Category Archives: Cooking

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

Taste test: butternut squash three ways

Posted on October 29, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

This taste test happened because a guest at our Airbnb left some precut butternut squash cubes in the fridge. Normally we slice a whole squash down the middle, scoop out the seeds and fill the hollow with butter and maple … Continue reading →

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Kenji Vinaigrette

Posted on October 25, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

If you search “Kenji vinaigrette” on Serious Eats, you’ll find this recipe and this one which are very close to our rendition of the Jacques Pepin formula. And as an experienced garde manger, you may well ask “who needs a … Continue reading →

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Smoked Lamb?

Posted on September 26, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

A butterflied boneless leg of lamb got defrosted by accident, so I thought I’d try smoking it along with some brisket. Followed the brisket recipe in which I rub the meat with salt, brown sugar and black pepper then smoke … Continue reading →

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Top five recipes of 2025 on Burnt My Fingers

Posted on September 21, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

What do the top 5 recipes of 2025 (measured in web traffic) on Burnt My Fingers have in common? They’re all very simple, befitting our brand personality as a lazy guy who likes to enjoy good food without a lot … Continue reading →

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Too hot to cook?

Posted on July 22, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

Yep, the summers are getting hotter and our cooking interests wane as the temperature rises. Here are a few easy to prepare and mostly stove-free dishes we find ourselves repeating. Cornell Chicken. This goes on the grill so it’s technically … Continue reading →

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Cookoff challenge: Aaron Franklin vs instant Pot

Posted on July 13, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

A rack of baby back ribs is a wily beast. It’s a thin cut that is easy to ruin, yet it needs a long time in the smoker for tenderness. On a previous outing we managed to char the outer … Continue reading →

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Wet brining vs dry brining vs rub

Posted on May 27, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

It’s a bit clammy in upstate NY, but tradition demands that I pull out the Weber Bullet for the first smoke of the summer on Memorial Day. I have a nice brisket I will cook in my usual manner: rubbed … Continue reading →

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Can you pickle magnolia petals?

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

Can you pickle magnolia blossoms or petals? According to the Smithsonian, magnolia trees date back as far as 95 million years, a time when there were no bees. They were instead pollinated by beetles and the magnolia developed thick petals … Continue reading →

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Topping focaccia flatbread

Posted on February 2, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

My excellent local bakery, Night Work Bread, offers a rotating menu of imaginative focaccia aka flatbread topping ideas. The base is a long fermented sourdough juiced up with a little yeast so it is light and fluffy but with a … Continue reading →

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Man drools, bread rules.

Posted on January 14, 2025 by Burnt My Fingers

“Man drools, bread rules” is a phrase Jeffrey Hamelman would bring out in his bread baking classes at King Arthur Flour when a dough was taking longer to rise than expected. This loaf is an case in point. After carefully … Continue reading →

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