Tag: Home-Cooking

Posted in #allrecipes

My Family Requests This Soup Every Fall—Here’s My Secret Ingredient

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

I love when someone walks in the house, smells the aroma of something wonderful coming from the kitchen, and asks the question many home cooks love to hear: “What smells so good?” That question isn’t asked often in the summer, at least not in my home when many meals are cold or cooked outside. But once the weather turns chilly and soup season arrives, I hear that question often. 

I frequently stick with the classics: chicken noodle, roasted butternut squash, tomato, ham and bean, and my absolute favorite—minestrone. I have used the same minestrone recipe for many, many years. I discovered it here on Allrecipes sometime in the mid-aughts (can we please find a better name for that decade?), and it’s been on heavy rotation during fall and winter ever since.

Continue reading “My Family Requests This Soup Every Fall—Here’s My Secret Ingredient” →
Posted in From My Kitchen

I Tried Our 5 Most Popular Brownie Recipes and the Winner Stole My Heart

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

In the hierarchy of desserts, brownies belong at the very top. The handheld squares are ridiculously satisfying, offering decadence, chew, and of course, chocolatey goodness. But perhaps the best part is how easy they are to make, requiring little more than a mixing bowl and a whisk. Need a last-minute treat for the potluck? Make brownies. Craving something sweet at midnight? Make brownies!

Of course, having a go-to recipe makes the process that much quicker—which is why I’m here to test and rate the five most popular ones on Allrecipes.com. As a recipe developer, food writer, and avid brownie baker, I was up for the challenge.

Allrecipes

Grace Elkus is a freelance food writer, editor, and recipe developer with over a decade of experience in food media. Her work has appeared in national print and online publications, including Cooking Light, Real Simple, Rachael Ray, and Kitchn

Posted in From My Kitchen

The Secret Ingredient for the Crispiest Baked French Fries

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

If anyone asks me what my favorite food is, I would mostly likely say french fries. You may think that fries aren’t necessarily a whole meal but to me it is. I like different iterations of fries including waffle, steak, crinkle, curly, and shoe string. I even like them with additions such as chili, cheddar, and my personal favorite, gravy and cheese curds.

For obvious reasons, I cannot eat traditionally prepared (deep-fried) fries all the time, so oven-baked fries are a good alternative. Baked fries can be hit or miss because sometimes instead of crispy fries, you’re left with oversized roasted potatoes. There are tricks to getting crispier fries, but this one hack is something you would have never imagined.

According to this recipe from user Life Tastes Good, tossing potatoes with a tablespoon of sugar, and letting them drain in a colander for 30 minutes before baking is the vital step to getting super crispy oven fries. Here’s why it works.

https://www.allrecipes.com/why-sugar-makes-the-best-crispy-baked-fries-7853317

Posted in From My Kitchen

Chef John’s Unexpected Trick for the Best Potatoes You’ll Ever Have

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Let’s face it—when it comes to cooking potatoes, we’re all really after one thing: crispiness.

It’s this mouthwatering quality that makes you crave hash browns in the morning and renders it impossible to eat just one fry. Sure, there’s a time and place for mashed and au gratin, but in the potato world, crispyis king.

Potatoes have the unique ability to deliver both creamy and crispy textures in one bite, but they won’t get there on their own—you have to cook them just right. That’s why we (and our Allrecipes users) swear by this trick from Chef John for making the most texturally decadent potatoes to ever come out of your oven.

Chef John’s Unexpected Trick

Posted in From My Kitchen

How To Buy, Store, Prep, and Cook Chicken

Posted on by Reluctant Retiree

Chicken almost always tops the list of the most-searched recipes on Allrecipes, and for good reason. Chicken is a popular and versatile ingredient that lends itself to all kinds of savory recipes and cooking methods. We’ll share our best tips for buying, storing, freezing, thawing, prepping, and cooking chicken and answer your frequently asked questions.

https://www.allrecipes.com/article/chicken-cooking-basics/