Techniques · 8 min read
A Better Way to Slice an Onion
Learn three practical onion cuts, from wide wedges for the oven to thin rings for a sandwich, with a stable setup and clear cues for each.
All Food Stories
Recipes, baking, and practical guides for home cooks.
Meal Planning · 7 min read
Start Dinner with a Pot of Lentils
A lentil that holds its shape and one that melts into the pot lead to completely different dinners. Shop and season with that difference in mind.
Food Culture · 7 min read
How to Keep a Family Recipe With Its Margins Intact
A recipe card records what the writer thought you already knew. Preserve the card, then cook beside someone who can explain what the paper leaves out.
Techniques · 8 min read
A Pot of Rice Built for Better Bowls
Get separate, tender grains for a rice bowl and learn how to use the pot’s steam, from the first rinse through the covered rest.
Food Culture · 8 min read
Afternoon Tea With Time to Finish the Pot
Tea and a small plate offer something a full lunch rarely does. Build an afternoon invitation around the time people can spend together.
Meal Planning · 8 min read
An Apple Snack for the Afternoon
Start with an apple whose texture suits the moment, then decide whether you want a fresh wedge, a cool plate with something savory, or a skillet of warm fruit.
Techniques · 8 min read
Bake Fish in a Parchment Packet
Fold a tidy packet around a fish fillet and quick cooking vegetables, then use the small amount of broth inside to finish the plate.
Meal Planning · 8 min read
A Breakfast of Oats with Something to Chew
Choose the oats for the time you have, then give their soft grain a companion with enough texture and flavor to last through the bowl.
Ingredients · 8 min read
How to Buy Mushrooms for Their Texture
Buttons, oysters, and shiitakes bring different shapes and textures to a meal. Choosing by texture makes them much easier to cook well.
Ingredients · 8 min read
A Cabbage for Every Cut
The same head of cabbage can become crisp slaw, a tender skillet dinner, and a tray of deeply browned wedges.
Recipes · 7 min read
Carrot Soup That Keeps Its Carrot Flavor
Learn when to soften the onion, how much liquid to start with, and what to taste before reaching for cream.
Techniques · 8 min read
Crisp Chicken Thighs Start in the Skillet
Render skin slowly, finish the meat with steady heat, and use a thermometer to tell when bone-in chicken thighs are ready.
Recipes · 8 min read
A Crisp Chickpea Flatbread for the Middle of the Table
A guide to getting a browned edge and a tender middle from chickpea flour, water, and a properly heated pan.
Recipes · 8 min read
A Crisp Tofu Bowl With the Sauce Underneath
Brown firm tofu in broad pieces and spoon the ginger and soy dressing under it so the crust survives the walk to the table.
Ingredients · 7 min read
The Short Distance from Frozen Peas to Dinner
Learn when to simmer, crush, or fold in frozen peas so the bag in the freezer can improve a meal without taking it over.
Techniques · 8 min read
Getting to Know Your Cast Iron Skillet
Learn how to heat, cook in, clean, and store a bare cast iron skillet with a few experiments that reveal how your own pan behaves.
Ingredients · 7 min read
The Bitter Edge of Grapefruit
One grapefruit holds several distinctly useful flavors. Use the flesh in a salad, its juice in a dressing, or its peel to perfume sugar.
Techniques · 8 min read
Grill Zucchini for a Tender Center and Brown Edges
Use thicker slabs, a hot grate, and one deliberate flip to bring out zucchini’s sweetness without steaming it in its own juices.
Food Culture · 8 min read
How a Mezze Table Makes Room for Everyone
Bread, pickles, a soft spread and a warm plate have different jobs. Their placement matters as much as the number of dishes.
Meal Planning · 8 min read
Make Room for Leafy Greens at Dinner
Choose a green by how you want it to feel on the plate, and decide when to prepare it so the rest of dinner does not have to wait.
Baking · 8 min read
An Apple Crumble With Three Different Kinds of Crunch
Build a rough oat topping with flakes, crumbs and clusters, then choose apples that soften without flooding the dish.
Baking · 8 min read
An Orange Yogurt Loaf That Tastes Like the Whole Fruit
Orange zest, plain yogurt and a thin coat of syrup give this everyday loaf three different kinds of brightness. The trick is knowing where each one belongs.
Meal Planning · 8 min read
A Packed Lunch That Stays Crisp
Pack cold ingredients in the order you will eat them, and let vegetables and crisp toppings meet their dressing at lunch.
Food Culture · 8 min read
The Picnic Starts on the Kitchen Counter
Pack according to where you will sit and how far you will walk. The best outdoor lunch is often the one that needs the least assembly.
Baking · 8 min read
What a Sheet of Parchment Changes About a Cookie
Bake a small tray on three surfaces and the edges tell the story. Here is how to choose a lining for a crisp rim, an even base or an easier release.
