For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while now, you know that I enjoy cooking with my family in the kitchen, especially with my daughter, Maggie. The best part about it is that Maggie enjoys cooking with me. This is a tradition I plan to continue for as long as Maggie wants to hang out with me. From what I hear, once they get into those teenager years, “dads” become nerdy. What kids don’t understand is that some of us have always been nerdy–but we can talk about that at a later time.

Today, I want to share with you some ideas to get your youngsters involved in the kitchen.

If you’re lucky, your kids will want to know what you’re doing in the kitchen and they’ll take an interest in it and even pitch in voluntarily. Maybe you’re not so lucky and your kids think the kitchen pretty much sucks and is just another way for you to torture them. Who knows, maybe they’re right–but it doesn’t have to be that way.

» Finish reading 10 Ways to Make Cooking Enjoyable for Kids at TheCookingDish.com. »

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Post tags: Fun, How To, Kids, Maggie

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Welcome to The Cooking Dish blog! This is one of the highest read articles about onions, and I hope you find the answer you’re looking for. If not, please leave a comment below and I’m more than happy to answer your question.

If you’ve ever been in the grocery store buying onions and couldn’t figure out which color of onion to buy, you’re not alone. Or perhaps you’re cooking and realize your recipe calls for a white onion and all you have are yellow onions… dont’ worry. There are many onions out there, each with their different purposes, but typically they fit into two categories, green and dry onions. This post discusses the dry onions (red onions, yellow onions, and white onions). Although there are many types of each of these dry onions, the general rules for them are as follows.

» Finish reading The Difference between Yellow, White, and Red Onions at TheCookingDish.com. »

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My first memories of watercress are at my grandma’s house. I was spending the evening with her after elementary school and she gave me a sandwich with a stringy, small-leaf herb packed between the sandwich meat and bread. I didn’t know my herbs back then and thought she had packed it full of sprouts. It was quite a shock when I took a hefty bite full of fresh watercress and its vibrant flavor filled my mouth.

Watercress is an excellent herb you can use in salads (watercress salad), salad dressings, herb butters, soups, hamburgers, sandwiches, brussels spreads, etc. I’m not quite sure how to explain the flavor, it’s a little different than other herbs, but I’d say it has a zippy, peppery, fresh, maybe pungent taste (as if that description helps). Additional from a unique flavor, it’s also high in vitamins and minerals and is often recognized as a super food.

When you prepare watercress, thoroughly rinse it in cold water and then cut off the stems. once the stems are cut off, you can chop the rest of it up and mix it in with your spreads or add it to your soups. If you’re using it fresh in sandwiches or salads, consider adding it to the dish without cutting it up. Also, if you want the original flavor, you can eat it fresh; cooking the watercress diminishes the flavor substantially and also eliminates some if it’s health benefits.

As a word of caution, if you’re new to watercress, I’d recommend taking it in easy doses first, or you might find the flavor overwhelming.

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The other day I posted a short article regarding the differences between Sea Salt and regular Table Salt, but I didn’t mention Kosher salt. And why didn’t I mention kosher salt? There’s a deep physiological reason behind this, so think deeply. Have you figured it out yet? The truth is, I just didn’t feel like writing any more about salt, so I stopped after sea salt and table salt. But, one of my co-workers caught me on it… so now here’s a post dedicated especially to my coworker (you know who you are). So, what is kosher salt and what is it used for?

I like to think that kosher salt belongs somewhere in between sea salt and table salt because it’s an excellent salt to both cook and cure with. Kosher salt has larger crystals which make drawing out a meat’s moisture and blood easier. (This also is the reason it’s called kosher salt, as this is part of the process to make meats kosher.)

Because kosher salt has a larger surface area that absorbs the moisture more readily than regular table salt and because of it’s subtler flavor, it might take a few trial and error dishes to learn how to use it instead of table salt. But once you start cooking with it, chances are you’ll learn to love it. And, by the way, this is a great salt to top homemade pretzels with.

As a quick note, kosher salt doesn’t contain iodine, but no fears, there’s plenty of iodine in other foods you consume.

Read about sea salt and table salt by clicking here.

Related posts:

1. Sea Salt vs Table Salt: Which One Do You Use?

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Post tags: Kosher Salt, Salt, Spices

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Sea salt vs. table salt: which do you choose? They are the two most common salts used in your kitchen. Both salts have the same nutritional value. You can argue about the differences in the minerals and iodine, etc. but in the end, they’re both sodium chloride crystals. Good ol’ NaCl.

