How to Deglaze a Pan (and Why You Should)
For years I scrubbed the best part of dinner down the drain. After searing chicken, the pan is…
Ingredients & Techniques
Cooking guides that teach the technique behind the recipe. Learn how everyday ingredients and methods actually work, from picking and storing oils to prepping aromatics to controlling heat and browning, so you understand the why behind every step, not just the how.
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Why You Shouldn’t Crowd the Pan
A crowded pan steams food instead of browning it. Here is the science of why space matters, plus…
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The Cold Pan Trick for Crispy Chicken Skin
Start chicken thighs in a cold, dry pan and the fat renders before the surface can scorch. A…
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Why You Should Season Every Layer
Salt at the end only sits on the surface. Learn what seasoning at each stage actually does, and…
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Carryover Cooking: Why to Pull Meat Off Early
The first roast chicken I cooked to exactly 165°F came out safe and sad: dry, tight, overdone. I…
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Maillard Browning, Explained
The first time you see a sous vide steak, it sure is strange. It is perfectly cooked edge…
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Why Resting Meat Keeps It Juicy
The most difficult element of preparing a quality steak is doing nothing. Taking it off the heat is…
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Why Fresh-Ground Pepper Beats the Tin
For years, I kept the same small, tin container of pre-ground black pepper in my kitchen and wondered…
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How to Cook Eggs to Order
The first time I was asked to have someone’s eggs “over medium,” I pretended like I understood what…
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Why a Splash of Acid Brightens Your Cooking
I spent most of an afternoon preparing a cream sauce that, despite its glossy and rich appearance, ended…
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Why You Should Salt by Weight, Not Volume
For the past two weekends, I have done the same activity: roast chicken. I used the same recipe…
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How to Choose and Use Olive Oil
I learned this lesson the night I was ready to cook a steak. My cast iron pan was…