A Very Serious Guide on How to Make Quesadillas

I grew up in Santa Ana, California on First and Bristol Street right behind El Toro Meat Market. A staple in the community, el super offered not only meat, but fresh tortillas, masa, harder-to-find Mexican produce (like tejocotes or guanabanas), and—mo…

I grew up in Santa Ana, California on First and Bristol Street right behind El Toro Meat Market. A staple in the community, el super offered not only meat, but fresh tortillas, masa, harder-to-find Mexican produce (like tejocotes or guanabanas), and—most importantly—a very stocked cheese counter that never failed to bring me (and my belly) great joy.

Behind the glass, there’d be crumbly rounds of queso fresco—a creamy, fresh, mildly salty cheese, perfect for breaking up and scattering over flautas, frijoles de olla, or baked in a chile relleno. And, the slightly drier, firmer queso cotija—saltier but still mild, perfect for dusting onto sopes, huaraches, and refried beans.

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How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets Like a Pro

I absolutely adore my apartment, and often joke that I’d like to live there for the rest of my life. The bathroom used to be my one big bone of contention upon moving in, but I’ve since updated it to be much less visually arresting. I have, of course, …

I absolutely adore my apartment, and often joke that I’d like to live there for the rest of my life. The bathroom used to be my one big bone of contention upon moving in, but I've since updated it to be much less visually arresting. I have, of course, begun fixating on smaller, less offensive features in my home, because why be content when you can drive yourself delirious with projects, right?

Currently, my never-satisfied gaze has settled upon my kitchen cabinets, which are a perfectly serviceable Colonial-style (raised center panels with a cathedral arch) oak, finished with a warm stain and shiny varnish. I’d rather them be closer to Shaker style—which is not really within the realm of rental possibility—but would settle for a nice coat of matte paint, should my landlord allow it.

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The Very Best Ways to Store Fresh Bread

Let’s start off with the bad news: If there’s a loaf of lean bread on your counter—meaning a loaf without added fat or sugar, such as a sourdough boule, ciabatta, or a baguette—it’s only at its best for a few days after baking. After 48 hou…

Let's start off with the bad news: If there's a loaf of lean bread on your counter—meaning a loaf without added fat or sugar, such as a sourdough boule, ciabatta, or a baguette—it's only at its best for a few days after baking. After 48 hours or so, the bread loses flavor and becomes harder and dryer.

This puts you in a predicament. Either you eat an entire loaf of bread in two days (not easy for even the hungriest of single people), or you watch something beautiful die. Or mold. Or stale. 

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How to Make Whipped Cream With…Milk?

As the pandemic rolls on and ingredient scarcity continues, you might find yourself in need of a tasty whipped topping (like for one of these), but without the cream to whip. Rather than make a less-than-essential trip to the grocery store or go withou…

As the pandemic rolls on and ingredient scarcity continues, you might find yourself in need of a tasty whipped topping (like for one of these), but without the cream to whip. Rather than make a less-than-essential trip to the grocery store or go without whipped cream altogether, you can, in fact, substitute whole milk or half-and-half for heavy cream.

Conventional baking wisdom (not to mention science) holds that it’s pretty much impossible to make whipped cream with these lower-fat dairy products: Where whole milk is between three to four percent and half-and-half contains anywhere from 10.5 to 18 percent fat, heavy cream, the ideal base for whipped cream, clocks in at 36 percent fat—at least.

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How to *Not* Ruin Your Nonstick Pan

If you’re like me, your nonstick skillet makes its way from storage to stovetop on a frequent basis—it’s the efficient go-to for creamy scrambled eggs, crispy salmon skin, and fluffy pancakes on the regular. With all that use comes a sense of responsib…

If you’re like me, your nonstick skillet makes its way from storage to stovetop on a frequent basis—it’s the efficient go-to for creamy scrambled eggs, crispy salmon skin, and fluffy pancakes on the regular. With all that use comes a sense of responsibility, because if my nonstick is showing signs of misuse, it’s hard to pass the blame—the culprit is very clearly: me. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about nonstick cookware over the years, it is that it’s among my most trusted helpers in the kitchen, but not without a little TLC.

Nonstick, like many other cookware materials, can be a little finicky to take care of. While there are clear rules for how to handle these pots and pans, it can become confusing to parse out which rules apply to nonstick, and which guidelines you may have heard in passing that actually apply to the care of a different material. Is nonstick the one that needs to be dried immediately, or is that copper? And is it best to clean it with kosher salt, or was that cast iron?

