Mortar and pestle for the home kitchen
Stone or wood? Polished or unpolished? Smooth or coarse? We've gone through dozens of mortars and pestles, and here's what we learned.
Tools
We don't own a lot of specialty tools to avoid kitchen clutter. But the ones we consider essential and non-essential but still highly useful, we make an effort to care for to make them last. Included in this section are tips for buying a wok and how to choose the ideal mortar and pestle.
Tajine pot: buying guide, seasoning and care
Tajine is an earthenware pot traditionally used in Northern Africa, including Morocco with which it is most often associated. Tajine is also the generic name for any dish …
The correct way to use an empanada maker / molder
Making empanda by hand is not a skill developed overnight. Newbies may need a bit of help initially by learning the correct way to use an empanda maker / molder.
How we make ice cream
We've been making ice cream at home for over ten years and an ice cream maker has been indispensable to us. Can you make ice cream without one?
How to use an onigiri molder
How to make uniform-sized and shaped onigiri? Unless you’re a seasoned cook well trained in Japanese cooking, you use an onigiri molder! Here’s what it looks like and how …
Lower the heat when baking with dark-colored pans
If you've ever wondered why your cakes, cupcakes muffins seem to get overbaked all the time, it might have to do with the color of your baking pans.
How to use a cocktail muddler
A serious cocktail enthusiast should own a muddler. Not as a bar ornament but as a tool for crushing fruit, herbs and spices. Pulverizing them in a blender just won’t do. …
Buying a wok? Make it carbon steel.
If you could have only one cooking pan, what would it be? My answer is a wok because I can stir fry, pan fry, deep fry, braise, poach, stew and even steam in it. In fact, …