As a kid I remember going to a large salt mine and was amazed at the process that salt when through from start to finish, meaning earth to table. It really is amazing what the earth produces. It’s a good thing too, because without it some foods would be pretty bland! I hear from my non-American friends though that they think our food here in America is too salty. I guess that wouldn’t surprise me, I know a lot of people who over-salt their foods, and this rising generation seems to be raised on potato chips and popcorn. Well, that’s a little off topic–stay focused, Chris– salt is staple in any kitchen, and when it’s used correctly makes food tastes amazing!

But enough of the ranting, I’ve created just a short summary of the difference between sea salt and table salt that I think you’ll find helpful if you’re trying to figure out if you should use sea salt or the regular table salt. Keep in mind that these are short descriptions, and there’s gad’s more information out there on salt. If you have any questions, let me know in the comments and I’ll answer them for you.

» Finish reading Sea Salt vs Table Salt: Which One Do You Use? at TheCookingDish.com. »

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Deglazing a pan is the key to making delicious sauces and gravies for your meats and vegetables. After cooking meat or vegetables instead of scrapping all the leftover fat and dregs into a grease jar, make it into a divine sauce. Deglazing a pan is simply adding stock, lime juice, water, or some other liquid to break up and dissolve the dregs left over from sauteing, searing, or roasting. I especially like to deglaze my cast iron pans, as it helps the cast iron’s flavor–not that I eat cast iron or anything.

If you haven’t deglazed your pans before, now’s a good time to get started. You’ll be surprised how well you can get the junk off your pan when doing so ad also the delicious sauces you can make. So for starters, here’s how to deglaze your pots and pans and make a delicious sauce.

» Finish reading How to Deglaze Your Pans + Recipe at TheCookingDish.com. »

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Post tags: Frying Pan, Gravy, Sauce

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Before we get started on the actual process, here are a few tips to achieve the best blackening results.

• Use a cast iron skillet.  These truly are the best for blackening.  They can stand the intense prolonged heat and provide excellent flavor for your chicken or fish, whereas other pans may warp.  If you don’t have a cast iron skillet and still want to blacken your meat, do not use a non-stick pan, instead use a thick-bottomed pan meant for higher heats.
• Keep your food cool before blackening.  Butter and oils will stick better to a cool piece of chicken and fish.
• Open all your windows and turn on the fans.  Blackening food creates a lot of smoke and sometimes some flames.
• Keep your filets around 1/2″ thick.  If they’re any thicker they may not cook all the way through.
• Make sure you use a thick oven mitt or thick hot pads because your pan is going to get really hot.

To make blackened chicken or blackened fish

1. Heat your cast-iron skillet to a high temperature.
2. Meanwhile, create a butter & spice mixture.  Melt enough butter (use a microwave-safe pie plate) to coat all the meat your making on both sides, and then a few tablespoons extra to spare.  Add your favorite chicken or fish spices to the butter and mix it up well.  The blackening is caused by the butter charring in the pan, and the spices will add to the flavor.  Cajun spices are the most popular for blackening.  You can also buy a blackening seasoning from the grocery store.  Don’t use fresh herbs, they instantly burn and turn bitter.
3. Pat your chicken or fish dry.  This helps the butter create a sealing crust on the meat, keeping it from drying out.
4. Dip the meat into your melted butter and spice mixture.  At this point, you can add a little extra spices to your meat, but don’t set it down, because you’ll remove the butter from the meat.
5. Place the meat in the pre-heated HOT cast iron skillet.  Be prepared for a lot of smoke and maybe some flames.
6. This step is optional: Immediately after laying your meat in the skillet, spoon another tablespoon of your butter and spice mixture over the fish.  Be prepared for more smoke and possible flames.
7. Allow the meat to cook for about 3 minutes (depends on how thick it is), then flip it over (add another tablespoon of butter if you want) and cook it for another three minutes.
8. When the food is done cooking, you can add additional spices or lime (or lemon) juice if you wish.  As a suggestion, also try adding lime juice to your butter and spice mixture.

With a little bit of practice and a smokey house later, you’ll be a pro at cooking your own blackened chicken, blackened salmon, and blackened catfish.

