Latest news with #cookingTips
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Say Goodbye To Greasy Pizza With This Ingenious Pepperoni Hack
No one wants to pull a pizza out of the oven only to see shiny pools of grease sitting on top of the pepperonis. If you're looking for a crisp, flavorful slice, it's not exactly the vibe you want, having grease drip down your hand each time you take a bite. Thankfully, there's a simple way to avoid this issue and it doesn't involve skipping the pepperoni (because that's not an option). Grease ultimately comes from fat being released during the cooking process, so you just have to find a way around it. Using the microwave is a quick way to reduce grease without losing that savory flavor. Place your pepperoni slices in a single layer on a paper towel-lined plate and microwave them for 20 to 30 seconds, or until they start to release the grease. As they warm up, the fat will begin to pool on the surface of the paper towel. Once the timer goes off, take another paper towel and gently blot the tops to remove any remaining grease. This step not only helps lower the overall grease content but also slightly pre-cooks the pepperoni so it gets a little crispier in the oven. When you transfer the slices to your pizza, they're less likely to ooze excess oil as they bake since you've already removed a good amount. You're still getting the same great flavor, but the finished result will have a cleaner texture. This is especially helpful if you're working with store-bought or lower-cost pepperoni which is often fattier than premium brands. Even with higher-end varieties, though, pre-cooking helps maintain a crisp top layer. Read more: Once-Popular Pizza Styles That Are Slowly Disappearing Look, you have some healthy pizza options, but this isn't really a debate about healthy or unhealthy. This is about improving flavor and texture without sacrificing on toppings. When your pizza isn't drowning in grease, the sauce stands out more, the cheese stays melty but not soupy (you'll want to choose a cheese that doesn't break down too easy), and the crust actually has a chance to stay crisp. This method works especially well for pizzas that use a thinner crust or lighter toppings. When there's less structure to absorb excess moisture, grease can make everything feel weighed down. Even thick, hearty pizzas benefit from this step because it helps each bite taste more balanced. Instead of being hit with a mouthful of oil, you get the pleasant, meaty flavor you expect from well-cooked pepperoni. If you're sharing with others, this little adjustment can go unnoticed in terms of effort, but it makes a big impact on the overall result. It's one of those tricks that, once you start using it, you won't want to skip it again. With just a microwave and a couple of paper towels, your next pizza night can be a lot more enjoyable. Now you can stack those ronies until your heart's content because you can never have too many. For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout's newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more! Read the original article on The Takeout.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
The top 9 grilling mistakes and how to fix them
I love to grill, and barbecue, and I have devoted my career to outdoor cooking for more than two decades. In that time, I've seen a lot of mistakes, and people tend to make them over and over. So I put together a list of the biggest grilling don'ts and how to avoid them. Print this list and refer to it the next time you get ready to grill! Never oil the grill Many people oil the cooking grates — big blunder! Follow my mantra: 'Oil the food, not the grates!' If you brush oil on hot cooking grates (and a lit grill), you run the risk of a big flare-up. The oil that you have brushed on will instantly burn, leaving a sticky residue that will 'glue' your food to the grates, making it stick, break apart and dry out_like dehydrating food. If you oil the food, it will stay juicy and promote caramelization_those great grill marks! And help to prevent 'stickage.' Don't put food on a cold grill Always preheat a gas grill with all burners on high, or wait until charcoal briquettes are covered with a white-gray ash. Preheating also burns off residue and makes it easier to clean the grill. Contrary to popular belief, you don't ever need to cook on a grill that is hotter than 550 F. The hotter the grill, the more likely you will burn the outside