Latest news with #SeriousEats
New York Times
6 days ago
- General
- New York Times
4 Rules for Better Burgers
The cookbook author Kenji López-Alt knows burgers inside and out. Here are his nonnegotiable rules for success. One tip: Cooking thinner burgers largely on one side helps with their browning and flavor. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Published July 23, 2025 Updated July 23, 2025 As a professional chef, food writer and cookbook author, I've spent the last two decades of my career rigorously researching and testing recipes, techniques and widely accepted kitchen wisdom to fire out the whys of cooking. Over this time, I've operated multiple burger joints and even wrote a monthly column for Serious Eats called the Burger Lab, in which I isolated and tested every possible variable that can affect the flavor and texture of a burger. You know what I found? With good seasoning, a nice hot fire and a well-dressed bun, even a frozen precooked burger patty can end up tasting decent. But that doesn't mean you can't aim for something better. By The New York Times Cooking Here are the most important tips I've found for optimizing your burger experience, whether in the backyard or the kitchen. Working ground beef too much can cause it to become dense. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Ground beef is an amalgamation of proteins, fat and water: The more you work or knead it, the more those proteins tend to bond, forming a protein matrix that adds chewiness and structure. In bread, this can be a good thing, but with burgers, overhandling can create an unwanted dense texture. (Incorporating extenders, like eggs or breadcrumbs, or extra seasoning, like onions and herbs, also forces you to overwork the meat and distract from the beef flavor, so skip it.) Salting the outside of your patties keeps their texture lose and tender. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Salt breaks down muscle proteins and helps them to link up more easily. This is a good thing in sausages, which should have a firm texture, but with burgers, you want looseness. A burger should be tender, with plenty of pockets for juices and rendered fat to collect. Seasoning only their exteriors ensures optimal texture and gives your burgers a nice salty crust to bite into. Browning your patties deeply maximizes flavor. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Whether you're making a big burger on the grill or a crisp-edged smash burger on a griddle, browning is flavor, and high heat is key. For thicker grilled or griddled burgers, wait until your pan or grill is hot before adding the patties, and cook them until they're well browned on both sides. For thinner patties or smash burgers, I let them spend most of their time on their first side, so they cook almost all the way through and develop a deep brown crust, before flipping and cooking the second side for just a moment. This maximizes flavor while maintaining juiciness. Preparing your buns ahead of time lets you get to eating so much faster. Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Don't let your patties sit around on the cutting board (or worse, a steam table). Burgers are at their best fresh from the fire, before any juices have had a chance to drip out. Instead, make sure your buns are toasted to minimize time between cooking and scarfing. Follow New York Times Cooking on Instagram , Facebook , YouTube , TikTok and Pinterest . Get regular updates from New York Times Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice .
Washington Post
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese: Southern stars align on a bun
Foods, like people, can have surprising pasts. Sketch out family trees for fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese, for instance, and you'll see roots that snake outside the South. As writer Robert Moss explained in two fascinating historical explorations for Serious Eats, the former has ancestors from all over the country but perhaps most from the Midwest, while the latter's ties are Northeastern, through and through.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