Related posts:

1. Easy Crispy Baked Chicken Recipe

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Sauteing food is a simple technique that you can’t do without. You can cook dozens of meats and vegetables by sauteing them. To saute is simply to cook food in a small amount of oil or fat in over fairly high heat in a short amount of time, usually in a shallow saute pan. Don’t confuse this with searing. Searing is meant to brown only the outside of the meat, whereas sauteing cooks the inside of the meat. Because most stovetops are different, I recommend beginning at a medium-high heat and adjust the temperature from there.

To properly saute your food

• Preheat your pan before adding anything.  Preheating your pan first helps the heat to disperse more evenly and keeps any oils or fats from burning on a hot spot.
• Make sure the surface of your meats or vegetables are dry; you don’t want to steam or stew your dish accidentally.
• Add your oil or fat.  You can use butter, but it has a lower burning point and may burn early.  If you do use butter, make sure the butter bubbles in the pan before adding your food.  I would recommend sauteing with a higher smoking point oil, like olive oil or canola oil.
• Your meats should sizzle (I love that word) when they first touch the pan.  Once again, don’t get your pan too hot because you don’t want to sear your food.
• When sauteing meats, don’t break the surface of the meat with a knife or fork, because that lets the moisture escape.  The overall goal of sauteing is to quickly cook your food without letting too much moisture out.  When you need to flip the meat, use a spatula or tongs instead.
• When sauteing vegetables, start sauteing the hardest vegetables first.  Add the softer vegetables in later so that they can be done at the same time.  You may want to consider blanching or steaming some harder vegetables before sauteing them (e.g. carrots and cauliflower).
• Add salt towards the end.  Salt sucks out moisture from the meats and vegetables.  This seems to have a bigger affect on you sauteed vegetables, and especially sauteed mushrooms.
• Don’t stir or flip the food in your pan too often as it lengthens the sauteing process.

Note that for best results when sauteing meats, use a tender cut such as tenderloin, filet mignon, or pork chops.

Do you have any great sauteing tips or stories?  Share them in the comments below.

Related posts:

1. How to Deglaze Your Pans + Recipe

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To Roast

Roasting is cooking with dry heat, and usually in the oven, though the oven is not required. You can also roast something on a spit over the fire, or surround the food with hot embers, stones, or sand. The primary concept of roasting is dry heat, in other words, no liquid added.

The best roasting occurs with larger, tender meat cuts or poultry because they’re relatively moist. Some popular types of roasts are chicken roast, chuck roast, roast pork loin, sirloin tip roast, bottom round roast, and top round roast. These are often accompanied by potatoes, onions, and carrots (most root and bulb vegetables can be roasted). Tougher meats require moist cooking methods like braising. Keep in mind that when oven roasting, the pan is left uncovered which causes the meat to nicely brown (often caramelizes the meat’s surface) on the outside and stay moist on the inside. Anytime you cook meat (or vegetables) via the roasting method, the dish is referred to as “roast,” for example, roast turkey or roasted potatoes. As a side note, if you’re roasting vegetables, I would advise basting the vegetables with a butter or oil marinade to prevent them from losing too much moisture.

You can roast meat on any temperature, but the higher the temperature, the quicker the moisture escapes the meat. For larger meats, keep the oven temperature low (~275 degrees F) so that the meat will stay tender and cook all the way through. For small meat cuts, roasting at a high temperature can be beneficial so that the meat cooks without losing all its moisture.

Before roasting meat, I like to season it with salt and pepper (and sometimes other seasonings) and then brown it in a frying pan with oil. This gives the meat extra flavor and gives it a nice, traditional brown color when it’s done being roasted.

or to Braise

Braising is cooking with a combination of moist and dry heat in a covered pot. This works best for tough meats because the added moisture helps break down the tough connective tissues and collagen in the meat. Often people like to add vegetables and other ingredients when braising meats because the ingredients interact and create a delicious, flavorful meal. (I particularly like onions in mine.)

The key to braising is adding the right amount of liquid so that the moisture and heat continue working together to tenderize the meat. I typically add 1-1/2″ liquid in the bottom of the pan. The liquid from the meats and vegetables contribute liquid volume as the meal cooks. For best flavoring, use liquids that contribute to the meat’s flavor, such as Worcestershire sauce, broths, or tomato juice. Because braising is a mixture of temperature, time, moisture, you’ll achieve the best results by cooking your meat for longer periods of time (the liquid should remain at a simmer throughout the braising process) and at a low to mid temperature (325-375 degrees F). As with roasting, I like to season and sear my meats before braising them. This is almost always done when braising.