of the food before the inside is cooked. Clean that dirty grill An outdoor grill is like a cast-iron skillet. It gets better and better the more you use it, but you do need to clean it every time you use it. Clean the grill grates twice every cookout with a stiff, metal-bristle grill cleaning brush — before and after you cook. If you do this, it will never be a big job to clean your grill. If you don't have a grill cleaning brush, crumble a ball of heavy-duty aluminum foil and hold it in a pair of 12-inch locking chef tongs to use to clean the grill. Know the difference between direct and indirect heat The most frequent mistake is to choose the wrong cooking method. To be a good griller, you must know the difference between direct, indirect or combo grilling and when to use them. Direct grilling means that the food is set directly over the heat source — similar to broiling in your oven. Indirect grilling means the heat is on either side of the food and the burners are turned off under the food — similar to roasting and baking in your oven. Combo grilling means that you sear the food over direct heat (i.e., to sear a tenderloin, or large steak) before moving it to indirect heat to finish the cooking process. Remember this general rule of thumb: If the food takes less than 20 minutes to cook, use the DIRECT METHOD. If the food takes more than 20 minutes to cook, use the INDIRECT METHOD. The right way to deal with flare-ups Never use a water bottle to extinguish a flare-up. Spraying water on a hot fire can produce steam vapors which may cause severe burns. The water can also crack the porcelain-enamel finish, resulting in damage to your grill. Fire loves oxygen, so cook with the lid down and don't peek. Repeatedly lifting the lid to 'peek' and check the food while it's cooking lengthens cooking time. If you have a full-on fire, turn all the burners off, remove the food and extinguish the flames with kosher salt or baking soda. In a worst-case scenario, use a fire extinguisher, but know that it will ruin your grill. Avoid frequent flipping If you are cooking food by the direct method (hamburgers, hot dogs, boneless chicken breasts, small steaks, vegetables, etc.), flip only once halfway through the cooking time. All protein will stick to the grates as soon as it makes contact with the hot grill grates. As it cooks, it will naturally release itself, and that is when you can turn it over with a pair of tongs. Just remember to oil the food, not the grates! Dodge cross-contamination One of the most common mistakes backyard cooks make is using the same tongs for raw and cooked foods. This creates cross-contamination and can result in food-borne illness. It's easy to fix this problem. I have been color-coding my 12-inch locking chef tongs with red and green duct tape for as long as I have been grilling. The different colors help me to remember which pair of tongs I used for raw food (red), like chicken, and which are safe to use for the cooked food (green). And remember to use a separate clean platter for your cooked food, too. Don't sauce too soon If I had a dime for every time I saw someone pour thick sweet barbecue sauce on bone-in-chicken pieces or a whole rack of ribs while they were raw, I would be a very wealthy griller! All barbecue sauces have a lot of sugar in them and sugar burns quickly, almost always burning the outside of the food before the inside cooks. Generally I only brush food with sauce during the final 10-15 minutes of cooking time. With ribs that cook 2-3 hours, I will brush with a diluted sauce (1/2 beer and 1/2 sauce) for the final 30 minutes of cooking time. Resist testing for doneness by cutting Cutting your food to test for doneness is another common way people bungle their food. When you cut any protein, you are letting the precious juices escape, and if the food is under-cooked, the area where it was cut will be over-cooked when you put it back on the grill. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness, and always let your food rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE: Elizabeth Karmel is grilling, barbecue and Southern foods expert, a media personality and the author of four cookbooks, including ' Steak and Cake .'
CTV News
17-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
An affordable and simple meal to make on the BBQ during grilling season
Home economist Jodi Kachkar has tips for affordable and easy meals at a time when food insecurity is at an all-time high.
