Think fried rice, and one of those white, lantern-shaped boxes with red lettering and a thin metal handle might come to mind. That’s because, for most of us, Chinese fried rice comes from a restaurant or is delivered to your door in just such a container.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
You can make amazing fried rice at home, on your schedule, and with the exact ingredients you want. Best of all, it’s easy. After making fried rice at home for years, I’ve found a new way that’s way faster and way easier: By prepping not just the rice the night before, but everything that will go into fried rice.
Sugar and sweeteners in general are pantry staples. Whether it’s white or brown sugar, honey, or artificial sweeteners like stevia, we use these products all the time in beverages, baking, and myriad other cooking applications. But there is one type of sweetener you may never have heard of: piloncillo. It’s time that you do, and here’s why.
Restaurants can make food in ways you can’t at home because they have cooking devices you can’t have at home. One of the hottest of these – literally – is called a salamander.
A salamander can be thought of as a super broiler, like the one in your oven, but that is much more powerful. They are the secret to rapidly searing and cooking food thanks to their intense heat in a confined space. The hope of having such capability at home has long been a pipe dream.
But not anymore.
The Big Horn Outdoors Infrared Grill brings restaurant-worthy capability to the home. I’ve been putting one through its paces for a few weeks now, and am utterly impressed at what this can do, and the delicious food it has allowed me to cook.
I’ll readily admit it: I love Wolf appliances. My first experience with Wolf came in culinary school, where I used their commercial ranges and ovens to cook countless meals over the years.
And the first time I saw one of their home ranges, with all its glistening metal and those iconic red knobs, I vowed someday I would have such a glorious tool in my own kitchen.
That dream is still on hold. Even after my 40-year-old, original-to-the-house range died after a self-cleaning cycle. Yeah, don’t ever do that.
Yes, I could shell out the $6,000-plus starting price for a Wolf range, but the truth is, I need an entire kitchen remodel. And I don’t have the $50,000-plus lying around to do that at the moment. I’ve checked the couch cushions numerous times.
When it comes to kitchen knives, you’re no doubt familiar with the most common ones. You know, the chef’s knife, paring knife, and bread knife. If you’re one to spend even more time in the kitchen and enjoy cooking, you probably also know about specialized ones like a santoku knife and the cleaver.
But the world of kitchen knives is wide and can get a little weird. Yet all have their purpose, and with a bit of know-how can help you be a better cook and bring more enjoyment to your cutting and slicing tasks. Here are six knives you might not know about, and how to use them.
Steam is amazing in its applications. It’s powerful enough to propel a locomotive, yet can be gentle enough to give a relaxing facial or perfectly cook foods while leaving them tender and nutritious.
You’re probably already familiar with steaming as a cooking method, such as cooking steamed vegetables. But steaming for an omelet? How is that even possible?
Well it’s ridiculously simple and has become one of my cooking hacks for an easy breakfast. How easy? if you can whisk eggs and boil water, you can make a tender and scrumptious steamed omelette. Here’s how easy it is to make a steamed omelet.
One word or even a single letter can change the entire meaning and character of something. Put the word “extra” in front of “ordinary,” and you get “extraordinarily.” With the letter “i” the phone as we knew it became the revolutionary iPhone. And adding the word “bisque” makes an ordinary soup, well, extraordinarily.
That’s certainly the case with tomato soup. Yes, tomato soup is a humble classic, and paired with a grilled cheese sandwich, it’s downright comfort in a bowl. But giving it the bisque treatment elevates this soup from simple to supreme. And it only requires one ingredient to do so.
About Bisque Soups
Classically, a bisque referred to a type of seafood soup, but its meaning has expanded over the years to other types of soups. So what transforms an ordinary soup like tomato into a bisque: Cream.
Yes, you can think of a bisque as a fancy way of saying “cream.” Because for some reason “tomato bisque” sounds more indulgent than “cream or tomato.” And it’s often pricier. At the store the other day they were charging $5 for a little can or tub of tomato bisque.
But no matter what we call it, a soup given the bisque treatment is delicious. Here’s how to make homemade tomato bisque soup. It only takes one pot and about 30 minutes. This recipe makes about four servings, but it can easily be doubled or even tripled.
Step 1: Heat a 3-quart or larger pot over medium for 1-2 minutes. Add olive oil. Now add the onion and carrot, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
Step 2: Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Doesn’t this smell amazing?
Step 3: Add the tomatoes and stock, stir well, and bring to boil. Lower heat so the soup simmers, then cook for 30 minutes over with lid on. Stir every few minutes, and be sure to scrape the bottom of pot. If soup begins to stick, lower the heat.
