Everyday cooking

Everyday cooking

There is one trick, and it's already in your kitchen: a spoon. Who knew a humble spoon could be so versatile? It's one of the best hacks that will help you open stubborn jars. When faced with a stubborn jar lid, flip the offending container upside down and give the base a whack with a spoon. If that doesn't work, firmly tap across the lid or wedge the spoon underneath the lid and push upwards.

Usually, people are either in the French toast or pancake camp when it comes to breakfast, but there's no denying that a good waffle just really hits the spot every so often. Sweet, satisfying, and totally customizable, waffles can be a morning-time hero when prepared the right way, and there's one ingredient you can utilize to give them a quick protein boost: chickpeas.

It is a dish that is enjoyed in a wide variety of different formats globally, and because it's impressive and comforting at the same time, it never fails to be the star of the show. This maple butter roast chicken recipe, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, gives you a relatively low-fuss way to prepare and cook a whole chicken with mouthwatering results.

Initially, it's their voluptuous contours that captivate. The long, slender necks and arched stems of Bosc pears, the round, silhouette of Comice. The gentle curves of the bell-shaped Bartlett. In the marketplace most often, they are as hard as boulders. They feel more like baseballs than fruit. Not a whisper of sublime sweetness. Not a whiffet of sensuous aroma. They are picked mature but before ripened, then kept in controlled-atmosphere storage.

Parmesan rinds are the ultimate zero-waste hack like a cheesy stock cube, they enrich stews, sauces and all sorts, and add pure deliciousness in the form of umami depth and creamy texture. Stored in the fridge or freezer, they keep almost indefinitely. This week's recipe uses them in a thrifty, creamy corn orzo that transforms a few simple ingredients into comforting autumn fare.

Once considered a luxury spice, which Henry VI sprinkled through the streets before his coronation in a garish show of wealth, it was typically only used by royalty and upper-class households. Its distribution was controlled by a select group who knew where it was grown. By the 17th century, the Dutch were so vested in controlling its production that they literally started a war to obtain large amounts of nutmeg and store it for their own use.

Rather than keeping the rice on the stovetop for its entire cook time, she lets it simmer on the heat for exactly 16 minutes, and then turns off the stove burner. She then lets it steam in the pot, lid still on, for 10 minutes off the flame. This results in fluffy white rice with the perfect texture and taste. In this episode, she also offers other great tips for cooking white rice perfectly.

According to Sarah Grueneberg, Chef and Owner of Chicago's Monteverde restaurant, the key to nailing the texture of this quintessentially Northern Italian dish is in the first 5 minutes of preparation. In that short amount of time, constant stirring is what rehydrates the cornmeal and suspends it in the liquid - making it much less likely to clump or scold. "If you spend these 5 mins whisking and stirring, it'll simmer and not stick," the expert chef and author of the cookbook, " Listen to Your Vegetables," told Tasting Table. "Otherwise, it will only sink and burn," she added.

The skillet, which is filled with comforting aromatic flavors like rosemary, garlic, and thyme, is the ultimate combination of all three comforting chicken dishes in one. Instead of a brothy base, the chicken and vegetables are surrounded by thick, creamy gravy, made thicker by doughy drop dumplings. The dumplings, which are a simple Southern biscuit recipe designed to be boiled in the broth, become both fluffy and creamy while steaming in the warm chicken gravy.

With its ease and simple ingredient list, the fluffy treat can bring a taste of pumpkin pie to almost any dish. Pumpkin fluff also functions as a dip, making it the star of all your fall-themed charcuterie boards. Pair the dip with apple slices, Concord grapes, brie, prosciutto, pears, and rosemary and sea salt crackers, or stick with the dessert theme by adding peanut butter pretzels, blondies, salted caramel fudge, ginger snaps, and dried cranberries to the charcuterie board.

A cosy twist on the beloved classic, this cake reimagines sticky toffee pudding : dried figs in place of dates, the addition of apples for a fresh pop, and the whole thing crowned with glossy toffee apples. Dense yet tender, plush with fruit and rich with toffee, it's simple enough for a weekend pudding, and special enough to be served at a gathering.

Growing up as a Greek American, certain dishes were always part of my family's weekly dinner rotation. My parents used food to help my sister and me connect to our Greek roots, introducing us to dishes like pastitsio (like lasagna, but better), avgolemono soup (similar to chicken noodle), and baklava (a holiday classic). But no recipe is as quick and easy as my dad's Greek meatballs - or keftedes, as we call them. They're the perfect companion to some fries, pasta, or his Greek roasted potatoes.

When learning to cook, everyone generally gets a good handle on the basics of the stovetop and the oven. The stove provides direct heat, and the oven, indirect. But what about the broiler? Not nearly so commonly used as the stove or oven, the broiler can be a bit trickier to use. But when it is the right tool for the job, it does wonders. Tasting Table spoke to Chef Randy Feltis, co-author of "Katherine Wants: The Ultimate Date Night Cookbook," who said that you need to use it with the oven door open to get the most out of your broiler.

To me, pasta is the most versatile of food types and lends itself perfectly to such seasonal cooking: a walk through damp woodland, say, often makes me crave wild mushrooms, sauteed with garlic and herbs, then tossed with fettuccine, while, as the days shorten and the air cools, a slow-cooked game ragu with penne always hits the spot, as does a warming blast of 'nduja in a creamy sauce.

