Category Archives: Cooking

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

A New Years shocker for sour slaw fans

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Burnt My Fingers

Sour slaw is one of the most unforgiving of all foodstuffs. Too much time in the cure and it becomes wilted; too little and it has an unpleasant barnyard taste and smell. And since the cabbage itself varies from one … Continue reading →

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What to do with leftover sourdough starter

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

Being obsessively thrifty, I have traditionally not had leftover sourdough starter after making a recipe. I keep around 150 g of 60% starter (for no good reason, I have several of them) in the refrigerator and when I get ready for a … Continue reading →

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My Thanksgiving clips post

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

The great thing about Thanksgiving (the way we celebrate at my house anyways) is that it’s the same year after year. So, no reason to break new ground when a bunch of existing posts cover the subject well enough: We’ll cook … Continue reading →

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The real problem with fast food today

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

Walk into most any fast food establishment, approach the counter to order, and what do you see? Typically a bank of dispensing stations with the actual food preparation nowhere in sight. I think separating the kitchen from the people who serve … Continue reading →

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Taste test: best way to cook beets

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

Why boil beets when you can roast them? That seems to be the mantra of many nurturing, comfort-food recipes this days and it makes some sense. Since beets have a high sugar content, roasting should produce a caramelized exterior to add … Continue reading →

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How to know when a recipe isn’t going to come out right

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

My mother was a great one for buying cookbooks because they had beautiful photography or came from a famous restaurant, then throwing up her hands because the dishes were too difficult to make. I think she was a big influence … Continue reading →

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No ma’am, this brisket is NOT tough

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

Smoked my first and probably last brisket of the season this past weekend. (Apologies to Bruce Frankel, whom I promised I would get some males together and roast a whole animal on one of his spits. Next year!) Got a … Continue reading →

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The difference between home cooks and professional chefs

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

The other day I got pressed into service on a canning operation. My job was to peel 25 pounds of tomatoes and pass them on to be made into sauce. This required the set-up you see here: a pot of … Continue reading →

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The five most popular recipes on Burnt My Fingers (2015 Edition)

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

I usually do this on our anniversary in September, but am feeling summer laziness so it becomes a fill-in post right now in late July. Anyway, with thousands of clicks apiece, these five most popular recipes are so far ahead … Continue reading →

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Eating sous vide steak with the Emperor

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Burnt My Fingers

This weekend I fired up the Anova sous vide cooker I bought on sale at Amazon.com to make some sous vide steaks. A friend had been hankering for a “steak dinner” so I pulled out a porterhouse, a big sirloin … Continue reading →

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