Category Archives: Cooking

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

(Don’t) pass (on) the stuffing, please

Posted on November 24, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

Thanksgiving stuffing (aka “dressing”) does not seem to be a popular dish these days. I volunteered to make a stuffing recipe in Mrs. Brooks’ third grade class and only two children signed to assist, one of them mine. Then last … Continue reading →

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Cardoons!

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

We grew cardoons this year. We grew them last year too, but never got around to figuring out what to do with these stalks which are members of the thistle family, like artichokes, yet different. With a hard frost looming … Continue reading →

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Favorite recipes from Burnt My Fingers

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

How many recipes has Burnt My Fingers published? Certainly over a couple hundred. Here are my personal favorite recipes among them. Easy Blender Gazpacho. This is everything that Burnt My Fingers stands for: it’s easy, cheap and delicious. No reason … Continue reading →

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My Five Most Popular Non-Recipe Posts

Posted on September 26, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

In honor of Burnt My Fingers’ second anniversary, I’m revisiting our most popular posts of all time. Here are the top five non-recipe posts: The Sauce that Made Mr. Durkee Famous. This was originally posted on my marketing blog, but … Continue reading →

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Why I’m not buying a Sansaire sous vide device

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

The Kickstarter for the Sansaire sous vide device has taken the world by storm. It’s far surpassed its funding goal and now will include the “reach” of a 220V version, a reference towel included in orders, and a choice of … Continue reading →

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What’s the best way to ferment vegetables?

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

We like to brag about successes here on Burnt My Fingers, while learning from failures privately. Take the experiments in which I ferment vegetables.  I wrote about the Kosher dills which were a near-ringer for Patricia Fairhurst’s, but not the next … Continue reading →

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Food Porn: Akimono Sushi Roll (Monkfish Liver)

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

I found fresh monkfish liver, AKA akimono or “the foie gras of the sea”, at my local fishmonger for $12.95 a pound. That’s not much more than calf’s liver! So it was time to bring some home and do some experimentation … Continue reading →

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(Pork) Belly of the Beast

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

I have been messing around with pork belly, which is readily available at my new local market. You can’t go wrong with this stuff. I followed David Chang’s simple method in the Momofuku Cookbook: rub it with a salt/sugar cure, … Continue reading →

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Why bakers steam their bread (and how you can too)

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

One of the differences between home and professional bakers is that commercial bakeries have ovens which release copious quantities of steam on demand. I got a lesson this week in why steam is important, when I took a Sourdough Rye … Continue reading →

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A talk with Duncan Werner, inventor of SideKIC

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

While in San Francisco last month for the Fancy Food Show, I sat down with Duncan Werner, inventor of the ICA Kitchen SideKIC. This is a gadget that combines three of the four requirements for sous vide cooking: a heating … Continue reading →

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