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How to Make A Very Good Pour Over Coffee

Coffee is a simple beverage. There isn’t much to it, just hot water and ground coffee. There’s one component, however, that isn’t so cheap or easy to use, and that’s time. It takes time to draw out the flavors and practice your technique, to understand…

Coffee is a simple beverage. There isn’t much to it, just hot water and ground coffee. There’s one component, however, that isn’t so cheap or easy to use, and that’s time. It takes time to draw out the flavors and practice your technique, to understand what you’re tasting and how to get the best out of your cup.

But, all this time devoted to coffee is also time you're taking for yourself. I’ve found that making coffee each morning brings me calm, a much-needed pause before I start the day.

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A Weekend-Friendly Project for Your Plain, Old Wood Furniture

With help from our sponsor Behr—makers of high-quality paints in every shade—we’re sharing color-filled paint projects anyone can pull off, whether you’re a first-time DIY-er or a seasoned pro. To make your upgrades even easier, check out the BEHR® Exp…

With help from our sponsor Behr—makers of high-quality paints in every shade—we're sharing color-filled paint projects anyone can pull off, whether you're a first-time DIY-er or a seasoned pro. To make your upgrades even easier, check out the BEHR® Express kit, which has all the tools you'll need, plus an expertly curated color palette.


I once found a small dresser in the alleyway outside of my apartment building in near-perfect condition. Three drawers, no scratches or stains, and the perfect height for it to be a nightstand.

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So, What Is Bread Flour?

Before we talk about bread flour, a review of how flour is made: Flour is made from finely grinding kernels of wheat, which itself falls under six classes: hard and soft, red and white, spring and winter. Hard wheats are, well, literally harder, and co…

Before we talk about bread flour, a review of how flour is made: Flour is made from finely grinding kernels of wheat, which itself falls under six classes: hard and soft, red and white, spring and winter. Hard wheats are, well, literally harder, and contain more protein and gluten than soft wheats. Flour milled from red wheat is favored for the robust flavor and rustic texture it lends to artisan loaves. Flour milled from white wheat, on the other hand, will lend loaves an airier, sponge-like texture. (Spring and winter merely refers to the growing season.)

Bread flour (or, flour that’s best for bread) is typically milled from hard red because of its high protein and gluten content. All-purpose and cake flour typically come from soft red or white wheat. Here’s how their protein contents stack up:

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Here’s How to Grill Corn on the Cob Like a Pro

Grilling corn should be as quick and easy as just, well, throwing it on the grill. But sometimes cobs emerge dry, or raw, or dry and raw. Should you be wrapping cobs in foil? Are you too quick to strip and toss the husks? Or is it simply a matter of be…

Grilling corn should be as quick and easy as just, well, throwing it on the grill. But sometimes cobs emerge dry, or raw, or dry and raw. Should you be wrapping cobs in foil? Are you too quick to strip and toss the husks? Or is it simply a matter of better timing or heat properly applied?

To answer all your questions (and then some), here's our guide on how to grill corn on the cob so that it's perfectly charred and juicy-sweet every single time. Oh, and here’s a reminder on how to pick corn.

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How to Make Fresh Or Dried Bread Crumbs

Before Food Editor Emma Laperruque’s recipe for Pecorino Dumplings, my relationship with bread crumbs (whether store-bought or homemade, fresh or dried, flavored or plain) was pretty much nonexistent. I grew up on those tinned bread crumbs laced …

Before Food Editor Emma Laperruque’s recipe for Pecorino Dumplings, my relationship with bread crumbs (whether store-bought or homemade, fresh or dried, flavored or plain) was pretty much nonexistent. I grew up on those tinned bread crumbs laced with Italian seasonings, but never thought to make homemade bread crumbs myself.

But then Emma asked a very good question: Why would you *ever* throw bread butts away, when—fresh or dried or even stale—they could have a very exciting future in crumb form? Now, I stockpile heels, odds, and ends in a tightly sealed bag in the freezer. When a dish is lacking a crispy-crunchy something, I’ll pull out a heel or two, blitz it in the blender (a la method #1 below), toss gently with olive oil or anchovy oil or sun-dried tomato oil and toast until crisp. 

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