Category Archives: Cooking

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

We’re eating chemicals. Anybody got a problem with that?

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

We’ve recently discovered Sugar Free/Fat Free Jello 5-Minute Pudding. A box is 93 cents at our local Wal-Mart (there’s also a house brand, with identical ingredients, for 50 cents) and makes four half-cup servings. You mix it with milk: skim … Continue reading →

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Best mayonnaise taste test: Hellman’s vs Duke’s vs Kewpie

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

Who doesn’t love mayonnaise? A happy marriage of oil and eggs with a kiss of acid, mayo moistens our sandwiches with a lubricious layer that tames the crustiest bread. It serves as a playground monitor when mixed into slaws and … Continue reading →

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To cook a rabbit

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

Our freezer died the other day and, due to pandemic shortages, we had to buy a smaller one and defrost a number of items for immediate consumption. The package pictured above was one of those items. It was purchased from … Continue reading →

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Making Croissants with King Arthur

Posted on March 23, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

Last weekend was packed with March Madness and SXSW, but when an email arrived announcing a last-minute opening in the Lofty Layers class at King Arthur Baking School everything else got pushed aside. The class had an unusual format: watch … Continue reading →

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Best and worst online cooking and drinking classes

Posted on February 25, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

Like you, I have spent a lot of time in this past year eating and drinking with strangers through online classes and tastings. Maybe the best so far was Kenji’s Japanese soufflé pancake class which I attended with my daughter … Continue reading →

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Food for Thought: The Casual Sourdough Baker

Posted on February 18, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

The King Arthur Flour website is always a good resource for recipes and baking tips, but PJ Hamel’s blog The Casual Sourdough Baker is especially welcome in these times. As she puts it, “I’ve always been a rather casual baker. … Continue reading →

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How to find hot spots in your oven

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

I fell into a deep slumber during The Weekend’s LV Super Bowl halftime show and badly overcooked my Oven-Roasted Buffalo Wings. The wings on the bottom rack were salvageable but those on the top shelf were literally toast. This motivated … Continue reading →

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Share recipes, not COVID, during the Super Bowl

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

COVID wings! The CDC is recommending we celebrate Super Bowl Sunday with as many virtual activities as possible, such as sharing recipes for wings and other snacks, vs getting together in person and yelling in one another’s faces. Sounds good … Continue reading →

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Thai secret sauces: Gold Mountain and Healthy Boy

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

Thai secret sauces probably aren’t essential to cooking authentic Thai dishes, but they’re a powerful short cut and I suspect part of most street vendors’ repertoire. Gold Mountain Seasoning Sauce is the saltiest soy sauce you have ever tasted; it … Continue reading →

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On the floor at Fancy Food Show 2021

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers

No, not really. In a normal year we’d be on our way to San Francisco for the Winter Fancy Food Show 2021 where we’d sample wares, talk to producers, and guess what food trends would be hot and not in … Continue reading →

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