Category Archives: Cooking

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

How to cook a perfect steak

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

To cook a perfect steak, start with a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. I have decided I prefer this method because the delicious juices accumulate in the pan rather than dripping into the fire. You can use anything that doesn’t require … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Diamond Crystal or Morton’s, which Kosher salt is better?

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

Most every recipe on Burnt My Fingers specifies (unless we forget) Kosher salt. That’s because we mistrust the tiny crystals of table salt that make it easy to oversalt your food, plus you might pick up iodized salt by mistake … Continue reading →

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My other cookbook is a Kindle

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

Some chef friends had an online discussion about how they like to read recipes. Almost everybody said they preferred physical cookbooks because they like to look at the pictures and see how the food is plated. Number of people who … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Food for Thought | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The surprising truth about kouign amann

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

I hungered for a sugary, buttery kouign amann (pronounced QUEEN followed by “almond” in which the “d” is silent) before I knew such a thing existed. I had recently moved to Saratoga Springs, NY and discovered the excellent croissants at … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Test driving the Misen nonstick skillet

Posted on April 14, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

The promotional period for the Misen Nonstick Skillet has ended, but if you click the link to this checkout page you will get a pop-up offering the same 20% off for new customers in return for your email address. I’d go for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Bacon vs Pork Belly

Posted on February 11, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

Bacon vs pork belly… which is better? You’d think pork belly is the superior product because of the recent climb in prices. Thanks to its popularity as an appetizer and in ramen, pork belly has risen in price from a … Continue reading →

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Let’s just put oregano on everything!

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

If you order the magnificent Italian Mix sub at Roma Imports in Saratoga Springs, the last thing they’ll do is shake on some dried oregano. Likewise with the surprisingly good #2 regular ordered “Mike’s Way” at the Jersey Mike’s chain. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , | 3 Comments

New Years Taste Test: Tomato Pie

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Burnt My Fingers

We have long wanted to do a recipe test for Utica-style tomato pie. With New Years upon us, we realized a suitable competitor to Utica pie would be Sfincione, a Sicilian street food that is especially popular when the calendar … Continue reading →

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Last minute kitchen gifts

Posted on December 20, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

If you have Amazon Prime, there’s still time to order some last minute kitchen gifts for the chef or gourmand who, like you and me, has become obsessed with Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty and all things Sichuan: Lao Gan … Continue reading →

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The secret to baking with steam in a home oven … at last!

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Burnt My Fingers

I have previously written of my attempts to steam baguettes in a home oven. Steam produces nice “ears” and a glossy, caramelized crust similar to what you’d get from a professional bakery. You can closely replicate the effect for batards … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , | 3 Comments