You know your meat is cooked when it easily separates with just a fork. After the meat is cooked, you can use the leftover liquid as a gravy or sauce for your meats and vegetables. (Hint, the less liquid you use while braising your meat, the more intensely flavored the leftover liquid will be.)

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Do you have a favorite roasting or braising recipe? Or do you have any additional advice? Please share it in the comments below.

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Red potatoes (Go Red!)

To make this easy, I’ve compiled a red potato facts list. Red potatoes…

• have less starch and more sugars than the russet potatoes (and are therefore stickier).
• are advantageous for boiling, pan frying, grilling, scalloping, and steaming.  Try them in your potato salads, soups, chowders, and fried potato dishes.
• have a smooth, thin light-red skin with a white inside.  The skin comes off easily when being scrubbed.
• are often cooked with the skin on because it’s relatively thin and soft and adds extra fiber to the dish.
• according to NutritionData.com (who gets their information from USDA SR-21) have the following nutritional information for 1 raw, medium red potato (see picture below).

Russet potatoes a.k.a brown potatoes (Go Brown!)

I’ve also compiled a russet potato fact list.  Russet potatoes…

• are a high starch potato which makes the perfect light and fluffy mashed potato.
• are advantageous when fried, baked, mashed, or roasted.
• are typically used for french fries.
• have a brown, net-like skin (look closely).
• according to NutritionData.com, 1 raw, medium-sized russet potato has the following nutritional data.

For both red and brown potatoes

• Don’t store them in the refrigerator or freezer.  If you do the starches will turn into sugars and your potatoes won’t taste the same.  Additionally, it makes the white insides darken.  Instead, do your best to find a darker, cool place (preferred temperature is 40-50 degrees F) with some ventilation.  If you don’t have such a place consider buying fewer potatoes more often.
• If you don’t use potatoes often, you’ll find they grow sprouts.  You can break these off and still cook the potato.
• Avoid eating potatoes that are soft, wrinkly, or have green-tinted skin.  These are signs that your potatoes are going bad.  You can still eat them (at your own risk…don’t come back to me!), but don’t expect the flavor or texture to be the best.
• Don’t wash your potatoes before storing them because it quickens their spoilage rate.

Do you have any additional red potato or russet potato  information or uses?  I’d like to hear them in the comments below.

Did you have a question about russet or red potatos that were not answered in this post? Please write me (click here) and I’ll do my best to respond a.s.a.p., or update my post to include the answer to your question. Thanks!

Related posts:

1. The Difference between Yellow, White, and Red Onions

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What does ‘mince’ mean?

Mince is simply a cook’s way to say, “cut your food ingredient into very small, fine pieces.” Minced foods are cut much smaller than chopped foods. Mince ingredients when you want to them to closely bond with the other ingredients in the dish, adding more flavor than chewable substance. In fact, mincing is often used with flavoring ingredients such as fresh herbs, garlic, ginger, and celery because it more evenly distributes flavor. Mince meat tarts and cookies, pâtés, sauces, and gravies are common recipes that require minced ingredients. Using a rocking knife or another curved blade knife can make mincing ingredients effortless.

What does ‘chop’ mean?

Chopping food is cutting your ingredients into bite-size or smaller pieces. Many food recipes clarify what size is needed for the dish. If all else fails, 1/2″ pieces tend to work well in almost all dishes. Although I prefer using a knife for most small meals, when I’m required to chop large amounts of food, I use a food processor such as the Bosch Food Processor.

Chop chop!

This is the first post in an article series relating to often confused cooking terms. Would you like a cooking term clarified? Let me know in the comments below.

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1. Make a sandwhich melt.  Oven broilers are great for making sandwhich melts, and this works for almost any type of sandwhich.  Spread the desired dressings on your sandwhich bread (mayonnaise, salad dressing, italian dressing, etc.), and then place them on a cookie sheet.  On one slice of bread, place your meats, and on the other slice of bread, place your cheese.  Turn the oven on broil, place the cookie sheet on the center rack, and keep a close eye on your breads and cheese so they don’t burn.  When the desired ‘toastiness’ has been reached, remove the sandwhich from the oven, put any other toppings on it, and enjoy!  (This works in little toaster ovens in office break rooms too.)

2. Switch up the PBJ with a bagel sandwich.  Bagels taste great with all toppings.

3. Eggs are quick to fry up.  In the morning, pull out the frying pan, start frying the eggs (make sure yoke is not runny), just before the eggs are done, add cheese to the top to melt it.  Fried egg sandwhiches also taste great with sandwhich meats.

