Toasting nuts brings out a deeper and richer flavor. Whenever we use nuts in cooking–even to simply garnish a salad, we always use them toasted.
The premise is quite simple: use high heat and short cooking time to toast the outside. When following the directions below, keep in mind that it’s a better result to [...]
Archive for the ‘Cooking Tips & Tricks’ Category
How to Toast Nuts
Posted in Cooking Tips & Tricks on March 2, 2007 | 2 Comments »
How to Make The Perfect Steak
Posted in Beef & Veal, Cooking Tips & Tricks on February 28, 2007 | 21 Comments »
Because of the recent popularity of this post, I am re-posting it for easier reading.
For the longest time, I always believed that steak was better eaten when dining out than at home. The secret in restaurants is high heat cooking. You see, restaurant ovens and stoves can generate higher temperatures than your home ovens and [...]
Brine for Thanksgiving Turkey
Posted in Chicken & Poultry, Cooking Tips & Tricks on November 16, 2006 | 5 Comments »
With Thanksgiving only a week away, I thought it time to share my tips and tricks for making the perfect Thanksgiving turkey. This recipe is for the brine. Here are the instructions and recipe for roasting the turkey.
What is a Brine and Why Do It?
A brine is a solution of water that is nearly saturated [...]
How to Dry Age Beef
Posted in Cooking Tips & Tricks on June 29, 2006 | 3 Comments »
With the 4th of July holiday fast approaching, it’s the high season for steaks on the grill. Somehow, though, those steaks never quite taste the same as they do in that great steak house. One reason, which I already covered a couple of months back, is the high heat cooking used in restaurants. The other [...]
Cooking Beef to the Right “Doneness”
Posted in Cooking Tips & Tricks on May 6, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
In the post “How To Make the Perfect Steak“, we cooked your steaks to a perfect medium-rare. What is medium-rare, exactly? What if you want another degree of doneness?
Well, my friends, here is a chart that will help you get your beef to the right temperature.
Note: These temperatures are the final, resting temperature of beef. [...]
Kosher Salt–What? Why?
Posted in Cooking Tips & Tricks on May 3, 2006 | Leave a Comment »
You see that many recipes (mine included) call for the use of kosher salt. Many of you have asked what is it is, how is it different from regular table salt, and why use it.
It's nutritionally no different from regular table salt–their both sodium chloride, both are mined from either seawater or inland deposits from [...]



