Latest news with #cookingtips
New York Times
02-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
How Our Readers Are Saving Money on Groceries
Food costs continue to fluctuate, so we asked readers if they've changed how they shop and cook. Shoppers are finding smart ways to keep their grocery costs low, like buying in bulk and making typically store-bought items at home. Jessica Attie for The New York Times By Sharon Attia and Allison Jiang Published June 2, 2025 Updated June 2, 2025 With grocery costs in flux as a result of inflation, tariffs and other factors, it can feel like eating well means you have to spend a fortune. But our clever readers prove that that's not the case. We asked them if they have changed how they shop and cook. Below are some of their smart, money-saving tips. Pajeon is especially forgiving and can accommodate just about any vegetables you have on hand. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Before you make yet-another trip to the grocery store, take stock of what's in your pantry, fridge and freezer to ensure that nothing goes to waste. Soups, pastas and fried rice are a great way to use up those leftover bits and bobs of meat and vegetables you have on hand. And Melissa Clark recommends leaning on bright, bold pantry staples, such as anchovies, chile paste, salsa or Dijon mustard, to turn everyday staples into something wonderful. Vegetable Pajeon | Chickpea Harissa Soup | Midnight Pasta With Garlic, Anchovy, Capers and Red Pepper Just five ingredients are needed for this one-pan dinner: salmon, butter, sesame oil, sugar and kimchi. Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Shop with a list — and keep to the list. To resist impulse purchases, one reader keeps to the edges of the grocery store, avoiding the packaged food in the center of the store as much as possible. Tomato Rice With Crispy Cheddar | Five-Ingredient Creamy Miso Pasta | Salmon and Kimchi Skillet Beans are a home cook's secret weapon: They're easy, hearty, economical and can be tucked into just about any dish. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Repeating ingredients doesn't mean you're cursed to eat the same protein, grain and vegetable every day. That would be so sad, so boring! A big pot of black beans can be tucked into burritos for breakfast, served over rice for lunch and loaded onto cheesy baked sweet potatoes for dinner. Sausages can be baked into a buttery breakfast casserole, pan-seared with peppers and onions or cooked in a quick skillet pasta with your chosen green veg. Chili | Sausage With Peppers and Onions | Baked Potatoes To stretch ground meat further, you can add rice to make porcupine meatballs, a dish that became popular during the Depression. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Taking advantage of lower prices on certain ingredients when you see them may lead to meaningful savings. Ground beef, chicken, pork and turkey all freeze well. Creamy, Spicy Weeknight Bolognese | Porcupine Meatballs | Easy Turkey Meatloaf Shopping regularly means you can take advantage of whatever beautiful produce the season has to offer. Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. It may seem counterintuitive, but making more frequent, intentional trips to the supermarket instead of one big trip can reduce the likelihood that you'll waste food. Going more often also ensures that you can peruse the freshest items that the market has to offer, and plan your menu accordingly. Miso-Parmesan Asparagus | Creamy Corn Pasta With Basil | Quick Fresh Tomato Sauce Rotisserie chicken is a hearty addition to suppers, like this delicious pasta from Christian Reynoso. Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Brilliant! Meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken — or a simple, homemade roast chicken — is a hearty addition to salads, pastas, soups and stews. Save the leftover bones and make chicken stock to freeze. Rotisserie Chicken and Greens Pasta | White Chicken Chili | Crispy Wonton Chicken Salad Quick from-scratch condiments, like this 10-minute chile crisp, are often cheaper than store-bought and surprisingly easy to make at home. Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Victoria Granof. Lots of basic grocery staples are cheaper and surprisingly easy to make at home: yogurt, for instance, bread, granola and more. You may even find that you prefer the taste and the quality of the homemade stuff, which you can customize to your taste. Readers also wrote in about multi-cookers like the Instant Pot, which quickly and efficiently cook beans from dried without the need for a lengthy soaking process. Focaccia | Chile Crisp | Pancake Mix Braised dishes like carnitas transform cheaper cuts of meat into fall-off-the-bone magic. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Consider cheaper cuts of meat like chicken thighs or drumsticks, chuck roast, pork shoulder or shank. You may find you like them even better, especially in braised dishes like pot roast, carnitas and ropa vieja. Pressure Cooker Pot Roast | Slow Cooker Honey-Chipotle Chicken Tacos | Ropa Vieja This hearty, pesto-inspired meal proves that eating vegetarian doesn't mean skimping on flavor or satisfaction. