Unit Conversion

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

Standing at the stove over a simmering pan, do you ever look down at what is suppose to be a sauce and see mostly water? It happens all the time in kitchen everywhere. The recipe says: Cornstarch! But you’re out; it’s flour or vice versa. Or maybe you know which starch you’ve got but don’t … Read more

It’s six PM and you are staring at an empty fridge. You know what they say: good intentions won’t feed eight. If you’re going to do this thing, you’ve got to get out the geometry set. Pizza math seems easy; after all, it’s all in the box. Large is large, isn’t it? Not exactly. Two … Read more