters. We eat pesto outdoors in the summertime on a light pasta with a glass of rosé. We eat pesto in the wintertime by the fire atop a bowl of soup with a warm mug of tea. We eat pesto with scrambled eggs for breakfast, pesto-slathered sandwiches for l ...more
Garlic is a key ingredient in many delicious meals, and if you've been a fan of our site for even a short while, it's no secret that we love to share tricks and tips to make cooking with garlic even easier than you first assumed. Here are just 10 of the many ways to both prep ...more
Most home bakers rely on vanilla extract as a flavor component to their cakes and cookies, but little do they know what they are missing until they trade in their extract for whole vanilla beans. The rich complexity and different notes of flavor of a true vanilla bean are ofte ...more
Like cigars and whiskey, Lapsang Souchong tea is an acquired taste. Some people never get over the pungent, tarry flavor and intense smell of the beverage, but using it as a rub, marinade, or other seasoning is totally smart. The tea adds a smoky yet not overwhelming flavor to ...more
I spend an ungodly amount of time on Reddit, and while I do enjoy scrolling through memes and scandalous confessions, I must admit that I spend the majority of my time watching an endless stream of YouTube videos. Dallas recently showed how to cast GIFs from Reddit to your TV ...more
The Spanish and Portuguese introduced many things (some desirable, some not, depending on your POV) to Mexico in the sixteenth century: Christianity, language, and lots of flora and fauna. Among the flora were radishes, a root vegetable which was briskly inducted into the loc ...more
Every recipe on the face of this planet (okay, maybe a slight exaggeration there) ends with the same six words: "Add salt and pepper to taste." And so, we've dutifully followed those asinine words: at the end of everything cooked, we add a bit of salt, we add a few cracks of ...more
It's easy to grab a box of pre-prepared microwave popcorn at the grocery store. Yet with so much salt, butter, and other unpronounceable ingredients, microwave popcorn can go from a healthy snack to a complicated one. Even if you resolve to pop your own popcorn with the minds ...more
The debate over whether to deep-fry or roast a Thanksgiving turkey can get pretty heated. Both have their merits, but it's hard to argue with that crispy, golden brown skin and moist texture that the fryer gives. But what's better than a deep-fried turkey? An entire deep-frie ...more
We know that healthcare-related facilities can be fertile ground for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but recent research suggests your produce aisle might be too. In a presentation at a meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, researchers from California State Univers ...more
Lemon peels have long been known for their ability to be home remedies for cleaning and medicinal needs. In the kitchen, they are equally as useful and can transform many common dishes and drinks into more memorable ones with just a hint of citrus. To give you some ideas, belo ...more
Making a good pie crust can seem intimidating to the uninitiated, but once you master this skill, a whole world opens up to you. Not only can you make all manner of fruit, custard, and cream-filled pies once you know all the tricks, you can branch out into the world of quiches ...more
Brining is magic. All you have to do is make a mild saline solution, toss in your protein of choice, let it soak, and cook. You end up with incredibly tender, flavorful meat or tofu for very little effort. So why aren't more of us doing it? Pork chops soaking in a brine of sug ...more
As protests surge in the wake of George Floyd's murder by a Minneapolis police officer, powerful photographs and videos from the demonstrations have gripped the world, putting our nation's very real and very justifiable widespread civil unrest out into the digital world. Unfor ...more
If you're here, you're probably one of the seven people dedicated to making Mac n' Cheetos a permanent part of the Burger King menu. For the rest of you that stumbled onto this page out of sheer curiosity, Burger King's Mac n' Cheetos were deep-fried, creamy macaroni and chee ...more
WatchMojo teaches you how to make a pleasing Potato Salad for a picnic. Ingredients: For the salad base: 2 1/2 lbs new red potatoes, 10 large radishes, 2 celery stalks, 6 green onions, 3 hard-boiled eggs, 1/2 cup dill pickles. For the dressing: 3/4 cup light mayonnaise, 1/4 cu ...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
Vegetables are perhaps the most important part of our diets, but often times they're an absolute pain to prepare. Cleaning every fleck of dirt off of dozens of leafy greens takes ages, and eliminating the more fibrous parts of certain veggies can be extremely tedious. But whe ...more
Barbecue season: it's the perfect time to play with fire, produce your best burger ever (until next year, that is), and find even more ways to make beer a part of your daily life. However, even a grilling badass occasionally gets stumped by minor BBQ problems. No worries: We'v ...more
