How to Cook

The best way to cook bacon to your preferred level of perfection is easy and mess-free. Two runner-up methods offer convenient options when needed.    Chewy or crisp? Where bacon is concerned, this is a deeply polarizing question.  I’m in the crispy camp. If a strip of bacon doesn’t snap in half with ease or…

A simple technique with an untraditional ratio of water-to-rice along with a few helpful hints ensures fluffy, perfectly cooked rice every time.  The basics can be really helpful. Case in point: lots of people have asked me how to prepare good rice. An economical pantry staple, rice befuddles many of us, as it often turns out gummy and…

If I asked you for a list of pantry essentials, it would likely include items like canned tomatoes, pasta and/or rice, chicken broth, maybe a can or two of tuna, and peanut butter.  And beans. Doesn’t every well-stocked pantry have at least one–and likely more–can of beans? The convenience of canned beans is so undeniable…

No more overcooked, mushy, bitter, or otherwise unacceptable quinoa! Perfectly cooked quinoa every single time is easy with the following method and helpful tips. My vegetarian sister first introduced me to quinoa (pronounced Keen’-wah) decades ago when this little known superfood was relegated to health food store shelves. Popular with vegetarians because it’s a complete protein that is…

Eggs often make me think of my mom.  Perfectly scrambled eggs and a side of toast was always her go-to meal when my brother, sister or I was a little under the weather.  Her deviled eggs are simply scrumptious.  And then there was the time I called to see if she could come over and…