Beef cheeks are inexpensive cuts that are perfect for braising and slow-cooking. They are the muscles of the cow’s cheek and jaw, which are heavily used. This makes them rather tough with a lot of sinew if they are not cooked low and slow. It can be hard to find beef cheeks if you don’t … Read more
Making a recipe calling for coffee extract and don’t have any on hand? Don’t worry– there are several easy and convienent ways to get a coffee extract substitute. All you need is some ground coffee or whole beans and you can impart a rich coffee flavor on any culinary creation. If you’re short on time, … Read more
If you’re new to cooking with traditional animal fats, you might hear the words suet and tallow thrown around frequently, and often seemingly interchangably. But, they are really not the same thing, and they actually refer to fat in different stages of processing. What is Suet? Suet is the raw fat surrounding the kidneys. It … Read more
Cubanelle peppers are considered a sweet pepper, although they have a little heat. Cubanelle peppers are also called Italian Frying Peppers, because they are often eaten fried in oil. They are usually light green or yellow. Cubanelle peppers have 0-1,000 Scoville Heat Units, so when selecting a substitute for this hard-to-find pepper, it’s important to … Read more
No, plastic cutting boards do not dull knives faster than other cutting boards. In fact, the type of plastic used, high-density polypropylene, has similar properties to soft wood, and it is gentle on your knives. Be sure to check the feel of the plastic, though. Very hard plastic can dull your knives. Sometimes plastic cutting … Read more
Calabrian chili is a staple of Italian cooking and a truly unique spicy pepper. It comes from the Calabria region of southern Italy, and can often be found jarred in oil, pickled or dried. It has a wonderfully unique spicy, fruity and taste that doesn’t overpower dishes. The Calabrian chili pepper is a rusty red … Read more
The short answer: no, you cannot be certain that vintage corelle is lead-free. It’s a little more complicated, though. Corelle is known to produce Vitrelle multilayer glass tableware that is currently lead-free. However, it was not certified lead free until 2005, and dishware produced before then may have very small amounts of lead present, particularly … Read more
What are ceramic knives? Ceramic knives are knives made out of zirconium oxide, also known as zirconia. This is a different ceramic than what mugs or bowls are made out of, in case you were confused as how a knife could be made out of fragile ceramic. This ceramic, zirconia, is very hard, significantly harder … Read more
No, you should not put ceramic knives in the dishwasher. While technically they are dishwasher safe, it’s very likely that your ceramic knives will get damaged in the dishwasher. Ceramic blades are much more fragile than stainless steel, and will break in the jostling dishwasher. Honestly, no chef knives should be going in the dishwasher, … Read more
Cucumber usually brings moisture and crunch to a dish. Whether you’re out of cucumber or you just don’t like them, all of the options below serve as a great cucumber substitute. The key is that they mimic the water content, crispness, and sometimes, even color of cucumber. Basically, these replacements are great if you just … Read more
