Organizing your fridge for maximum efficiency – in terms of food shelf life, food safety, and easy access to the things you reach for most – should be a top priority. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt Read Quote
Many call for cooking pasta directly in milk, a technique that works okay, but it can lead to scorching if you’re not super careful with stirring. I prefer the evaporated-milk route because it ensures a clean pan with no burnt bits on the bottom. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt Read Quote
You can cook a limited number of sous vide recipes in a beer cooler, but if the person you’re buying for wants to start cooking like the pros, they’ll need a dedicated circulator that’s designed to maintain the temperature of a water bath to within one degree. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt Read Quote
Like broccoli, their closely related cousins, Brussels sprouts benefit from extremely high heat and browning, to the point of a near-char, in order to intensify their sweetness and bring out their unique nutty flavor without turning them overwhelmingly sulfurous. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt Read Quote
Ten inches is a very versatile size for a skillet. It’s the ideal vessel for sauteing vegetables for a small family or searing a couple of large steaks, pork chops, or pieces of fish. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt Read Quote
Panko crumbs have tons of surface area, leading to exceptionally crisp coatings. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt Read Quote
I like to think of deviled eggs as a suit. The egg white and filling are like the jacket and pants – they’re the main attraction, and the part that the egg is largely going to be judged by. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt Read Quote
In its pure crystalline form, MSG can be added to soups, stews, sauces, and stocks to add a rounded, savory flavor. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt Read Quote
I wasn’t meant to be a cook. It’s a profession I accidentally fell into one summer between college semesters while looking for an easy job as a waiter. Nobody would hire me as a server, but one restaurant, in desperate need of a prep cook, told me that if I could hold a knife, I could have a job. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt Read Quote