You're lost. You're cold, thirsty— you're hungry. What if you're not much of a hunter? Maybe you're a gatherer. So, then you'll eat plants. But what if you eat something poisonous? What if you're allergic to it? Okay, so not many people will find themselves in a situati ...more
In this video, we learn how to make your own dry skin remedy at home. If you are already using a hydrating moisturizer and your skin doesn't react to it, this is a great remedy. The first ingredient you will need is extra virgin olive oil, then organic honey. You will also nee ...more
In order to prepare Steamed Mussels, you will need to clean them well in cold water. Scrub them well. Chop a shallot into very thin slices. Dice 3 cloves of garlic. You will also need a pinch of saffron, 3-4 lbs of mussels, heavy cream, wine, olive oil, salt, white wine, crush ...more
A whole salt-crusted fish? What does that mean? You basically cook a whole fish in a blanket of salt. Well, it's not just salt, but it's mostly salt. You bake it and then you remove the crusted salty layer before eating. You then remove the fish skin to get to the edible goodi ...more
Learn how to polish silver with the folks from Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE. Beautiful silver pieces shouldn't languish at the back of a shelf. Removing tarnish might seem like a time-consuming task, but some simple household products make for an easy clean? no backbreaking sc ...more
Join Mark Law as he takes advantage of the last days of summer and packs an eco-friendly picnic using Recycline's Preserve Kitchen Ware. Exclusive to Whole Foods Market, Preserve Kitchen is made from 100% recycled materials and makes the perfect container for Mark's recipe for ...more
Healthy Kids Rock demonstrate how to make your own garlic butter. Making garlic butter is easy and requires only a few simple ingredients and techniques. To make the garlic butter first,roughly chop three large cloves of garlic. Then, sprinkle salt over the garlic and mince th ...more
One of the tougher models to make in balloon twisting is a balloon baby, also seen on an episode of Scrubs. If you were curious how they made a balloon baby, check out this video. In it, you will get a full tutorial on how to create your own balloon baby that you can write mes ...more
Chef Keith Floyd learns an alternative way to cook fish at home with old newspaper in this fascinating recipe video from BBC cookery show 'Floyd on Fish'. You'll see exactly how easy it is to bake yourself a delicious Newspaper Trout in your own kitchen. But we suggest you ski ...more
Taco Bell's in the news for umpteenth time, and today the controversy is over their infamous beef taco meat. Gizmodo leaked a picture of Taco Bell's "Taco Meat Filling" and surprise, surprise— it's missing a lot of the "meat" that it claims in its advertisements. Taco Meat Fil ...more
Susan Walker shows us how to prepare beef tenderloin steak in this tutorial. First, preheat your oven to broil, then add water to the bottom of your broiler pan and spray non stick spray onto the top of it. Next, brush your entire steak with olive oil and add salt, pepper, and ...more
The corn dog is generally considered near the bottom of the American food ladder. It is unrefined, and usually only found at county fairs and other hives of processed foods, fat, and gluttony. This recipe shows you how you can make a more refined version of this classically lo ...more
Ever wonder how to get that perfectly cooked duck breast? Now you can get that restaurant style duck breast with a cripsy skin on the outside while still keeping the inside moist and pink. You start by making a grid like pattern on the fat using a sharp knife. Doing this will ...more
Chef Julie Hasson teaches the secrets of baking biscuits easily and quickly. An excellent summary is given below. First add unbleached flour with some sugar, salt, yeast, baking soda and powder in a mixer and mix it well. Now take some warm soya malt and add some apple cider t ...more
Check out this Make Magazine segment on building mini robots. Then you can move onto huge ones like Big Dog! John Park builds some lively and inexpensive miniature robots. Starting with a simple vibrabot made from a scrub brush, John assembles a solar junkbot and a slightly m ...more
This homemade cake mix can turn your least kitchen-savvy friend into a star baker. And you’ve done 90 percent of the work, which is the greatest gift of all. You will need: 2 cups of sifted cake flour 1 tbsp. espresso powder 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt a widemouthed 1- ...more
What’s the holiday season without a glass of creamy eggnog? Can you even remember a Christmas when everybody wasn't drunk off eggnog? Well, this year, instead of buying eggnog from a carton and simply spiking it with a little alcohol, learn to make your own. This video will g ...more
Corned beef and cabbage is rarely eaten in Ireland (or at least America's version of the dish), but on St. Patrick's Day, many Irish Americans and wannabe Irish Americans will head to the bar to eat sloshy, poorly cooked versions of corned beef and cabbage while downing some j ...more