Category: How to Cook

Why You Should Cook Your Mushrooms in Water (Yes, Water)

There’s something Lucas Sin wants you to know: Water and mushrooms aren’t enemies.
“A lot of us have been told that when you process your mushrooms—when you cook them—they’re not allowed to touch a single drop of water,” says Lucas in a recent episode …

There’s something Lucas Sin wants you to know: Water and mushrooms aren’t enemies. “A lot of us have been told that when you process your mushrooms—when you cook them—they’re not allowed to touch a single drop of water,” says Lucas in a recent episode of Why it Works. “But in my experience, I found that not to be correct.” Not only is water not the enemy, he argues—it’s actually the key to extracting the most flavor out of your fungi.

“Mushrooms, because of their cell structure and the way this fungus is set up, in between all these fibers are big air pockets that are filled with air and, eventually, whatever liquid that it comes into contact with,” says Lucas. “That’s a lot of the reason why some people say [not to] soak them in water.”

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Our Food Stylist’s Tips for the Best Thanksgiving Cheese Board

We’ve all seen them on social media: packed platters and wooden boards filled with perfectly layered wedges of cheese, neat piles of fruit and nuts, and slices of salami that have—somehow—been artfully molded into the shape of a rose. Known interchange…

We’ve all seen them on social media: packed platters and wooden boards filled with perfectly layered wedges of cheese, neat piles of fruit and nuts, and slices of salami that have—somehow—been artfully molded into the shape of a rose. Known interchangeably—at least online—as grazing, charcuterie, and cheese boards, these creations seem to have become the gold standard for hosting. But they’re also a lot of work and, from a practical perspective, maybe not the best option when you have several hungry guests coming over on the busiest cooking day of the year.

“If you really have time to do all that on Thanksgiving, like kudos,” said Anna Billingskog, Food52’s senior food stylist. “But I think it’s…unrealistic.”

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How to Host Your First-Ever Friendsgiving

Thanksgiving is great, but I’d argue that Friendsgiving is really where it’s at. Thanksgiving celebrations can sometimes feel stuffy and beholden to old traditions, whereas Friendsgiving is, at its core, just an excuse to host an epic, themed dinner pa…

Thanksgiving is great, but I’d argue that Friendsgiving is really where it’s at. Thanksgiving celebrations can sometimes feel stuffy and beholden to old traditions, whereas Friendsgiving is, at its core, just an excuse to host an epic, themed dinner party with your friends.

Holly Sheppard, owner and chef of Fig and Pig Catering, is sort of an expert at Friendsgiving, hosting one every year for a group of 10 to 15 people. Here are some of her best tips for pulling off the occasion (along with some tidbits of my own Friendsgiving wisdom).

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Is There Really a Right Way to Store Spices?

Take a peek at your spice cabinet: If it’s anything like mine, you’ve got a mix of plastic and glass jars, and maybe a few pouches here and there, too. All of them are from different retailers, ranging from the nearby dollar store to Kalustyan’s, and t…

Take a peek at your spice cabinet: If it’s anything like mine, you’ve got a mix of plastic and glass jars, and maybe a few pouches here and there, too. All of them are from different retailers, ranging from the nearby dollar store to Kalustyan’s, and there’s at least one duplicate bottle, from the time you forgot you already had a certain spice at home—in my case, cardamom.

Though it’s not the prettiest or best-organized cabinet out there, it’s deeply functional, and that’s what matters most to me. However, I wondered if—given the variety of spices in my kitchen (and their containers)—there was anything I could or should be doing to extend their shelf lives. Though spices don’t typically go bad or mold like other ingredients, they can lose their potency in a matter of months. So, I reached out to Ethan Frisch, co-founder and co-CEO of Burlap & Barrel, a spice company that works directly with farmers to source its products, who had an unorthodox answer to my spice storage question.

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Erin Jeanne McDowell’s Foolproof Tips for Perfect Holiday Pies

Erin Jeanne McDowell, baking expert and Food52 Resident, is no stranger to making pies. She’s written a whole book on the subject (called, literally, The Book on Pie), graced our
Bake It Up a Notch videos with hours of helpful advice, and shared her r…

Erin Jeanne McDowell, baking expert and Food52 Resident, is no stranger to making pies. She’s written a whole book on the subject (called, literally, The Book on Pie), graced our Bake It Up a Notch videos with hours of helpful advice, and shared her recipes—including her famous All-Buttah Pie Crust—on our site. And in this month’s episode of her show, Erin’s back with even more tips, all aimed at helping you perfect your pies throughout the fall and holiday season. Rather than focusing on a specific recipe or method, Erin goes through the three main types of fall pies (pecan, pumpkin, and apple) and troubleshoots common issues that occur with each one. That way, you can still reach for your tried-and-true family recipe—but maybe this year, you’ll be sure to avoid a soggy bottomed pie crust or a cracked surface on your custard filling. Here are five of our favorite takeaways from Erin’s video.

