Kitchen
Nonstick, Stainless or Cast Iron: Which Skillet for Which Job
Eggs go in nonstick, a pan sauce starts in stainless, and a thick steak wants cast iron. Here is how each skillet is built, what it does best, and how to look after it.
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Home cooking you will love: recipes, techniques and kitchen know-how
Latest from the kitchen
Ingredients
Baking Soda vs Baking Powder: Which to Use and How to Swap
Baking soda needs an acid in the recipe; baking powder brings its own. How to tell which a recipe needs, why many use both, substitutions that work, and a 30-second freshness test.
Techniques
How to Dice an Onion Quickly and Evenly
Dice an onion in about a minute: halve it through the root, slice toward the root without cutting through, then cut across. Sizes, safe knife grip, fewer tears and storage.
Techniques
How to Make a Roux for Smooth Sauces and Gravy
A roux is flour cooked in fat. The ratio for thin, medium and thick sauces, what white, blond and brown roux are for, a step-by-step white sauce, and fixes for lumps, thin sauce and a floury taste.
Recipes
Creamy Stovetop Mac and Cheese
Stovetop mac and cheese in 25 minutes with a smooth, glossy sauce: grate the cheese from a block, add it off the heat, and know how to rescue a sauce that starts to split.
Recipes
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken noodle soup with bone-in thighs simmered in the broth for deep flavour, noodles cooked on the side so leftovers stay brothy, and safe temperatures for chicken and reheating.
Recipes
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Thick chocolate chip cookies with crisp golden edges and soft, chewy centres: melted butter, extra brown sugar and a yolk, plus the visual cue that tells you when to pull them.
Recipes
Moist One-Bowl Banana Bread
A moist, one-bowl banana bread with how ripe the bananas should be, why to stop stirring once the flour goes in, how to tell it is done, and swaps for nuts, dairy, gluten and eggs.
Kitchen
How to Season a Cast-Iron Skillet So It Stays Smooth
Seasoning cast iron takes oil, heat and one step most people skip: wiping the oil off. Here is the oven method, everyday care, and how to fix sticky, rusty or flaking pans.
Ingredients
Buttermilk Substitutes That Work, and When to Use Each
Out of buttermilk? Milk with lemon juice or vinegar works in most recipes. Here are four substitutes with exact ratios, and which one to pick for pancakes, biscuits, cakes and marinades.
Techniques
How to Tell When Your Pan Is Hot Enough
The water-drop test, how oil looks when it is ready, how long each kind of pan needs to preheat, and the foods that do better starting in a cold pan.
Techniques
How to Sear Meat for a Deep Brown Crust
Why seared meat browns or turns grey, and how to get a deep crust every time: dry the surface, heat the pan, leave room, and wait for it to release.
