When making our souffles, make sure to follow the step to run a finger around the edge of the souffle dish right before baking.  This way, your souffle will rise straight up as it bakes.

So, I was leery of the whole “exotic tacos” idea to begin with. Sure, fish tacos are not so much wacky and out-of-the-ordinary in the Southwest, but in the Southeast, they’re just starting to make some popularity headway. Yes, ladies and gentlemen from parts unSouthern, there is more to Georgia than Atlanta, and in most parts of that great state (and Alabama, and Mississippi, and Tennessee…), tacos are ground beef, cheese and Rotel diced tomatoes in a crispy, yellow shell.

I, despite having lived in Texas more than anywhere else as a young person, had not experienced much in the way of seafood-based Mexican cuisine until a few months ago. Upon my triumphant return to the land of the Lone Star, I had a delicious shrimp feast featuring camarón over rice in an amazing sauce that was unmistakably Mexican. But I shied away from mixing seafood with taco shells (or corn chips, for that matter) until very recently.

Don’t repeat my mistake. Go ahead, dive in – the tacos are delicious.

You can make them with grilled fish, baked or fried. And you won’t want to stop at fish. Try shrimp, fried oysters – this is another dish that lends itself well to experimentation. As we noted in the past, tacos are incredibly versatile and so easy to make that they almost demand you give them creative flair.

Some tips for making the most of your fish taco experience:

•    Choose a firm variety of fish. Good choices include halibut, red snapper, striped bass, grouper, mahi-mahi, sturgeon, and swordfish.
•    Grill your fish filets whole, and then gently pull the cooked fish apart. Too much poking, prodding and stirring, in an attempt to break the fish apart during the cooking process, can leave you with a gummy mess.
•    You’ll still need to choose flavorings that work well with fish, but you can experiment with spice – chile and lime is a popular combination that seems to work extremely well.

We recommend: Dean Fearing’s Barbecue Shrimp Tacos with Mango-Pickled Red Onion Salad

Happy eating!

Unless you eat rice with every meal, a dedicated appliance for that one dish may seem a little bit like overkill. But, in spite of the name, this is really a diversely useful product – one well worth investing in.

Before we go on, let’s look at this tool’s primary function: Rice cookers automatically control the heating and timing of the cooking process, which means pretty much all you have to do is add water. (They also free up a burner on the stove, since they sit, self-contained, on the countertop.)

If you eat a lot of rice, chances are you’ve already at least looked into getting one of these handy cookers (of course you have) – but there are more uses for this product than simple white rice preparation.

If you’ve explored our site, you know we have a wealth of handy guides, articles and blogs on a variety of topics. One of our featured articles addresses the different kinds of grains available, their histories, flavors and uses, and … the perfect amount of time to cook each in a rice cooker. If you’ve been looking for a quick-yet-delicious way to eat healthier, but words like “quinoa” and “millet” make you look for ducks to feed, a rice cooker is the perfect appliance for you. It helps take the guesswork – and the boredom – out of adding grains to your diet by opening up a world of new textures and flavors that can literally be cooked without your help.

For those of you who are not feeling adventuresome: Many regular-sized rice cookers come with a steamer basket, allowing you to cook other foods you serve on a regular basis. Use it to steam your potatoes for mashing, cook vegetables as a side dish or perfectly prepare seafood.

A quality choice: Stainless Steel Micom Rice Cooker and Warmer by Zojirushi. This cooker’s multi-menu cooking functions include white/sushi rice, mixed rice, porridge, sweet rice, brown rice, cake and quick cooking.

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Nuts and seeds can be toasted in the oven by spreading them in a single layer over a baking sheet and baking them on 350 degrees until they become fragrant (8-15 minutes).  Or, toast them in a pan on the stove over medium-low heat.  Make sure to toast in small batches to fit your pan, and stir constantly until fragrant (2-5 minutes).

The first time I tried to cook gnocchi, I ended up with blobby things that were hard and mushy at the same time, like a mouthful of congealed, floury mashed potatoes.
I know… not exactly appetizing.
Henceforth, I have referred to them as “those lumps,” and I’ve avoided them at all costs.
But I tried a chicken dish with “lumps” a few days ago, and they were wonderful – the gnocchi melted in my mouth, and they had picked up all the lovely flavors of the cream sauce they were served in.
Now that I know how they should taste, I’m ready to try cooking gnocchi at home again for dinner tonight, and I think you should, too.
For your first attempt at this dish, you may want to pick up gnocchi at the store. While this offers fewer opportunities to mess up, it also means you won’t be starting with the freshness of gnocchi made at home. For tonight, I’m using store-bought, until I can get the cooking technique down just right.
So, first some background information.
Gnocchi are essentially plump dumplings commonly made from semolina, wheat flour, potato or bread crumbs. And I was right to begin with – the word “gnocchi” actually means “lumps” in Italian. Wikipedia says the use of potatoes to create the dumplings is a relatively recent development, though many of us are most familiar with that kind of gnocchi.
They are served up with everything from a classic tomato sauce to cheese sauce or pesto, and a French version of the dish, “gnocchis à la parisienne,” is made with pastry dough and served with a Béchamel sauce.
The secret to cooking gnocchi and not “those lumps” – To keep the gnocchi from overcooking, put them into already boiling water, and scoop them out as soon as they begin to float. To add flavor, try cooking them in boiling broth or adding a little olive oil and spices to the water before you bring it to a boil.
When you’re ready to try creating your gnocchi from scratch, they lend themselves to many creative dishes. Start with our basic gnocchi recipe, tossed with a classic tomato sauce. Then move on to more intricate flavors, like our Gnocchi Gratin with Fontina and Spinach or Braised Oxtails with Gnocchi. Once you’ve mastered those, try making your own varieties of gnocchi dumplings – some interesting versions we’ve seen include pumpkin gnocchi (great for fall), green pea gnocchi and even delicious dessert gnocchis, made with things like chocolate, apricots and plums.
Good luck to all of us, and happy eating!