4. Instead of a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich, try a sandwhich made from the chicken of the sea: tuna fish.  You can add almost anything to your tuna fish sandwhich mixture including pickles or relish, shredded cheese, celery, egg, or nuts.  Combine this idea with idea number 1 and you could have a tuna melt.

5. If you work in an office, consider purchasing a $10 sandwhich maker to store by your desk.  Sandwich makers are the king of quick and easy grilled cheese sandwhiches, egg sandwhiches, and more.

Do you have a sandwhich idea that isn’t listed?  Please, leave it in the comments below.

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I’ve been asked many times where I learned to cook, and I almost always provide the same answer: my mom taught me when I lived at home (my mom is an excellent cook). She taught me the basics plus some, the rest I learned through study and making mistakes.

Unfortunately, it’s the basics that so many people are missing, and that’s one reason this blog exists. In time, we’ll uncover and chat about all the basics, but until then, here’s some basic cooking advice to wet your palette.

One thing you must remember is that you’re going to mess up. Pessimistic, I know. Life will go on, I promise. Various versions of this Thomas Edison quotation exist, but I like this one the best, “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.” This can be applied to anything, observe: “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT flip an egg.” Having this attitude will help you out when you burn your 5th crape in a row.

Cookbooks can be your best friend. Don’t buy a gourmet cookbook if you’re just starting out. They’re a lot of fun to look at, but you need something practical for every day kitchen cooking. “A Taste of Home” produces seasonal magazines that include recipes from regular cooks, just like you. That’s a great place to start. There are also hundreds of recipes on-line. When you find a cookbook that appeals to you, stick to the recipes. Resist the urge to experiment because you want to be an amazing chef—it will come with time. Following recipes teaches you what types of spices and foods mix well together as well as appropriate temperatures and baking times—an essential skill.

You need a crock-pot. If you don’t have one, stop reading this article and buy one. You can make almost anything in a crock-pot (pot roast and stews are my favorite) with little preparation and hardly any maintenance. It’s almost as easy as breathing. Another plus about crock pots is that if they’re large enough you can make enough for 2+ meals all at once. I’ll be posting some of my crock-pot recipes on this blog later.

Take some risks and learn to laugh. This seems contradictory to what I said earlier about following the recipe exactly, but that’s okay. Experiment with recipes you’re comfortable with or with more common foods that don’t take a lot of preparation and are cheap. As a kid I could never get my eggs to flip without breaking the yolk, so one day I went through two egg cartons (sorry mom) until I figured out how to get them to flip and not break the yolk. Do the same. Live free. At the same time, keep it simple. Experimenting too much may lead you back to frustration. If one of your experiments ends up filling the house with smoke, laugh it off and start again.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and for most people it’s at the beginning. With each step in the right direction, you’ll find that cooking can be a lot of fun and you’ll take pride in every tasty meal you make.

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Fresh onions make a great addition to many foods, but they can be a pain to cut up, and there are often leftovers. Freezing them is an excellent solution for when you need fresh onions on the go, or you have left-over onions when preparing a meal. Frozen onions are excellent in cooked meals such as meatloaf, stews, soups, ground-meat mixtures, casseroles, and crock-pot meals. Here’s how to do it:

(Note that freezing onions works best when they’re fully mature. This works for most types of onions.)

• Step 1
  Wash, peel, and chop the raw onion into whatever size you need. Typically, you don’t want to chop them any smaller than 1/2” or they turn into an ice chunk in the freezer. Blanching them is not necessary.
• Step 2
  Place the onions in a freezer bag. (Freezer bags provide the best results. They’re thicker and help prevent freezer burn and odor leakage.)  If you’re using a thinner bag, be sure to double-bag the onions or you’ll find your other freezer food tasting and smelling like onions.
• Step 3
  If you’re brave, suck the air out of the bag and quickly zip it closed. Otherwise, just do the best you can to expel the air. Spread the onions flat in the bag, layering them no higher than 1/2″. This makes it easier to break off frozen sections as needed.
• Step 4
  Place the bag of cut-up onions flat in the freezer, so that when they’re frozen, you can easily stack them. When it’s time to use the onions, simply break a portion off and thaw it out. Frozen onions thaw easily with or without a microwave. When cooking soups and stews, you can add the onion still frozen.

Frozen stored onions last up to 6 months.

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