CNET
12-05-2025
- General
- CNET
You've Been Using Your Oven's Bottom Drawer All Wrong
That drawer under your oven probably seems like the perfect spot to stash baking sheets or pans. There's so much extra space there, why wouldn't you put all the pots and pans you don't have room for in your cabinets there? Here's the thing: That drawer may not actually be for storage after all. You may be surprised to hear that, in some oven models, it's actually meant to keep food warm before serving. Others use it as a secondary broiler. And yes, some really are just for holding your cookware. You'd need to consult your manual to be sure, and you should go ahead and admit that you haven't. Otherwise, you probably wouldn't be reading this right now. Don't worry, though. We aren't about to give you a reading assignment because we're breaking it all down in easy to understand terms right now. Here's how to find out what your bottom oven drawer is actually for, and how to use it the right way. Read more: Clever Cleaning Hacks for the Hardest-to-Reach Crevices in Your Kitchen How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:05 / Duration 1:29 Loaded : 46.35% 0:05 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 1:24 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar 3 functions of your oven's bottom drawer Warming drawer A warming drawer is easy to identify. Take a look at the buttons on your oven. If one of them is labeled "Warming Drawer" then that's exactly what you have. Anytime you need to warm a pie or a loaf of bread -- or you just want to keep dishes warm while the rest of the meal finishes cooking -- pop it into the warming drawer and push the warming button. Broiler Broiler drawers are typically found on gas ovens and are very narrow. Chris Monroe/CNET If you have an oven heated with natural gas, the drawer is typically a broiler. To be sure, pull open the door. If it looks more like a retractable pan than a drawer, then it's a broiler. Think of the broiler as an extra cooking area. It's best for toasting or browning foods like casseroles or breads. Any item placed in the broiler will burn quickly, though, so check on it every couple of minutes. Storage drawer A storage drawer is usually much deeper than a warming drawer or broiler. Chris Monroe/CNET If there isn't a warming button and the area looks like a deep, empty drawer, then you probably have a storage drawer. As per a recent Reddit discussion, many people are unsure about what to keep in this space. This is a good place to store cast iron pots and pans, because the warmth from your oven will help keep them rust free. Just be sure not to store plastic items in this drawer, because they may become warped due to residual heat. Likewise, some older ovens have little insulation and may heat your metal cookware when the oven is on. As a precaution, always use oven mitts to remove cookware during or after your oven has been in use.
CNET
12-05-2025
- General
- CNET
Surprising Ways to Use Your Oven's Hidden Space Below
The extra space under the oven is one of those quietly understood, socially accepted rules for storing big pots and pans that don't have a space in other cabinets. But what is the true purpose of that space below your oven? Did the designer really consider our storage needs, or was the creation for something greater? If you're left curious about what that drawer under your oven is really used for, read on to learn more about the type of drawer you may have in your kitchen. It may be the secret cooking option you can use for your next meal. Read More: Clever Cleaning Hacks for the Hardest-to-Reach Crevices in Your Kitchen How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar Click to unmute Video Player is loading. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Next playlist item Unmute Current Time 0:31 / Duration 1:29 Loaded : 99.24% 0:31 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:58 Share Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Close Modal Dialog This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. How to clean your oven with baking soda and vinegar 3 functions of your oven's bottom drawer Warming drawer A warming drawer is easy to identify. Take a look at the buttons on your oven. If one of them is labeled "Warming Drawer" then that's exactly what you have. Anytime you need to warm a pie or a loaf of bread -- or you just want to keep dishes warm while the rest of the meal finishes cooking -- pop it into the warming drawer and push the warming button. Broiler Broiler drawers are typically found on gas ovens and are very narrow. Chris Monroe/CNET If you have an oven heated with natural gas, the drawer is typically a broiler. To be sure, pull open the door. If it looks more like a retractable pan than a drawer, then it's a broiler. Think of the broiler as an extra cooking area. It's best for toasting or browning foods like casseroles or breads. Any item placed in the broiler will burn quickly, though, so check on it every couple of minutes. Storage drawer A storage drawer is usually much deeper than a warming drawer or broiler. Chris Monroe/CNET If there isn't a warming button and the area looks like a deep, empty drawer, then you probably have a storage drawer. As per a recent Reddit discussion, many people are unsure about what to keep in this space. This is a good place to store cast iron pots and pans, because the warmth from your oven will help keep them rust free. Just be sure not to store plastic items in this drawer, because they may become warped due to residual heat. Likewise, some older ovens have little insulation and may heat your metal cookware when the oven is on. As a precaution, always use oven mitts to remove cookware during or after your oven has been in use.
