The Secret to Keeping Lemons Fresher, Longer

At all times of year—be it in the balmy heat of summer or the brutal slog of winter—citrus provides an electric, refreshing respite. Behind a thick peel, sharp and vibrant wedges are seasonal starbursts.

I, for one, never pause to order an orange from…

At all times of year—be it in the balmy heat of summer or the brutal slog of winter—citrus provides an electric, refreshing respite. Behind a thick peel, sharp and vibrant wedges are seasonal starbursts.

I, for one, never pause to order an orange from an outdoor fruit vendor, its insides made cold and unexpectedly refreshing by icebox temperatures. I always have spare oranges for snacking and lemons/limes for squeezing into salad dressings or bringing light to avocados in my kitchen. They roll around my crisper drawer or across my countertop, and sometimes get lost behind the jars at the top of my fridge. I forget about them and, as if in response to my negligence, they spite me by shriveling up.

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A 5-Second Hack for Better Chicken Breasts

Chicken breasts are a staple in my kitchen. Crisped up, doused in marinara sauce and mozzarella, poached with milk and herbs—I’ve cooked them every which way. Normally, the prep is pretty easy (and by prep, I mean taking them out of the package). But t…

Chicken breasts are a staple in my kitchen. Crisped up, doused in marinara sauce and mozzarella, poached with milk and herbs—I've cooked them every which way. Normally, the prep is pretty easy (and by prep, I mean taking them out of the package). But there's one thing that's consistently a pain: removing those the stringy, tough tendons.

You know which ones I mean: The unsightly white stuff that just hangs off the cut. Do you carefully try to slice them off, only to hack off hunks of precious meat? Or do you simply ignore them, turning a blind eye to those unsavory bits?

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How to Season (& Clean) Your Trusty Cast Iron Skillet

The cast iron skillet is at once the most beloved and most feared kitchen tool. Chefs and home cooks alike revere it for its versatility, durability, and ability to distribute and retain heat evenly. It’s the ideal deliverer of pancakes, fryer of eggs,…

The cast iron skillet is at once the most beloved and most feared kitchen tool. Chefs and home cooks alike revere it for its versatility, durability, and ability to distribute and retain heat evenly. It’s the ideal deliverer of pancakes, fryer of eggs, caramelizer of onions, and searer of meats. Fluffy cinnamon buns can bake in it, and juicy chicken can roast in it. The cast iron is all-powerful, but as Spider-Man fans know, “with great power comes great responsibility.” And the responsibility of caring for a cast iron is where the fear usually comes in.

Cast iron pans are shrouded in mystery. How do you buy them? Clean them? Season them? The term “seasoning” gets thrown around a lot, but what does it even mean? Basically, it’s a science-based method that protects the material, creates a naturally nonstick surface, and flavors the pan over time by bonding oil to the iron. Whether you purchased your skillet pre-seasoned or not, it’s wise to perform an initial seasoning before the first use and then subsequent re-seasoning every time it appears dry to you. The thing to remember is that if you treat a cast iron pan right, it'll last a lifetime (or two, or three). Here’s exactly what you need to do to keep it in tip-top shape for your numerous kitchen tasks.

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Homemade Bisquick

Homemade Bisquick comes together in less than 5 minutes and can be used in any recipe that calls for Bisquick or all-purpose baking mix.

The post Homemade Bisquick appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

Homemade Bisquick comes together in less than 5 minutes and can be used in any recipe that calls for Bisquick mix or all-purpose baking mix. It’s perfect for things like pancakes, biscuits, and diner-style muffins.

Homemade Bisquick mix in a glass jar with a stack of pancakes and a carafe of orange juice in the background

Most of the time I’m all about baking and cooking from scratch – until I’m not. Like those Sunday mornings when I don’t set an alarm and the whole family sleeps in until 10:00.

I know that sounds pretty blissful, but…

The problem is, I’m a creature of habit and sleeping in always throws me off my game in a big way.

I love waking up early and sipping coffee at my desk in complete silence. It’s when I make lists and online shop for things I don’t need – like lipgloss and mason jar cocktail shakers.

And when I don’t get that time? I feel flustered and out of sorts.
(more…)

The post Homemade Bisquick appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

5 Vegetables You Can Regrow Indoors With Just Water & Sunlight

Now more than ever, home is where many of us are seeking refuge and solace in light of the novel coronavirus. This is a tough time, but we’re here for you—whether it’s a new pantry recipe or a useful tip for your kitchen, here are som…

Now more than ever, home is where many of us are seeking refuge and solace in light of the novel coronavirus. This is a tough time, but we’re here for you—whether it’s a new pantry recipe or a useful tip for your kitchen, here are some ideas to make things run a little more smoothly for you and your loved ones.

