How To & What Is

A handy chile pepper cheat sheet, whether you're new to cooking with dried peppers or experienced and forgetful. Best to bookmark this page for all your chile pepper needs!

Soup Club. Funny how two small words can bring such big things, including nourishment, friendship, and a night off from cooking.

What's the difference between a jalapeno and a habanero? A lot. And you want to know exactly what that difference is before you swap one for the other. Here, all the subtle nuances you need to know.

David explains why you've been using your zester wrong all these years and shows you how to correct your errant ways.

Fear not frenching your standing rib roast. Grab a sharp knife, these easy how-tos, and your sense of adventure.

Plonk this brown sugar glazed ham on your holiday table, step back, and listen to the gasped oohs and aahs, accept all manner of accolades, and watch it disappear.

When your bird is still frozen hours before you intend to say grace, all is not lost. At least not with these quick defrosting tricks.

Grilling guru Meathead Goldwyn explains how grilling works—you know, thermodynamics and pyrotechnics and other science-y stuff—in plain terms. You're gonna like the homework.

The easy essentials you need to know prior to taking on any recipe—Portuguese or otherwise—that calls for the centuries-old staple ingredient, salt cod.

In case you've ever wondered if you can cut corners and swap one type of flour for another, here's your answer.

Sometimes things aren't quite as simple as we'd like. So we delve into the science behind the smoke point of oils and help you translate this to your kitchen.

Been confused about what the difference is between various types of yeast and if you can swap them out for one another? Wonder no more.

Spatchcocking, or butterflying, a whole chicken ensures your hen cooks remarkably quickly and sigh-inducingly evenly. And it's a cinch to do at home.

We're hearing the same question over and over and over again. How do I a make sourdough starter? (That is, a homemade bread starter that requires no commercial yeast.) Here's how in simple, easy steps.

Because c'mon, we've all wondered whether it really makes a difference what kind of cocoa powder we use. [Spoiler alert: It does. But not always.]

You know the rule: one pound of turkey per guest. But when your back-of-the-envelope calculations say you need a behemoth bird that the laws of physics say won't fit in the oven, what to do? We have answers.

The pop-up timer popped. The skin's burnished. The drumstick jiggles. Yet when you commence carving, you still see oodles of pink. Here's how not to let that happen.

Knowing how to measure flour properly is what makes all the difference between great cakes, pies, and pastries and epic fails.

At a loss as to what wine to uncork with Chinese takeout? So were we. Until we decided to learn a thing or two to change that.