Baking · 7 min read
A Pear Galette for the Day You Cannot Find the Pie Dish
Use a baking sheet, a handful of firm pears and a thin layer of almond meal. A free-form crust gives the fruit room to show.
Ingredients · 8 min read
The Three Useful Stages of a Pear
Match the firmness of a pear to the job it will do, from thin slices for a salad to soft fruit for a skillet compote.
Meal Planning · 8 min read
Three Fish Dinners for Different Shopping Days
Use fresh fish on the day you can get to the shop, frozen fillets when the calendar is uncertain, and a tin when there is little time at all.
Baking · 7 min read
Watching Popovers Through the Oven Door
A popover makes much of its progress after it looks finished. Use the oven window, the shape of the pan and the color of the sides to decide when to take it out.
Food Culture · 7 min read
What to Look for in a Bakery Window
The best thing in the case depends on when and where you will eat it. Read the layers, the edges and the way the staff packs an order.
Food Culture · 8 min read
How to Read a Produce Market Before Buying a Thing
The route, the signs and the small transactions at a produce market tell you almost as much as the displays. Make one empty-handed circuit before you fill a bag.
Baking · 8 min read
The Quiet Toasted Flavor of Rye Shortbread
A small share of rye flour and a careful bake give a plain shortbread a nutty edge. Begin with a single pan and let the slices cool before judging the crumb.
Baking · 8 min read
Cheddar Biscuits With Corners Worth Saving
Cut the dough into squares and let a few shreds of cheese reach the outside. Those small details give a savory biscuit especially good edges.
Baking · 8 min read
The Thin Line Between Sesame Crackers and Flatbread
An olive oil dough becomes crisp through thickness, venting and a short final bake. Score one sheet and break it where you want it to break.
Baking · 8 min read
A Pan of Focaccia Built for Tomorrow's Lunch
A shallow pan, a cold overnight rise and one generous layer of olive oil turn a wet dough into bread that slices neatly for sandwiches.
Recipes · 8 min read
Sheet Pan Vegetables That Actually Brown
Learn to stagger a tray of carrots, broccoli, and chickpeas so each finishes at the right moment, then turn the result into dinner.
Recipes · 7 min read
Spinach and Eggs in a Skillet That Stays Dry
Cook the spinach first, move it out of the way, and use a lid only long enough to set the tops of the eggs.
Techniques · 8 min read
Steam Vegetables Without Losing Their Bite
A little space in the basket and a sensible order of cooking make it possible to serve several vegetables hot, bright, and properly tender at once.
Recipes · 7 min read
Stuffed Peppers With Tender Walls and a Dry Filling
Roast peppers before stuffing, then use a skillet to turn cooked barley, mushrooms, and onions into a filling that stays in place.
Meal Planning · 7 min read
Three Grain Bowls That Need Three Different Dressings
Chewy farro, tender quinoa, and coarse bulgur each ask something different of a lunch bowl. Match the dressing and vegetables to the grain you cooked.
Ingredients · 7 min read
Read the Grind Before You Cook Cornmeal
A coarse bag belongs in a pot of polenta, while a finer one changes the crumb of cornbread and the crust of a tray bake.
Food Culture · 8 min read
The Sharing Rules That Make Hot Pot Work
A shared pot makes the table part of the kitchen. Clear utensils, small batches and a little attention to the broth keep everyone involved.
Ingredients · 8 min read
What to Do with a Jar of Tahini
A jar of ground sesame seeds can season noodles, dress vegetables, and give shortbread a toasted edge. First get to know how the paste behaves.
Techniques · 8 min read
The Vinaigrette That Fits the Salad
Make a small batch of vinaigrette, taste it with the ingredient it will dress, and learn what to adjust before it reaches the bowl.
Recipes · 7 min read
Tomato Toast for a Very Juicy Tomato
Keep the summer tomato juice and still get toast that can be picked up, with a quick bean spread and a small bowl for the good drippings.
Recipes · 7 min read
Warm Potato Salad That Holds Its Shape
Start small potatoes in cool water, split them while warm, and add the mustard dressing in two passes so the skins and centers are seasoned.
Food Culture · 8 min read
What the Dim Sum Cart Teaches About Ordering Lunch
A dim sum table can fill quickly. Start with tea, order for the people at the table and leave room for the dish that appears halfway through lunch.
Recipes · 7 min read
A Whole Cauliflower Has More Than One Dinner in It
Break down a head of cauliflower for caramelized slabs, a pan of golden crumbs, and a lemony dinner that uses the tender leaves.
Ingredients · 7 min read
How to Finish a Bunch of Dill
Divide fresh dill according to its texture, using the fine fronds at the table, the tender stems in cooking, and the extra leaves in the freezer.
Meal Planning · 7 min read
Plain Yogurt Has a Place at Dinner
Put plain yogurt under hot vegetables, beside a spicy stew, or into a cold soup. Its tang does different work in each spot.