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Emile Henry Ceramic Ruffled Pie Dish

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JK Adams Tapered French Rolling Pin $17

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Ceramic Pie Weights

Ceramic Pie Weights $39

1. Use Pie Weights Correctly

It’s common knowledge that, when par-baking a pie crust, it’s important to weigh it down with dry beans, pie weights, or another heavy, heat-proof material. What I didn’t know is that those weights should not just cover the bottom of the crust—they should also go all the way up the sides, filling the pie dish completely. “We’re not only trying to weigh down the base of the crust so that it doesn’t puff up, we’re also trying to weigh down and support the sides of the crust,” Erin says. It’s a trick that stops the pie crust from slumping and sliding down the sides of the pan during baking.

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11 Expert Tips for Hosting Holiday Dinners Like a Pro

Hosting a holiday meal—Thanksgiving especially—is almost inescapably hectic. On top of orchestrating a multi-course feast for friends and family who hold comically strong feelings about every dish (see: canned vs. homemade cranberry sauce), you also ne…

Hosting a holiday meal—Thanksgiving especially—is almost inescapably hectic. On top of orchestrating a multi-course feast for friends and family who hold comically strong feelings about every dish (see: canned vs. homemade cranberry sauce), you also need to keep a house full of guests entertained as you tend to the bird, gravy, and fixings—all while shooing everyone out of the kitchen.

After all the effort you put into the meal, you should get to slow down and enjoy it, too. To find out how, exactly, one can stay calm in the eye of a feast’s storm, I asked a few experts who spend their professional lives hosting and catering events. Here’s how they set themselves up for success and minimal stress while entertaining.

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Our Test Kitchen’s Best Tips for Easy, Mess-Free Holiday Hosting

We’re teaming up with our friends at Finish, the #1 recommended detergent in America by dishwasher brands*, to share some of our Test Kitchen’s best tips for reducing mess while hosting this holiday season.

So, you’ve decided to host this holiday se…

We’re teaming up with our friends at Finish, the #1 recommended detergent in America by dishwasher brands*, to share some of our Test Kitchen's best tips for reducing mess while hosting this holiday season.

So, you’ve decided to host this holiday season. After carefully curating your menu, picking out the perfect playlist, and finalizing (and re-finalizing) the guest list, there’s little to no time to think about the dreaded aftermath: the cleanup. Though thinking of the inevitable pile of dishes may make you want to scrap the holidays entirely, don’t let it faze you. We at the Food52 Test Kitchen have compiled some of our favorite tricks, tips, and methods for cutting down—and simply navigating through—the holiday hosting mess.

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Julia Child’s One-Pot Roast Chicken Technique Is *Perfect* for Fall Dinners

We’ve teamed up with Le Creuset to share our favorite no-fuss, one-pot technique for the crispiest, juiciest roast chicken. Psst: We’ve got other ideas for cooking in their signature Dutch oven, too.

There are two things we look for in a roast chick…

We've teamed up with Le Creuset to share our favorite no-fuss, one-pot technique for the crispiest, juiciest roast chicken. Psst: We’ve got other ideas for cooking in their signature Dutch oven, too.

There are two things we look for in a roast chicken—a burnished, golden exterior and meat that’s juicy and thoroughly seasoned. It sounds relatively simple, but achieving both of these benchmarks can be a challenge, especially if you’re relying on conventional roasting techniques.

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You Asked, We Answered: Advice for College Kids Who Can’t Cook

Every day on our Hotline—one of Food52’s oldest, coolest features—curious cooks ask questions that the experts in our community answer. Often the questions relate to a specific recipe, but we get open-ended queries, too, like this one from Katie McDona…

Every day on our Hotline—one of Food52’s oldest, coolest features—curious cooks ask questions that the experts in our community answer. Often the questions relate to a specific recipe, but we get open-ended queries, too, like this one from Katie McDonald:

We are two college students who don’t know how to cook and meal plan. Any easy recipes or advice?

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When Do You Begin Your Thanksgiving Prep? Summer Is Not Too Early for This Mom.

As part of our 52 Days of Thanksgiving, we’re giving you all the tools and tips to pull off the best Thanksgiving ever, from setting a stylish table to curating the ultimate menu. Sign up for emails here to unlock the secrets of planning the most memor…

As part of our 52 Days of Thanksgiving, we’re giving you all the tools and tips to pull off the best Thanksgiving ever, from setting a stylish table to curating the ultimate menu. Sign up for emails here to unlock the secrets of planning the most memorable feast of the year.

This summer, we shared a story on our Instagram about a Thanksgiving dinner so over-the-top it sparked nearly 7,000 likes and more than 100 comments, most expressing pure admiration.

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