Golden caramelized onions in a savory broth topped with crusty bread and gooey melted cheese—it’s hard to imagine anything more warm and inviting than a crock of French onion soup. Slightly sweet, a little salty, and filled with flavor, this soup takes some time to make but is easy to pull off. The time-consuming part comes in waiting for the onions to properly caramelize, but the wait is worth it. You can make this soup using a handful of traditional ingredients or experiment to your liking. Let’s dive in to how to make French onion soup! The Origins: What Is French Onion Soup? The soup’s nam ..read more

Although the old saying that “a bad workman blames his tools” carries a lot of truth, the reality is that the tools we use still matter…a lot. Of course, the workman—or in the kitchen, the chef—needs to know which tools to use and when to use them. The right knife, the right ingredients, or the proper glass can all make a big difference. Even the best chef would run into a world of difficulty trying to make a proper soufflé in a frying pan rather than a ramekin. And when cooking, you also want to use cookware made of the right materials for the job. Different metals heat and cool differently ..read more

Few things rival the soufflé’s reputation among nerve-wracking things to bake. We’re here to take the elements of suspense and chance out of it and to reassure you that almost anyone can bake a soufflé that stands tall and doesn’t collapse upon itself. While they can be a bit touchy, soufflés are not as difficult to make as you might think. Follow these steps to find out how to make this light and airy dish. What Is Soufflé? Soufflé is an egg-based pastry, often baked in a ramekin, that puffs up when baked; its name comes from the French for “inflate.” It includes a base made of egg yolks and ..read more

Every chef knows the satisfaction of adding a pinch of this and a pinch of that until the right blend of flavors emerges from a pan on the stove. Part science, part intuition, a perfectly seasoned dish often comes together sprinkle by sprinkle. Of course, the first pinch we usually think of is salt. A seemingly nondescript, simple ingredient, salt can make or break a recipe. And if you grew up using table salt for cooking or the occasional kosher or sea salt, you might be surprised to find out there are dozens more varieties out there and a range of flavors at your disposal. Read on to discove ..read more

A walk to clear our minds, a workout to relieve tension, or a visit to the chiropractor to realign the spine — we give our bodies and minds a reset in various ways to help us transition from one physical location or mental space to another. In the culinary world, palate cleansers serve a similar purpose for our mouths. They can give our taste buds a reset and help us transition from one flavor to the next. Although a palate cleanser might sound like a practice reserved for haute cuisine or wine tastings, in reality it can elevate any type of multi-course meal and can be easy to do at home as w ..read more

If there’s one food that truly seems like it can go with anything, it’s cheese sauce. From down-home to elegant, dunked in to drizzled, cheese sauce boasts a world of versatility. It elevates breakfast burritos, can make vegetables more inviting for kids (and adults, who are we kidding?), is the focal point of macaroni and cheese, can make for a delicate sauce over veal cutlets, and, of course, is the entire point of fondue. Once you’ve grasped the basic technique, you can add any variety of seasonings and ingredients to customize your cheese sauce. Now, let’s break down how to make a deliciou ..read more

The warm and comforting allure of a golden pastry. The refreshing appeal of a green salad. Whether we’re aware of it or not, the colors we encounter in our daily lives can have a profound impact on our moods and decisions, and, intriguingly, they can either stimulate our appetites or blunt them. For a home cook, learning how colors can affect our appetites can help your meals feel more inviting and satisfying. Conversely, using colors that suppress the appetite could be useful when serving calorie-rich or indulgent foods, subtly encouraging moderation. In social settings, understanding color p ..read more

Lasagna is a staple in Italian cuisine and a popular comfort food. It’s a versatile dish that is filling, flavorful, and flexible enough to be adapted into a number of different styles, from meaty to creamy to vegetable-stuffed…and anything else you can dream up. Dating back to ancient Rome and popularized in the picturesque city of Naples, lasagna combines the hallmarks of many Italian dishes, including noodles, several cheeses, and rich and hearty sauces. One popular version is lasagna with ricotta cheese. Read on to find out more about how to make it. What Is Lasagna? Lasagna—sometimes spel ..read more

If you love to cook, then you’ve likely encountered a fragrant, gnarled piece of ginger. This strange-looking plant can be an extremely versatile ingredient, and is one that every cook should get to know. But while you may be familiar with the fresh ginger you can pick up in the produce section, have you ever wondered about the pink ginger you often see alongside your sushi? Let’s take a look at this unique condiment, along with some of its medicinal benefits and culinary uses. How Did This Ginger Get Pink? Often referred to as a root, culinary ginger is actually a rhizome—a kind of subterrane ..read more

Let’s talk about that cloud-like confectionary dressed with velvety-smooth frosting and doused with sugary sprinkles. Yes, we’re talking about doughnuts—those heavenly pastries that may evoke heartwarming memories of the past and continue to satiate sweet cravings in America. That’s right, even to this day, the pastry’s popularity continues to surge, with the North American doughnut market expected to increase by $689.57 million from now until 2027. So what is a doughnut and how did this dessert sensation come to be? Let’s uncover some “sweet” history of doughnuts, explore different types, and ..read more