Category: Cooking

Have you noticed significant variations between different brands of lentils? I’m not sure if it’s the brand or the store where I bought them, but I recently tried Goya brown lentils from Walmart, and I wasn’t impressed. Both bags I cooked had a strange smell—definitely not rancid, but off-putting nonetheless. Plus, the lentils stuck together…

Easter Meal Inspiration This year, I’m excited to host Easter for my extended family for the first time! Since we’ll have around 20 people, I’m planning on serving ham as the main dish. I’d love some easy-to-make recipe ideas for sides, appetizers, and desserts. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I don’t own a smoker, but I really want to make great pastrami. I adore corned beef and pastrami, but most recipes for authentic pastrami call for a smoker. Is there a method for making pastrami using the oven or another cooking appliance?

Looking for a substitute for aluminum-free baking powder? I need alternatives for crisping chicken skin, as my local grocery store doesn’t stock it. I came across a mix of cream of tartar, regular baking powder, and cornstarch as a potential substitute, but unfortunately, it left the chicken with a bitter taste. Any other suggestions? Sigh.

Has anyone tried smoking chicken using this method? I’d love to share the YouTube video! Watch it here!

Does anyone know where I can purchase high-quality deli containers in Australia? I’ve only come across the thin, flimsy clear ones online. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

How can I turn soft boiled eggs into medium boiled ones? I just boiled some eggs, but when I went to peel them, they were a bit too soft. I’ve heard it’s possible to reboil them, but how long should I do that for? Update: I reboiled them for 5 minutes, and they turned out…

Strange cooking experience with induction I’m currently making birch syrup on my home induction stove. I’m accustomed to the buzzing sound it makes, but recently it started producing an entirely different sound that’s quite unusual. Prior to this, it was maintaining a steady boil. Does anyone know what might be happening and if I should…

How can I use dried rosemary without ending up with crunchy twigs in my dish? UPDATE I meant rosemary, not thyme! I was adding thyme to a soup when I thought of this question and just made a typo. The image shows what I’m referring to. I often have to rely on dried herbs because…

I’ve soaked pinto beans twice recently, and I’ve noticed a consistent issue: only about two-thirds of them expanded as expected. I soaked them for around 18 hours each time, but roughly one-third remained the same size. Does anyone know why this might be happening? I understand that older beans can sometimes be challenging to cook,…