Whether you're having a cookout or you're just looking to switch up your normal dinner routine, kebabs are a great way to feed your loved ones (and yourself). Generally speaking, they're relatively easy to make - you just have to layer different ingredients onto a skewer, then put it on the grill (or put it in the oven) to allow it to cook to perfection. The meat is grilled nice and evenly, and any accompanying ingredients only add more flavor to the equation.

Every time my mom would bring home loose lavender or chamomile flowers, she would mix two teaspoons of either herb to a half cup of baking soda in a plastic baggie, shake it vigorously to mix, and then sprinkle it all over the living room rug. I was confused the first time I saw her do this, but once she began vacuuming the rug, I could smell the difference.

If you're at home, just brew some coffee and pour as much friggin' creamer in as you want! But, if you're in public, options vary. Some coffee shops will have creamer; others will be, like, "We just have half-and-half," and that is insane. It is not the same. When in doubt, bring your on-the-go creamer and do not allow anyone to shame you. You are an adult and you know what you like.

It may sound weird, and it's definitely unconventional, but Ree Drummond's method for boiling an omelet in a bag is actually genius. You need to try this if you're among those of us who try to flip an omelet and quickly change the meal plan to scrambled eggs every time. On her Food Network show, " The Pioneer Woman," Drummond demonstrated how she makes an omelet by adding all the ingredients for the previously complicated egg dish to a boil-safe bag and cooking a tasty dish in minutes. After enjoying this dish, there are no messy pans to scrub because you can simply toss the bag in the trash.

Ever since I've hit upon my perfect overnight oats recipe, I can't stop riffing on flavors. With the change of seasons, of course I had to create a pumpkin spin. These pumpkin overnight oats are super cozy, require only 5 minutes of prep, and are easy for busy mornings! I love that this recipe serves two perfectly, making it great for meal prep. The creamy pumpkin adds a creamy texture, offset by maple syrup and warm spices.

Basil stems, like the stalks of most soft herbs, are entirely edible. While they may be too tough to blend into a smooth pesto sauce or to used as garnish, they still have some of that sweet, peppery basil flavor that can be infused into the syrup. Moreover, turning basil stems into a herby and flavorful syrup is easier than it sounds. Just whip out a pot, add some water, sugar, and, of course, the basil stems, and reduce it into a syrup.

I won't pretend that these are the height of Italian fashion, but style is eternal as is the childish joy of a bright yellow frozen lemon. You could, of course, buy in lemon sorbet instead, and use the flesh from the lemon shells for cocktails or lemonade (and/or freeze the juice for future use), but this really is such an easy make-ahead dessert that I urge you to give it a go.

Today, I love cooking up a batch as a healthy side dish or as part of a grain bowl. This farro with mushrooms is bursting with flavor from the savory mushrooms, garlic, and fresh thyme and oregano. Add a spritz of fresh lemon juice and some grated Parmesan cheese and it's a side dish everyone raves about! Want more with mushrooms? Try Mushroom Soup, Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions, Portobello Burger and more.

Once you've taken care to cut the outer peel from a fresh pineapple, you might just find some brown spots from the leftover peel, which are commonly referred to as "eyes." Albeit unsightly and unpleasant in taste and texture, the simplest way to remove these eyes while reducing food waste is with the use of a spoon. This is the quickest and easiest method that will leave the most fruit intact.

Baking usually comes in recipe-precise ingredients and multi-step efforts, with hours upon hours of labor brought together by the oven heat. It's rarely something you throw together and be done in a flash. Unless, of course, you are making apple turnovers, and you already have the three bare essentials. Sheets of puff pastry, applesauce, and a glaze, plus just a bit of preparation and hands-off cooking, and voilà, a golden batch of fall desserts ready in no time.

While everybody's preferences differ, a good chia pudding is neither too runny or too clumpy. Instead, it should be creamy and thick enough to resemble, well, a pudding. To achieve this, you'll want to transfer your pudding to an airtight container in the fridge and wait for at least one to two hours before eating it. If you want the pudding to have a really thick, velvety, and almost tapioca pudding-like consistency, consider leaving the mixture in the fridge overnight.

There is something so simple but so delicious about a parcel of fish. Like unwrapping an edible present, the smell hits you before anything else, which in this case is fennel, thyme and lemon. It is a delicate way to cook fish, so the sauce needs to have some character, and basil, olives and lemon with a slick of olive oil make a beautiful, late-summer seasoning.

These apple cinnamon overnight oats are a delicious whole grain healthy breakfast! This easy make-ahead recipe combines sweet tart apples, warm cinnamon, and chewy oats for the perfect morning meal. I've been making overnight oats for years, but this apple cinnamon version has quickly become my family's obsession! The sweet tart chunks of apple add delicious texture, while the cinnamon heightens the cozy flavors. My son immediately asked me to make another batch!

To ripen avocados faster than you can say "guacamole," place the unripe fruit in a brown paper bag filled with a cup or two of flour. The paper bag trick is a tale as old as time, a long-known method of trapping the ethylene gas that avocados emit and using it to speed up ripening, but adding flour means that any excess moisture is going to be wicked up before it