21 Recipes Our Editors Are Cooking on Father's Day (It's Not Just Steak!)
What makes a recipe a Father's Day recipe? According to a quick internet search, it's meat, meat, and more meat—preferably grilled. That's fine and dandy, but some dads may want a little more variety. To find out what Serious Eats staffers are cooking up for Father's Day, I recently polled the staff on their dad's favorite meals. While the results were mostly meaty, there were also plenty of comforting carbs and desserts. Below, you'll find all the dishes our staffers plan on making for their dads this Father's Day, including tender ribs, cheesy lasagna, and a luxuriously rich New York cheesecake. Smoky, sticky, and spicy—these skewers bring the heat and the sweet with every juicy bite. A quick marinade seasons the surface and allows salt to penetrate the chicken, resulting in juicy, flavorful meat. Get Recipe: Harissa-Honey Glazed Chicken Skewers This thick and meaty pan-seared steak is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Contrary to popular belief, flipping your steak frequently helps it develop a great crust and ensures it'll cook more evenly. Basting the steak with butter deepens its crust while also distributing flavor from aromatics like fresh rosemary or thyme. Get Recipe: Pan-Seared, Butter-Basted Thick-Cut Steak With juicy sausages nestled in crisp, tender Yorkshire pudding, covered in plenty of gravy, toad in the hole is a British classic worth recreating at home—regardless of whether it's Father's Day or not. Get Recipe: Toad in the Hole Tender and meaty pork ribs with a crusty bark or rich glaze of sauce—no smoker required. Get Recipe: Sous Vide Barbecue Pork Ribs Smashing ground beef firmly into an ungreased pan increases contact points, delivering maximum browning and flavor. Here, we cook two 2-ounce patties instead of one 4-ounce patty, which increases the amount of surface area for browning. Get Recipe: The Ultimate Smash Cheeseburger Chicken piccata—fried chicken cutlets bathed in a bright, savory lemon-butter pan sauce—is a staff favorite. Crispy, juicy, and loaded with punchy lemon juice and briny capers, it's an easy, impressive meal that dad will love. Get Recipe: Chicken Piccata (Fried Chicken Cutlets With Lemon-Butter Pan Sauce) This pan pizza recipe is for those who love a thick and crispy crust that's golden on the bottom, but puffy and soft under the layers of sauce and mozzarella. Get Recipe: Foolproof Pan Pizza Pan-searing duck breast is a restaurant-worthy main that's surprisingly easy to make at home. For tender, crisp, and juicy duck, score the skin, start with a cold pan, then cook it low and slow. Get Recipe: Pan-Seared Duck Breast With Orange Pan Sauce This vodka sauce is a powerhouse of tomato flavor smoothed over with the silky richness of heavy cream. Using a hefty dose of tomato paste gives the sauce the deeply sweet base notes it needs, while a small can of tomatoes adds a brighter layer of flavor. Get Recipe: Rigatoni alla Vodka Inspired by Popeyes, this fried chicken has that signature airy crust of rugged and scraggy bits, coupled with some personal touches. Get Recipe: Extra-Crispy Fried Chicken With Caramelized Honey and Spice How about a classic Margherita pizza with a spicy 'nduja twist? The spicy Calabrian cured pork holds its shape when baked quickly in a high-temperature pizza oven, and complements the simple tomato sauce, Parmesan, and fresh mozzarella on this pizza. Get Recipe: Outdoor Pizza Oven 'Nduja Pizza With medium-rare beef tenderloin, a rich mushroom duxelles, foie gras, and prosciutto all wrapped up in buttery puff pastry, beef Wellington is impressive no matter the occasion. Get Recipe: The Ultimate Beef Wellington A low and slow start guarantees medium-rare doneness all the way from the edge to center, and blasting the prime rib with heat just before serving gives you a crackling-crisp crust. Get Recipe: Roasted and Reverse Seared Prime Rib Lasagna Bolognese is the king of all lasagnas: Thin layers of delicate fresh pasta and savory ragù are bound by creamy besciamella. While robust and meaty, the dish has a hint of sweetness to it. Sounds like a meal fit for a king. Get Recipe: Classic Baked Lasagna Bolognese (Lasagne alla Bolognese) Filled with a rich custard and topped with whipped cream and toasted flaked coconut, this coconut cream pie is fragrant, nutty, and a delight to eat. Get Recipe: Coconut Cream Pie This fresh mint ice cream has an unbeatable roundness of flavor you just can't get with extract. Steeping fresh. mint leaves in hot dairy helps extract the herb's minty-fresh flavor, and blending the chocolate with a little oil and drizzling it into the churning ice cream ensures