Ingredient primers Posts
Pecan Scotch Compound Butter
You know how when you go to a fancy steakhouse and your steak comes with a sumptuous hunk of cold, creamy butter on it? And it’s just starting to melt and mingle with the meat’s perfectly charred crust to make a mouthwatering, on-the-spot sauce? Compound butter is like that, but better.
Neverending Vanilla Extract (Make Your Own!)
Here’s how to make your own vanilla extract. All you need is a nice bottle, your favorite vodka, and a few vanilla beans. You just can’t beat the flavor—and a bottle makes a great gift for anyone who likes to bake.
Basic Homemade Chicken Stock
There are a lot of methods for making chicken stock. Some folks make it in the slow cooker. Some folks make it in the oven. This is one of the ways that I make mine on top of the stove. It’s a good, basic method and yields a richly flavored, golden chicken stock that’s a [...]
Fresh Herb Compound Butter
Compound butter is a fabulous finishing touch. This is a quick and easy way to add a lot of extra flavor to steaks, chicken, fish, or even rice and pasta.
What is compound butter?
Compound butter is butter that’s been creamed together with other ingredients, like herbs, spices, wine, oil, etc. Whip it up, keep it in [...]
Porcini Powder (a.k.a. The Secret Weapon on My Spice Rack)
Powdered porcini mushrooms are one of my favorite secret weapons in the kitchen. It’s an almost instant way to add an incredible depth of earthy flavor to meats, veggies—and just about everything in between.
Today’s article is all technique, no recipe. And honestly? It couldn’t be simpler. All you need is a package of dried porcini [...]
Make Your Own Deli-Style Roast Beef
Forget the deli. Make your own roast beef at home. It’s simple and typically way more economical than hitting the deli counter every week—plus, you can personalize your roast beast with whatever flavors you like. All you need is a piece of meat, a few spices, and a really sharp knife.
Deli-Style Homemade Roast Beef: Stretch [...]
Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur
I learned to cook from my mom, who works a certain kind of magic in the kitchen. Of all the things I’ve learned from her, how to make homemade Irish cream liqueur may not be one of the most practical—but it is one of my favorites.
The short version of this recipe is: Add all ingredients [...]
Fiery Green Hot Sauce
What do you get when you combine mashed chilis, white vinegar, and a little salt? A homemade hot sauce with super-fresh, vibrant flavor that beats the pants off of anything store bought. At least so says the Mouse.
Some things are too good to resist. For those of you who don’t know me that well, I [...]
How to Make Homemade Marshmallows (And Then Dip Them in Chocolate)
Hello, Willy Wonka! Making candy is just delightful. There’s no two ways about it. And making marshmallows? From scratch? That’s downright magical.
I mean, take a handful of regular old ingredients through a few very simple steps, and…presto! Marshmallows. I’ve done this dozens of times over the years, and it never fails to amaze me.
Homemade gifts [...]
Basic Cooking: How to Make Simple Syrup
We’re kicking off our Basic Cooking series with a toast! (The makings of a toast, to be more precise.)
Simple syrup is gloriously useful stuff. It’s one of the building blocks of many cocktails—from classic to contemporary—and, really, it couldn’t get any simpler to make.
Also known as “sugar syrup,” “simple sugar syrup,” and “bar syrup,” it’s [...]