Step 4: Now we blend. Use an immersion blender or ladle the soup into a traditional blender and blend until smooth. If using a traditional blender return mixture to pot. Now taste the soup and adjust seasonings, adding salt or pepper if needed. Shut off heat, add the cream, and stir well.
Congratulations! You just made tomato bisque soup! Garnish as you like and serve hot with rolls, sandwich, or just enjoy this soup on its own. Refrigerate leftovers for up to five days, or freeze.
This idea of simplicity can apply to a lot of things, and I love when we can associate it with food. Specifically a recipe as simple a johnnycakes.
Johnnycakes are a perfect example of a less is more meal. We’re talking only a couple of Ingredients and one pan. But the results are fantastic – little cornmeal patties that are crunchy on the outside, soft within, and totally snackable for a variety of meals and occasions. And they are sooo easy to make!
What Is a Johnnycake?
A johnnycake is simply a cornmeal cake griddled in a skillet or on a griddle. You can think of it as a thicker and denser pancake but made out of cornmeal.
To make johnnycakes, you only need two main ingredients: corneal and water — though some salt and sugar are highly suggested when making the batter. Unlike yeast-risen breads or even pancakes, no leavening agent is used in johnnycakes, meaning you don’t even need baking soda or baking powder.
Cornmeal is inexpensive, and water is nearly free, which means johnnycakes are very inexpensive to make.
They also happen to be a gluten-free food, or at least gluten-friendly. If you require gluten-free foods, buy cornmeal that specifically says gluten-free, as some boxed versions are processed in factories where wheat may also be processed.
About Johnnycakes
Johnnycakes are also known as or spelled as johnny cake, shawnee cake, johnny bread, and journey cake. I call it satisfying.
Johnnycakes are hardly new. They are actually believed to predate pancakes. Johnnycakes date to at least the 1700s and are American in origin. But they are also popular in the Caribbean. In fact, I first had them while visiting Sint Maarten.
Finally, johnnycakes can be made savory or sweet. The recipe below is on the savory side. To make them sweet, simply add more sugar or sweetener of your choice.
Easy Homemade Johnnycakes Recipe
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Step 1: In a bowl combine all ingredients in and stir well. The cornmeal to water ratio is 1:1, so make more or less if desired. For example, for a small batch use 1 cup of cornmeal and cup of boiling water. For a larger batch, go with 3 cups of each, and so forth. Also note that you can play with the ratios. For denser johnnycakes, use less water, or add more for a thinner cake.
Step 2: Let batter sit for about 10 minutes. This will help the cornmeal absorb the water.
Step 3: Heat a pan over medium low. I recommend a skillet that is 10 inches or larger. Stainless steel, cast iron, or non-stick all work great.
Step 4: Add 1 tablespoon of butter or vegetable oil. When butter sizzles, plop small mounds of the johnnycake batter in pan. I like to use a dough scooper for this.
Step 5: Let cook for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for 10 more
Congratulations! You’ve just made delicious, versatile johnnycakes. I like to serve these with maple syrup for a sweet approach, or you can have them as a side like a biscuit with any meal.
During your time in the kitchen, you’ve surely boiled, baked, sauteed, and maybe even shallow fried. These are all common cooking methods that enable us to make a variety of foods and meals. But there’s one you may have never even heard of, yet alone used: pan broiling.
Wait, what? Yes, pan broiling. Also potentially spelled pan-broiling or panbroiling. But no matter where you put the space or hyphen in its name, it refers to a special method of cooking.
As its name suggest, this unique method is related to broiling but, well, uses a pan in a specialized manner. Cooking this way is both exciting and yields super tasty results.
There’s something inherently delicious about corn. And I’m not just talking about its sweet, earthy flavor. There’s the crunch factor that is so satisfying in the mouth. And then the visual appeal: Who can turn down a vibrant yellow ear of freshly cooked corn on the cob or a bowl of steaming kernels topped with butter?
Corn is even better when joined by friends. Exhibit A is my Easy & Epic Corn Salad. Here individual corn kernels are joined by hearty black beans, ripe grape tomatoes, creamy avocado, tart red onions, and sauteed peppers that give this otherwise uncooked salad bit of smokiness.
As a salad, it also needs a dressing. Here it’s simple yet flavorful: Some Mexican crema mixed with lime juice. Think of it as a creamy vinaigrette. Garnish simply with cilantro or Italian parsley, and you have a dish I like to call a culinary orchestra — a recipe filled with several talented ingredients that sound… er, taste, better as a whole.