it melts smooth and creamy on the tongue. Get Recipe: The Best Mint Chip Ice Cream This majestic cheesecake gets its creaminess from a combination of cream cheese and fresh goat cheese. An initial burst of high heat encourages the cheesecake to puff, lightening its texture slightly, and a deep, sturdy pan helps it bake up nice and tall. Get Recipe: Epic New York Cheesecake With espresso- and liqueur-soaked ladyfingers, creamy mascarpone, and a dusting of rich cocoa powder, tiramisu is an elegant dessert that dad is sure to love. Get Recipe: Rich and Creamy Tiramisu Cap off your Father's Day celebration with this devil's food cake, which gets its rich chocolate flavor from a combination of dark chocolate and Dutch cocoa powder. Get Recipe: Devil's Food Cake Recipe Is there a dad who doesn't love a gooey apple pie? For an apples that retain their shape during cooking, par-cook the fruit to 160°F (71°C), which sets their pectin into a more stable form. A mixture of cornstarch and sugar help thicken the juices of the chunky, lightly sweetened filling into a gooey syrup, resulting in a deeply satisfying apple pie. Get Recipe: Gooey Apple Pie Part Rice Krispies Treat, part candy bar, this sticky-sweet classic belongs at every potluck. Using brown sugar instead of granulated sugar amplifies the bars' caramel notes, while bittersweet chocolate helps temper the sweetness of the butterscotch. Get Recipe: Scotcheroos Read the original article on Serious Eats
Los Angeles Times
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
A contest to crown L.A.'s best community college culinary program
As a graduate of Orange Coast College, I'm honored to speak to community college students whenever I can. That's why I was more than happy to accept an invitation months ago to be a judge at something called the Culinary Cup, which happened Friday at Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar. I figured I'd taste a couple of dishes, say some inspirational words, and that would be that. Oh, how wonderfully wrong I was. The Culinary Cup is a tournament between Mission College, L.A. Trade-Tech College, and L.A. Harbor College going on five years. Hundreds of people streamed into Mission College's huge Culinary Arts Institute building to cheer on the dozens of students ready to face off in three categories centered around Caribbean cuisine: savory, pastry and tablescaping — the art of setting a table that's as exacting as it sounds. I was assigned to tablescaping along with Greg Martayan, representing the Valley Economic Alliance. We were asked to judge as meticulously as possible, down to inspecting glasses to make sure there were no water spots and looking for any stray wrinkle on a folded napkin. 'Looks like it's going to be a 15,000-calorie day!' Martayan joked as we pregamed on Bananas Foster French toast and strawberry tarts. The competition itself was less 'Top Chef' and more of an open house. Guests peered into industrial kitchens to see students prepare their dishes, or sat in on demos ranging from how to make Belizean stewed chicken over coconut rice to an ice sculpture presentation by Trade-Tech professor Martin Gilligan. The president of each college strolled around in chef's jackets. Other Mission College departments also participated: The school's choir sang calypso and reggae standards while wearing tie-dyed shirts, and photography students staged dishes to take photos worthy of Serious Eats. Instructors stood by to cheer and mentor participants. One of them was Diamond Bar Golf Course executive chef Fionna España, who was in charge of the tablescaping competition. 'It's humbling, but it makes [students] say, 'I need to do better,'' she replied when I asked what was the value in having students compete against each other. 'It's a good thing because in the world, judging is happening constantly.' Success stories were everywhere. One of them was 53-year-old Sam Arenas, who played baseball for Mission College 30 years ago before embarking on a successful career in car sales. He recently retired to reenroll at Mission College and pursue his true passion: food. He wants to open a restaurant based on his grandmother's recipes. 'This is a great way to be under pressure but still have fun,' Arenas told me over shouts of 'Behind!' and 'Corner!' He was finishing up a Jamaican beef patty with colors that represented the country's flag: a crust tinted black from activated charcoal, spinach sauce and a mango chutney. 