Fortuitous kitchen mistakes
We think most people (at least secretly) love lists - especially those that involve food. And this list from First We Feast of 15 Delicious Things That were Invented By Mistake is one of our recent favorites. The…
Food Online
Getting the inside scoop on the Food Network
There's a new book out, From Scratch: Inside the Food Network by Allen Salkin, that describes the 20 years that the Food Network has been on. The Daily Meal has produced an interesting slideshow - 20 Surprising Facts…
The amazing popularity of chicken
If you asked people (meat eaters) what meat they most often eat, it wouldn't be surprising if they answered "chicken." But, even so, we were really surprised with the information in Fooducate's article "Are Chickens…
The chicken-less egg & Bill Gates
The L.A. Times recently asked - and answered: "What happens when Bill Gates attacks world hunger? Chicken-less eggs." In the article, they describe how Gates (founder of Microsoft) is now turning his philanthropic…
Quick ways to soften butter
Among the most notable pet peeves in a kitchen has to be this overlooked description in a recipe: "butter, softened" - and all you have is cold, hard butter. So here's some quick ways on how to solve this problem with…
Reviving 12 limp vegetables
The Washington Post had a very useful item yesterday, How to Bring 12 Kinds of Vegetables Back to Life. Since we're sure that everyone has experienced limp asparagus spears, flaccid green beans, and anemic salad greens,…
Quick tip:The two-step process to keep brown sugar from hardening
No matter how long you've been cooking, it seems that brown sugar remains one of the kitchen's most aggravating ingredients. Poorly packaged - in a box that never seals tightly - it hardens and clumps easily. The key is…
The Neanderthal approach to spiced food
A recent visit to Penzey's recently was quite enlightening in showing how adding spices to foods has been kicked up to the next level - about half the store was dedicated to specialty spice blends named after geographic…
Cooking Light's taste tests produce 41 winners
Every year Cooking Light gives out its Taste Test Awards, an annual guide to the best supermarket and artisanal products in a variety of categories. After eliminating foods that didn't meet nutritional standards, they…
The most popular recipe on the Internet
Unlike television shows or books, it's hard to gauge the popularity of things on the internet because of the sheer volume - how do you compare? But there are indications - Twitter has Followers, Facebook has Likes, and…
Are we no longer beer drinkers?
In August, The Atlantic ran two indepth articles exploring beer-drinking - and the (sad?) possibility that, at least in the U.S., we're no longer choosing beer as our preferred beverage. In the first article, Why Are…
Is chia really worth the cost?
We're not sure how many people remember the rather infamous Chia Pets of the 1980's - little terracotta animals that miraculously spouted fur after a few weeks of watering. But for those of us who do remember, the…