Category: Cooking

What sparked your passion for cooking? For me, it all started with watching The Bear. Growing up, I was surrounded by my mom and grandmother whipping up traditional dishes from our culture. I enjoyed trying various cuisines, and as I got older, I mostly stuck to quick, simple recipes that served the purpose of keeping…

Mystery Soup When I was a kid growing up in southern Arizona, there was a soup I often enjoyed at friends’ houses or while being babysat. I can’t recall its name, but I’ve tried to recreate it from memory, and it tastes surprisingly close to what I remember. The main ingredients included dark cuts of…

When using a mortar and pestle to grind spices, what’s the most effective method? Should I grind spices that need to be crushed together, grind them separately, or combine all the spices needed for the recipe and grind them at once? I know it might seem like a basic question, but with many recent recipes…

Olive Oil in Drains I understand that oil, grease, and fats shouldn’t be disposed of down the drain. But does this rule apply even to a tablespoon of olive oil leftover from cooking meat? Or is it only a concern for larger quantities? If that’s the case, what’s the best way to clean your pans…

Have you ever thought about how much easier cooking could be with a cooking robot? I genuinely enjoy cooking, but there are days when I feel a bit lazy and wish there was a robot to help out. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this! Just pondering out loud. Thanks!

Looking for ideas to use up all the canned diced tomatoes I stockpiled from Costco! I thought I’d use them up quickly, but I’ve only managed to use one can for chili over the last few months. What are your favorite recipes that incorporate canned diced tomatoes? So far, here are some ideas I’ve considered:…

Meat Thermometers, Anyone? I’m a big fan of gathering kitchen gadgets, and my husband and I sometimes suffer from a serious case of ‘imposter syndrome’ when it comes to our collection. We’ve been on the lookout for the ideal WiFi/Bluetooth thermometers. Right now, we’re using this Wireless Meat Thermometer with 4 probes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D62QTGJM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share While we…

What’s your go-to tip for enhancing pesto? I’m considering adding some parsley, but I’m not sure if it would really improve it. What do you think?

I just tried cooking with my new heritage steel pan for the first time! After sharing my initial experience, I picked up some useful tips. Unfortunately, I overheated some olive oil while cooking pears, and now my pan looks like this after several cleaning attempts. I started by boiling equal parts vinegar and water and…

What’s a ‘restaurant-quality’ dish that’s surprisingly simple to whip up at home?