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13 Organizing Hacks for Your Tidiest Fridge Yet

I don’t have the prettiest of refrigerators. It is old, white (more like cream at this point), noisy, and inconvenient—standard New York City rental fridge. I spend hours dreaming of having a kitchen with a spanking new, stainless steel, French-door ve…

I don’t have the prettiest of refrigerators. It is old, white (more like cream at this point), noisy, and inconvenient—standard New York City rental fridge. I spend hours dreaming of having a kitchen with a spanking new, stainless steel, French-door version. Ice-maker, wine chiller, giant freezer and all...(Hey, at least I'm not asking for a built-in camera!)

Until such a time manifests though, the one thing that I do have is a pretty organized refrigerator. I mean, you could surprise me with a visit, walk straight up the fridge, open it—and not recoil in horror. In fact, you might even remark on how clean it is, how easily you can find the labeled leftovers, the condiments, and how tidily the herbs are stored.

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How to Make Buttermilk Substitutes for Fluffy Pancakes on the Fly

Buttermilk has a huge range of uses in your kitchen. If you bought a bottle to make pancakes, you could end up using the extra for everything from fried chicken to peach sherbet. But what if you don’t have any—and don’t want to go to the store? Or you …

Buttermilk has a huge range of uses in your kitchen. If you bought a bottle to make pancakes, you could end up using the extra for everything from fried chicken to peach sherbet. But what if you don’t have any—and don’t want to go to the store? Or you did go to the store and they’re all out? Today, we’ll break down how to make your own buttermilk substitutes, and share some highly recommended recipes to put them to good use.


What is buttermilk, anyway?

Traditionally speaking, buttermilk is a liquid by-product of butter-churning. Here’s the gist: You start with cream, churn (or food-process) until it separates, and end up with butter and buttermilk. If you’re making American-style butter—with fresh cream as the starting point—the buttermilk will be equally fresh. If you’re making cultured butter—with crème fraîche as the starting point—the buttermilk will be as tangy as expected, but not quite as thick as what you’d find at the supermarket (more on that in a bit). Because the butter claims most of the fat and little of the protein, old-school buttermilk is also naturally low-fat and rich in protein.

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The $0 Trick to Make Any Bottle of Wine Taste *Way* Better

This article is a part of Wine Week—seven days celebrating all things wine—presented in partnership by our friends at Bread & Butter Wines.

I love wine, but I don’t really know that much about it. I say this a lot, mostly at restaurants when I’m…

This article is a part of Wine Week—seven days celebrating all things wine—presented in partnership by our friends at Bread & Butter Wines.


I love wine, but I don't really know that much about it. I say this a lot, mostly at restaurants when I'm talking to the sommelier about choosing a glass of wine to go with dinner. There are two reasons I do this: 1) to cover my bases in case I say anything wrong (you can't blame me, I’m just a novice!); 2) to not-so-subtly invite the real expert to share their knowledge with me.

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The Do-Anything, Umami-Packed Oil You’re Probably Throwing Away

Look, we get it. The world is divided over how they like their sun-dried tomatoes—dehydrated or oil-packed.

Turns out our team is also split down the middle. Senior Editor Eric Kim, for instance, prefers them dry. “I love rehydrating them myself in a …

Look, we get it. The world is divided over how they like their sun-dried tomatoes—dehydrated or oil-packed.

Turns out our team is also split down the middle. Senior Editor Eric Kim, for instance, prefers them dry. “I love rehydrating them myself in a broth or pasta," he tells me, "or just eating them like candy."

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The Lifelong Kitchen Lesson I Learned From Rachael Ray

I write and edit recipes for a living, so it won’t surprise you to learn that my most-frequented TV channel growing up was The Food Network, which debuted just shy of a year after I was born. I took studious notes watching Emeril Live!, belly-laughed w…

I write and edit recipes for a living, so it won’t surprise you to learn that my most-frequented TV channel growing up was The Food Network, which debuted just shy of a year after I was born. I took studious notes watching Emeril Live!, belly-laughed with Ina, Jeffrey, and their sweater-clad friends, and tried to keep up with Rachael Ray’s go-go-go meals.

All of whom taught me a lot, but what I appreciate most is Rach’s lesson of the garbage bowl.

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