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Meatless Mondays are an opportunity to experiment with plant-based proteins like tofu and beans, which are endlessly versatile. Some of our most popular recipes, like these creamy, spicy tomato beans and greens, are fast, easy to prepare and delicious — all in part because they're vegetarian. Beans and Greens alla Vodka | Pesto Beans | Kung Pao Tofu Cooked grains can add heft and pops of texture to many meals. David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. It may be obvious, but buying in bulk not only ensures that you save on grocery costs. It also assures that you'll always have ingredients for a meal. Rice, for example, freezes well and can be a main, a side or a dessert. Big Pot of Beans | Farro | Can't-Miss Rice A quick and easy herb oil allows you to enjoy your homegrown herbs whenever the mood strikes. Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sarah Jampel. Many wrote in about the cost-saving (and therapeutic) virtues of having a garden. Homegrown herbs, whether fresh or frozen, can elevate a meal exponentially, and many, like mint, dill, thyme and scallions, are easy to grow on your kitchen counter, even in urban kitchens. (Here's how to store and extend the life of your herbs.) Creamy White Beans With Herb Oil | Uchucuta Sauce (Andean Green Herb and Chile Sauce) | Greek Goddess Dip Food banks, community fridges and church pantries can be a big help to those in need. Cassandra Klos for The New York Times Some readers — especially those living on a fixed income — rely on food banks, community fridges and pantries to help them get by. Feeding America is a website that helps you find a food bank in your area by plugging in your ZIP code. You can also call a local church or community center.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE I invented pulled pork - this is how you should really do it
The celebrity chef who 'invented pulled pork' has revealed how it should really be cooked. Simon Rimmer, who is appearing at this weekend's Pub In The Park food and music festival, has insisted he came up with slow-cooked meat creation. The TV host, 62, who is from Wallasey, confirmed to MailOnline: 'Yes I invented pulled pork! 'Although it might be a joke we made on Sunday Brunch that caught fire. It never ceases to amaze me that people don't get it! So yes, it was me.' The expert, who has seen his recipe downloaded thousands of times, said the key to perfecting the dish is to keep it 'low and slow'. He advised: 'Low and slow, plenty of seasoning, plenty of moisture. And cook it until it will fall apart with a spoon.' Speaking previously to Kate Thornton on an episode of White Wine Question Time, he said he cooked the dish once on Sunday brunch, and his co-host Tim Lovejoy went 'crazy for it'. He explained: 'I think it was just one of those moments in time that at all the ducks are in a row. I think at the time it became the most downloaded recipe on Channel 4 including Jamie Oliver Gordon Ramsay... 'It was just one of the things that everybody wanted to cook it and then about six months later that whole low and slow thing just really took off. 'So we just started saying 'my invention' and it's great because whenever it's mentioned it always gets people really, really angry! So it's been around for years.' Earlier this month, Simon was reduced to tears when telling his daughter, Flo, the impact his father's death had on his life. The father and daughter were speaking on the latest episode of the Mail's 'The Apple & The Tree' podcast, which pits parents against their adult children to ask intimate questions about their shared family history. TV Chef, Simon, 61, recalled how turning sixty had created an angst within him, which he only managed to come to terms with after his father passed away two months later. Simon is best known for his work with Mail podcast host Tim Lovejoy, presenting 'Something for The Weekend' between 2006 and 2012. 'Sixty was the only birthday I ever had that I was bothered about', Simon said. 'Thirty, forty, fifty – they never bothered me. I wasn't happy: it felt like a lot of the sides of my life were almost teetering. It was as though if things went the wrong way, the whole house of cards could come tumbling down. 'I knew my dad was fading. I knew we were on borrowed time with him. He died two months after that, and it really brought me back into focus.' Flo Rimmer, 27, who works in sales, admitted she was worried about her father's behaviour on the advent of his sixtieth birthday. 'You were quite emotional and sad', she commented. 'You were regretful about certain things that had gone a different way, or where your life was. 'That made me quite sad because you've done amazing things. I remember saying to you that night, you need to take a step back and actually look at where you are and what you've become. 'Maybe yeah, you haven't hit certain milestones – but that doesn't mean you haven't been successful.' Simon juggled a successful presenting career with the managing of multiple restaurants across Manchester. He is also an author of cookbooks and has appeared as a contestant on shows Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Mastermind. In tears, Simon described the death of his father and how remembering some advice he had given him as a child cured him of his gloom at aging. Struggling to speak, he said: 'When he died, we were all there together at his hospital bed. We got to say goodbye. 'All of my drive, all of my ambition, started when I was 9 and my dad said to me, if I had my time again: I would never work for anybody else. 'He told me he'd only do what he wanted to do – and I have never had a proper job. 'My dad was my hero. He taught me everything about being a human being. 'I will never get over it – I never want to. That's something I have learned about grief; you never want to get over it.'