'To be able to start over in my career is just a blessing. But an even better blessing would be if our team wins!' Upstairs, Linden Grabowski was making nonalcoholic cocktails in the VIP reception — I especially liked her ginger-spiked Jamaican punch. Last year, the Santa Clarita resident was part of Mission College's tablescaping team. She's going to transfer to a four-year university after finishing degrees in culinary arts, restaurant management and professional baking. 'If you were to have told me two years ago I'd be at this point, I wouldn't have believed you,' Grabowski said. Political heavyweights showed up, like San Fernando Mayor Mary Mendoza, L.A. Community College District trustees David Vela and Kelsey Iino, and even longtime Congressman Tony Cárdenas, who retired last year. I caught him in line waiting for jerk chicken, picanha and lobster. I asked if he had ever been invited to judge. Cárdenas immediately shook his head no. 'You have a bunch of competitors and just one winner. You don't need a bunch of people mad at you.' The competition ended with a delicious buffet lunch attended by 500 people. I unfortunately had to leave before the winners were announced, so didn't have the chance to congratulate Mission College, which swept all the categories and thus won the Golden Chef's Hat Trophy. Harbor College will host next year — see you there! Andrea says, 'Ripple by Grateful Dead.'Pamela says, 'Dancing Queen by Abba.' Email us at essentialcalifornia@ and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. Today's great photo is from Friends of Big Bear Valley at the nest of two eaglets, Sunny and Gizmo, who are expected to fly for the first time soon. Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editorAndrew Campa, Sunday writerKarim Doumar, head of newsletters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@ Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on
Daily Record
06-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Keep your oranges 'fresher and juicier' for longer by storing them in this one place
Making these few small changes will mean you get the best out of your oranges. The majority of UK households store oranges in their fruit bowls. As pretty as this may look, experts believe having your oranges exposed to the air and next to other fruit, could actually be doing more harm than good. Oranges are a common staple in British homes and diets due to their health benefits. They are rich in vitamin C which supports a strong immune system and acts as an antioxidant. They also provide fiber, folate, and potassium, contributing to healthy digestion, heart health, and overall well-being. The freshness and juiciness of an orange can reduce rapidly if they are not stored properly. They can be kept at room temperature, out of direct sunlight for a few days, but they 'prefer a cool, dark environment'. If you want to get the best out of your oranges, then you should keep them in the fridge, according to Serious Eats. This can extend their shelf life and keep them juicier and fresher for longer. Riley Davies, a manager at Misfits Market – an online grocer – said that the ideal temperature for citrus fruit is between 40F and 45F (around 4.4C to 7.2C). This is likely colder than the countertop in your kitchen and warmer than the fridge, but the latter is the preferred option. The cool temperature in the fridge slows down the ripening process and inhibits the growth of mould and bacteria. It's best to place them in a mesh bag or keep them loose, allowing for good air circulation. Many people choose to store oranges at room temperature which can make them taste juicer because the natural sugars are more flavourful when not chilled. There's also a widespread belief that citrus fruits don't need to be kept in the fridge but while keeping oranges on the counter is fine for short-term storage of up to about a week, it's not ideal for long-term freshness. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Warm environments can cause the fruit to dry out or spoil more quickly, especially in humid conditions. If you buy oranges in bulk or don't plan to eat them all within a few days, keeping them in the fridge is the smart choice. You could store most of your oranges in the fridge and leave a few out to enjoy over the next couple of days if you don't want to keep them all in there. By changing this one simple storage habit, you could extend the shelf-life and freshness of your oranges without any extra hassle. As much as an orange's juiciness has to do with storage, its quality also hinges on its condition at the time of purchase. For this reason, it's important to first select the right oranges. The freshest kind are usually a bright colour, have thinner skin, and a more solid feel. Cassie Howard, based at Sunkist – a citrus growers cooperative – told Martha Stewart: 'Choose a firm, heavy orange when buying as they tend to be juicier.'
