#culinary-techniques

#culinary-techniques

When someone first told me to "sweat" my eggplant, I looked at them like they had three heads. But their tip was a culinary game-changer, as I had thought for years that restaurants must have an exclusive secret way of preparing eggplant that I could just never master. And as it turns out, they did ... but it wasn't a secret.

Before refrigeration, fat was fickle. It spoiled quickly, turned rancid, and needed a buffer against time. Salt was a cheap, bountiful preservative, and so salted butter was the default. If you were a farmer storing the summer's bounty of creamy grass-fed butter, a merchant shipping barrels, or just a household trying to stretch food through lean seasons, salt was non-negotiable because it turned perishable fat into something that could be kept.

Using a petite ring cutter streamlines the process of cutting pineapple, enabling the creation of uniform pieces perfect for appetizers or mixing with other dishes.

An opened jar of jam that's stored in the fridge is usually safe to eat for about six months, but its quality deteriorates over time.

Homemade bagels taste better than grocery store-bought kinds, which are often more dense and bread-like, but making them is a lot of work.

Sweet potatoes, with their vibrant orange hue and rich, sweet flavor, are ideal for warm and comforting dishes. These nutritional powerhouses are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

The hardest part about making a fruit pie is waiting for it to properly cool before you can slice it open. It takes hours. Four is better, with a six-to-eight-hour wait being downright pro chef behavior.

Sour cream is best when gently warmed or added at the end of cooking to hot dishes, as high heat can cause it to separate and curdle.

Convection ovens utilize a special fan to distribute hot air, improving air circulation and reducing preheating time compared to traditional ovens.

Canned chickpeas are fine to use, but I prefer dried chickpeas unless I'm in a hurry. Also, canned chickpeas are made with salt added unlike with dried chickpeas prepared at home.

"Powdered sugar contains cornstarch, which reacts with the pectin in tomatoes to bring out the color and adds sweetness at the same time."

Tendrils of steam curl out of the bread basket, spreading a warm, yeasty scent as my server unfurls the linen cover to reveal a plump kind of sourdough with a golden-brown crust.

Hugh finds circles satisfying in design, an opinion I initially questioned until I experienced the visual pleasure of an ice-cream sandwich's rounded shapes.

Wet aging involves vacuum-sealing meat, which keeps it moist and tender by breaking down connective tissues. This results in a juicy final product, making it efficient for restaurant operations.

To revive freezer-burned meat, defrost it properly, trim away the burned portions, and utilize a brine to restore moisture and flavor.

Steak Diane is a classic dish made by pan frying a cut of beef and topping it with cream sauce prepared with herbs, shallots, mustard, and heavy cream.

On the Portuguese island of Madeira, espetadas are made by threading chunks of beef onto fresh-cut branches of bay and cooking the skewers over the embers of a fire, infusing the meat with unique menthol notes.

"White wine is the best to use for fondue; Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio," the cooking coach told Tasting Table. Adding wine helps emulsify the cheese and adds acidity."

If you don't have a German grandmother to teach you how to make pie dough, you should seriously consider finding one. By the end of my first week, I was practically a pro.

Curried Chicken Fried Rice with Chilies is a flavorful weeknight dish made easy by using chilled, cooked rice and a variety of vegetables and seasonings.

In a cooking tutorial, Gordon Ramsay shared that filet mignon is one of his favorite cuts due to its tenderness and luxurious qualities, making it a high-end choice.

When the sides of the pan are tall and the veggies are packed in, moisture gets trapped, and the dry heat of the oven becomes a humid sauna.

"Ground beef is a versatile ingredient that is often cheaper than whole cuts of meat, making it a great protein-rich base for various dishes."

Hollandaise is often associated with smoked salmon, but it’s a delightful pairing with cooked salmon too, enhancing its delicious flavor profile.

Sift your dry ingredients. It might feel like an extra step, but sifting is the secret to an even, fluffy crumb and can make or break the final product.

To coat your salmon with everything bagel seasoning, you'll need to use some form of binder to help the seasoning stick to the surface of the fish.