The Sun
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Four savvy ways to cut the cost of your next dinner party
ARE you prepping for your dinner party? Rising supermarket prices have made it up to 91 per cent more expensive to host for a group compared to dining out and splitting the bill, according to research by TheFork. But these tips will help you to stay within budget. COCKTAIL CONTROL: Instead of trying to cater to everyone's drink preferences, and spending a fortune on wine, spirits and mixers, pick one cocktail for the menu. Whip up one big-batch tipple, such as Aperol spritz using Aldi Aperini, £6.79, and ask guests to bring a bottle if they fancy something else. NAB A NIBBLE: Ditch pricey canapes for bargain freezer and store-cupboard items. Iceland sell frozen canape platter packs such as 38 tempura rolls or a 1.2kg Indian platter of snacks, both £6, and at Lidl it's summer picnic week, so pick up a fancy jar of olives for £1.69. Arrange in pretty bowls around the table for guests to help themselves. PULSE POWER: When it comes to cooking the main dish, bulk it out. Lentils and pasta are great options, and lentils can be substituted for expensive meat in certain recipes. A cheap and tasty dish to make is lentil bolognese or chickpea curry — the ingredients are low cost, but they will both keep bellies full. GET BREAD-Y: S ide dishes can also help bulk out a main dinner dish. The clever online shopping method customers are using to get a cheeky discount, and it 'works every time' Everyone loves garlic bread, but instead of buying garlic baguettes, make your own showstopper of a giant focaccia, which will bring the wow factor. You need: 500g strong white bread flour, £1.30, a packet of Fast action yeast, £1.50, and 2tsp salt, olive oil from the cupboard and a few cloves of garlic, 89p, all Tesco. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then make a well and add 2tsp of olive oil and mix it together. Get a jug and fill with 400ml of water, adding a little at a time while bringing the dough together with your hands before leaving to prove. When baked, cut into small squares or fingers to make it go further and arrange on small plates around the table. All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability 7 Deal of the day MARKS will disappear in a flash with the Vax SpotWash Home Pet-Design carpet cleaner, previously £199.99, now £119.99, at You will also get a free stain removal kit worth £30. SAVE: £80 Cheap treat PAMPER yourself with a manicure at home and use the Opi nail lacquer in How Does Your Zen Garden Grow?, RRP £14.90, now £4 at poundland. Top swap HEADING for lunch al fresco? This stylish herringbone picnic blanket is £14 at M&S, but head to Home Bargains for a similar style at just £4.99. SAVE: £9.01 Little helper DISNEY'S Lilo & Stitch movie is now in cinemas. Celebrate with the Lilo & Stitch stationery collection at The Range. This A5 notepad was £3.49, now down to 72p. Shop and save BRING some colour and joy into your life with this cool rainbow LED lamp, usually £20, now £16 at Dunelm. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket. The more codes you enter, the more tickets you'll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Simple tips to prevent food poisoning at your weekend picnic
(WKBN) – Many people will be cooking out for Memorial Day weekend but before you serve your favorite foods, remember some tips to stay safe from foodborne illnesses. Cleveland Clinic dietitian Teresa Eury says it's important to wash your hands before you start cooking. You should also wash your hands after you touch raw meat and clean any surfaces raw meat touches. When grilling, make sure the meat juices don't drip onto other foods. Before serving meat, use a thermometer to check that everything is cooked to the right temperature. Eury also says to watch how long food is left out. 'The most important message that I would give out to those for Memorial Day is making sure you are being smart about your food preparation. It really, truly comes down to timing, keeping cold foods cold, hot foods hot and making sure you're washing your hands thoroughly,' she said. Eury says it's best to put leftovers in the fridge quickly so you can safely enjoy them later. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNET
16-05-2025
- General
- CNET
I Cooking Instructor Told Us 4 Foods That Will Ruin a Cast-Iron Skillet
