Unit Conversion

A slow cooker makes an easy dinner, right? Unfortunately, if you’re not prepared, you’ll end up with rubbery, dry results. “Put the chicken in,” you say. “Press Start.” Walk away and do something else. Let it cook on its own, like magic. Well, no, there’s no magic here. There’s also only one thing happening: heat … Read more

The sound of meat meeting the grate. Satisfying until it becomes the sound of burning charcoal. Why? Because you’ve forgotten how thick it is. That’s where most folks go wrong. You treat every cut of steak as though it were the same thing. You use exact same timer for your two inch tomahawk ribeye as … Read more

When you plan your next wedding reception, or dinner party, hosts commit a silent error: they estimate the number of drinks their guests will consume, based off the number of people attending. That’s the point where glasses run empty and budgets start blowing up. Here’s why; the standard industry assumption is that one 750 milliliter … Read more

There’s not much margin for error in fried chicken. You can adjust a steak if it looks rare. No problem. Cook it too long and it will be dry and tough. Raw chicken become dangerous so you have to get it right. The final outcome depends on understanding how things cook, managing your batches, and … Read more

Raw Turkey: Every November, you might stare into your refrigerator and realize it is already packed with leftovers, yet you have a raw bird that needs to go somewhere cold for the next thirty-six hours. Planning ahead becomes crucial. Room in the fridge is tight, so how do you manage? The solution is to use … Read more

You are likely aware of the advice to limit saturated fat. It comes out of your doctor’s office. It shows up on a nutrition label. But knowing something isn’t the same as measuring it as you cook. It’s one thing to have an idea; it’s another to hold yourself accountable. Most people fall into that … Read more

It’s a chilly November morning, and there you stand facing an open smoker with what appears to be a fourteen-pound obstacle instead of a meal. The aroma of applewood barely rises over sound of your ticking watch. The sides has been prepared; guests will arrive soon. The bird has to be perfect. In moments such … Read more

When you stare at a raw brisket on your hook, there’s one particular kind of dread that sets in. It dawns on you that you don’t realy have a clue about cooking times. The internet tells you it might be anywhere between ten hours and maybe up to thirty. How can you not be confused? … Read more

You know what it’s like (your holiday kitchen is in full swing), then you look in the freezer and discover turkey is still frozen as a rock. Time checks out on you, and now you’re panicking, thinking you’ve got to rush this thing and risk its safety. Thawing a big ol’ bird take some careful … Read more

When I roast a whole bird I’m nervous about my kitchen timer. Based off age-old rules, I set it and then with bated breath, I monitor the oven, dreading one of two things: Either the meat will be overdone (dry!) or it will be underdone, partcularly in thickest parts. Enter a calculator. It take away … Read more