Category Archives: Cooking

Here you’ll find everything about cooking that isn’t actually a recipe. Tips, techniques, gripes, whatever.

Let’s make a tea-smoked chicken!

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

I’ve long wanted to make a tea-smoked duck at home, though decided early on it would be smart to start with tea-smoked chicken because of the cost factor. I am tempted by the birds hanging in the window when I … Continue reading →

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Time to make the Election Cake

Posted on November 2, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

In the early days of the free republic, elections were a celebratory occasion. Voters would travel long distances by horse, wagon or on foot to their polling places and linger to have a festive meal, quite possibly involving strong liquor, … Continue reading →

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Is MSG good or bad?

Posted on October 1, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

Is msg (monosodium glutamate) good or bad? Lots of discussion on this topic. There was a restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen that would say good. They specialized in dishes featuring MSG (including a soup which had it dissolved in hot water … Continue reading →

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Foraging sumac

Posted on September 15, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

Sumac is an important ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking. And foraging sumac in the wild is not that hard if you live an area where the bushes with their opposing branches and bright red “horns” grow wild. For our recent … Continue reading →

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Shish Kabob hacks

Posted on September 3, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

Shish kabob by definition is sort of a hack, yes? You take random pieces of meat and veggies, marinate them in some way, then arrange on a stick and grill so the flavors meld. Our prep is pretty traditional with … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Pickled Strawberries

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

Pickled strawberries are a good way to extend the season’s bounty. They’ll last longer in the fridge and can be used in salads or as a component of a charcuterie plate. This balanced version is not overly sweet or sour … Continue reading →

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Taste test: house brand Worcestershire sauce

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

The Lea & Perrins brand is synonymous with Worcestershire sauce, right? But what if a supermarket house brand is just as good at a fraction of the price? Time for a house brand Worcestershire sauce taste test! According to Wikipedia, … Continue reading →

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Time to plant the shiso!

Posted on June 14, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

We have two nice pots of shiso which reseed themselves every year, but if you’re not so fortunate it’s (past) time to plant the shiso for a summer harvest. What is shiso you ask? According to this excellent Australian food … Continue reading →

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Is Santa Maria style barbecue a thing?

Posted on June 11, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

We ran into a good deal on tri tip roasts on a trip to San Francisco. This cut is rarely seen on the East Coast, so it was a no brainer to grab a couple of roasts and stuff them … Continue reading →

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Taste test: marinated mushrooms

Posted on April 13, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers

I hoovered some delicious marinated mushrooms from the charcuterie board at a recent event and resolved to make them myself. Researching online recipes, I found a surprising variety of methods and even definitions of what “marinated mushrooms” implies. As executed, … Continue reading →

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