Using a cast-iron pan is more than just a way to cook — it's a ritual, a relationship, a legacy. A well-seasoned skillet can outlast its owner, passed down like a family heirloom, its glossy black surface telling stories of meals shared and flavors perfected. But even the toughest kitchen tools have their kryptonite. Cast iron may be rugged, but it's not invincible. Simmer the wrong sauce, soak it too long, or pick the wrong ingredients, and you could strip away that hard-earned seasoning or damage the pan's surface for good. Acidic foods, prolonged moisture, and a few other culinary culprits can turn your skillet from hero to hazard. To find out exactly which foods to keep out of cast iron -- or at the very least, cook with caution -- I asked Eric Rowse. Rowse is the lead chef instructor of Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education and shared tips for using the cult-favorite cookware without ruining its surface. If you want to keep your cast iron slick, smooth, and worthy of its place on the stovetop throne, there are a few things you should never let near it. Here's what to avoid — and why your pan will thank you. 4 foods that will ruin cast-iron cookware According to Rowse, you can technically cook anything in cast iron -- even fish and eggs -- but some foods react poorly to cast iron if not done properly, leading to surface decay or food with a metallic taste. 1. Tomatoes It's OK to cook acidic foods such as tomatoes and vinegar in your cast-iron pan but letting them sit for long periods can eat away at the seasoning. istetiana/Getty Images "Highly acidic foods, such as tomato and tomato-based dishes, can be problematic on raw iron, poorly or underseasoned cast iron," Rowse says. "Cooking these foods in neglected cast iron can lead to a metallic taste in the food. If the pan is well seasoned and cleaned out after each use, it isn't a problem." To be safe, cook some bacon in your skillet afterward to give the seasoning extra protection. As a bonus, you'll have bacon on hand. What you don't want to do is leave the acidic food just sitting in the pan, which can eat away at the seasoning. 2. Vinegar Most BBQ sauces have a fair amount of vinegar that can damage your cast-iron cookware. CNET For the same reason as tomatoes, vinegar can eat away at a seasoned cast-iron skillet, sending you back to square one. Vinegar-based foods like adobo or Carolina-style barbecue sauce are good examples of acidic foods that shouldn't sit in a cast-iron pan for long. If you do use vinegar in a recipe and cook it in cast-iron, be sure to clean the pan immediately afterward with hot water and salt or a small dash of gentle dish soap. Read more: Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet Easily With This Common Kitchen Staple 3. Citrus Avoid cooking citrus-based sauces in your cast-iron cookware for long periods. Géza Bálint Ujvárosi/EyeEm/Getty Images While they're may not be a ton of reasons to put citrus in a cast-iron skillet, certain recipes call for a fair amount of lemon or lime juice. A squeeze of lemon at the end probably won't destroy your cast-iron pan, but don't let citrus juice simmer inside of it for long, or your precious patina won't survive the night. 4. Wine-based sauces Red wine is great to add into stews and red meat dishes. fermate/Getty Images Cooking with wine is almost always a good idea. In fact, we have a list of recipes that thrive with a few ounces of red or white. But letting acid-heavy wine braise or simmer in a cast-iron pot or pan for too long could cause the slick patina to erode, leaving you with an unseasoned skillet that food will stick to. Can you cook eggs in cast iron? A properly seasoned cast-iron skillet can cook eggs without issue. Getty Images While they won't damage your pan, eggs are tricky to pan-fry without having a sticky mess to deal with after. While cast-iron cookware isn't as nonstick as chemically coated pans, it's still a fine candidate for scrambling or frying the morning staple. "I love cooking eggs in cast iron," Rowse told us. "I have a small 5-inch one that I cook fried eggs in. Cast iron is able to get super-hot, and precise control is harder because it retains heat for longer, and therefore it is more difficult to make small adjustments to the temperature." What about fish? I heat my prepared meals up in a skillet or air fryer if I'm home. David Watsky/CNET Likewise, many varieties of fish are flaky and tend to stick to surfaces if not managed properly. If your cast-iron's patina isn't properly slicked or is too hot when the fish goes down, you may end up scraping half of your halibut from the bottom of the pan. How to avoid a cast-iron cooking conundrum Properly seasoning your cast iron will keep foods such as fish and eggs from sticking. Tyler Lizenby/CNET First and foremost, you'll want to properly season so you can cook even the stickiest foods without worry. When cooking acidic foods in cast iron, avoid slow-braising or simmering on the stovetop for long periods. When the food is finished cooking, remove it and wash your cast-iron pan immediately with hot water, a drop of dish soap and a sprinkling of kitchen salt for extra stuck-on foods. And if you're not sure, opt for an acid-safe piece of cookware as an enameled Dutch oven or stainless-steel skillet.
