Cooking guides
The skills behind the recipes. Learn one, and twenty dinners get better at once.
Techniques
The moves behind the recipes: browning, searing, thickening, caramelizing.
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How to Brown Butter (and Know When to Stop) How to brown butter in about 6 minutes, what each stage looks and smells like, how to cool and store it, and how to swap it into any recipe. -
How to Caramelize Onions (and How Long It Takes) How to caramelize onions low and slow in about 45 to 60 minutes, what each stage looks like, a faster method, and how to store a big batch. -
How to Fix Gravy (Lumpy, Thin, Thick, Greasy or Salty) How to fix gravy that's lumpy, thin, thick, greasy, bland, salty or pale, in a few minutes with what's already in the kitchen, plus how to make it ahead. -
How to Make a Roux (Blond to Dark) How to make a roux from blond to dark chocolate, the fat-to-flour ratio, how long each color takes, how much liquid it thickens, and the oven method. -
How to Sear Meat (for a Deep Brown Crust) How to sear steak, chops and roasts for a deep brown crust, with pan and oil choices, dry-brining, safe internal temperatures and fixes for gray meat. -
How to Thicken Soups and Sauces (6 Ways) Six ways to thicken soup, gravy and sauce, from roux and cornstarch slurry to reduction, purée, beurre manié and cream, with amounts and when to use each.
Meat & holidays
Temperatures, brining, roasting and carving, for the meals that can’t go wrong.
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How to Brine a Turkey (Wet or Dry) Wet brine or dry brine, how much salt per pound or gallon, how long for every size of turkey or chicken, and how to keep it all cold and safe. -
How to Carve a Turkey, Step by Step How to carve a roast turkey in about 15 minutes, from taking off the legs to slicing the breast across the grain and setting up the platter. -
How to Roast a Turkey (Thawing, Timing and Temps) How to thaw and roast a turkey, with a time chart by weight for stuffed and unstuffed birds, the spatchcock option, resting and pan drippings. -
How to Tell When Steak Is Done (Temps and Touch Test) Steak doneness temperatures from rare to well-done, when to pull for carryover, how thickness changes things, the touch test, and how long to rest. -
Meat Temperature Chart: When to Pull It and When It's Done Internal temperatures for beef, lamb, pork, poultry, ground meat, fish, ham and leftovers, with pull temps, resting temps and USDA safe minimums.
Baking
Flour, butter, crust and dough: the parts of baking that decide everything.
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How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust (Partial or Full) How to blind bake a pie crust without shrinking or a soggy bottom, with weights, oven temperatures and times for a partly or fully baked shell. -
How to Make Flaky Pie Crust (By Hand or Food Processor) How to make flaky pie crust with the right ratio, cold butter, just enough ice water and a proper rest, plus how to roll it, patch tears and stop it shrinking. -
How to Measure Flour (Spoon and Level vs. a Scale) How to measure flour by spooning and leveling, why scooping packs in extra, grams per cup for common flours and sugars, and why a scale wins. -
How to Soften Butter Quickly (and What Softened Means) What softened butter means by temperature and touch, fast ways to soften it in 10 to 15 minutes, the methods that fail, and how to rescue butter that went too far. -
How to Work with Yeast Dough (Rise, Knead, Shape) How to work with yeast dough, from instant vs. active dry and water temperature to kneading, the windowpane and poke tests, shaping and an overnight fridge rise.
Kitchen basics
Substitutions, storage and the small things every cook ends up asking.
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Baking Substitutions Chart (Eggs, Butter, Buttermilk and More) A baking substitutions chart for eggs, butter, buttermilk, brown sugar, cake flour, leaveners, cream and chocolate, with what each swap changes. -
Buttermilk Substitute (5 Swaps and When to Skip Them) How to make a buttermilk substitute with lemon or vinegar, yogurt, sour cream, kefir or powder, with exact ratios and when a swap won't work. -
How to Cook Pasta (Salt, Timing and Al Dente) How to cook pasta right, with how much water and salt to use, how to tell al dente, why to save pasta water, and how to finish it in the sauce. -
How to Freeze Casseroles (and Reheat Them Right) How to freeze casseroles, what freezes well and what doesn't, how to wrap and label them, how long they keep, and how to thaw and reheat them safely. -
How to Season Cast Iron (and Keep It That Way) How to season a cast iron skillet in the oven, clean it after cooking, fix rust and sticky spots, and the few things that actually hurt it.