Braising, Soup & Stew Season is Here!
If you are all about the One-Pot Meal, the Staub French oven is the right tool for the job.  It’s the perfect choice for cooking stews, roasts, soups, sauces, casseroles and other all-in-one dishes. For added convenience, it can go from stove to oven to table to refrigerator.
The French oven is made of cast iron and covered with a double layer of enamel, which means it cooks food evenly and is easy to clean. It is also designed with self-basting spikes on the bottom of the lid for continuous, natural basting.

October is winter squash season, so here’s a tip to help you more efficiently cook this delicious autumn vegetable:

When roasting squash in the oven, place the squash halves cut-side down for faster cooking. Piercing the rind with a fork will also speed the cooking process.

Yesterday, we talked about meat pies around the world and different traditions associated with them. Today we came across this great video that shows the process for making one of the most recognized and beloved of meat pies, the Cornish Pasty (otherwise known as an oggy), step by step:

Give it a try — your tummy will be glad you did!

Many people (particularly in the United States) think of peachy cobblers and flaky cherry confections when they hear the word “pie.”

But savory pies have long been a staple of tables around the world. Wikipedia says that “pyes” were referenced as a food in England as early as the 12th Century, and meat pies with fillings like steak, cheese, kidney, minced beef, chicken and mushrooms are still very popular in all parts of the United Kingdom. Here in the U.S., some regions are more fond of certain forms of meat pies and pastries than others. For example, parts of Louisiana are well-known for their delicious meat pies, and the Natchitoches meat pie (ground beef, ground pork, onions, peppers, and garlic, wrapped in a pie shell and fried up in peanut oil) is one of Lousiana’s official state foods.

For the most part, a savory or meat pie in the United State is a pot pie (or one of those things you slip in a silvery “Super Crispy” sleeve and microwave – but we’re trying to avoid those here. Work with us.).

And we’re OK with that, because pot pies are delicious. So our first suggestion for supper tonight is a nice, classic turkey pot pie – it’s filling, it’s scrumptious, and it will impress the people you’re serving it to.

But we want to encourage you to try some of the other ways meat pies are prepared around the world. (So you don’t have to resort to that old microwave pie-in-a-“crispy sleeve” thing again.)

Meat pies can be big, small or somewhere in between. The most common form looks like a half-moon, and you can think of them kind of like large ravioli. Some of the same tips apply: Don’t overfill, coat the edges with an egg white wash to seal them well. But some pie pointers apply, also: You’ll want to make small fork holes in the top of your little moon-shaped pie to vent steam.

The basic process is this: Take pie dough (you can use our easy recipe or pick some up at the store), place your (already cooked)  filling on one half of the pie dough circle (being careful not to put too much), brush egg whites on the dough’s edges, then fold in half. Next, gently press a fork around the edge where the dough makes a seam, to help discourage the pie from popping open. Finally, if you’re baking the pie(s) use the same small fork to gently poke a few holes in the top. If you’re making fried meat pies (yes, you can do that, but we recommend baking for health reasons), then you don’t want to poke the holes.

Now, go forth and make pies! This is one of those dishes that lends itself to experimentation. Use some of the recipes you’ve enjoyed in the past to create fillings that can be showcased in a new, flaky and delicious way.

Happy eating!

OK, that title pun was overdone. But these two products will help you ensure that you can cook healthy eggs perfectly every time.

Poaching eggs can be a little hard to master for some — we’ve seen eggs dropped in at the wrong time that turned into shrapnel the minute they hit the water. But a poached egg has many of the flavor and texture qualities we love about a good fried egg … without the grease. So it’s worth your while to make them a part of your repertoire.

The easiest way to do this? Poach Pods!

No, these are not some alien invention out to steal your breakfast. They’re handy little silicone cups that go right into the water and cradle your eggs until they’re all yummy. Just crack your egg right into the pod, and then put the whole shebang into a pot of boiling water. When it’s done cooking, the perfectly shaped egg (no rough edges here) will slip out of the pod easily without leaving eggy residue behind. And they’re dishwasher safe.

We’ve talked boiled eggs before. But now that you’ve practiced and mastered your technique, why not make it even easier?

The Egg N Time combines two, two, TWO tools in one, taking some of the gathering-and-preparing work out of the egg boiling process. This device features a flower-shaped base that sits in the pot and cradles your eggshells as they boil. Set the integrated timer, and you’re good to go. When your eggs are done, you can just lift the entire apparatus out of the pot and place it in a sink or large bowl full of cool water.

Yep … Two kitchen tools egg-straordinaire.

Find a place to buy these egg-ceptional (ha!) tools … and more.