Dry frying, a technique unique to Sichuan cuisine, can be accomplished one of two ways. The general idea is to cook your main ingredient—whether it's a protein or a vegetable—in a relatively large amount of moderately hot oil without any kind of batter or protective coating. As it cooks, the intense heat drives off interior moisture, thereby concentrating its flavor. Simultaneously, the exterior becomes desiccated (hence "dry"-frying) and browned. More
Last week's Weekend Cook and Tell was inspired by the story of the Microplane grater, a wood rasp that found its way into the kitchen and never looked back. For Kitchen Tool Crossover challenge we asked all of you to tell us about tools that have made their way into your kitchen by way of the basement, garage, or tool shed. Let's take a look at some of our favorite multipurpose responses. More
Here are the 7 pots and pans that I turn to the most. The ones that hang by my stove and get used almost every day. A good cook never blames his tools, but outfit your kitchen with these, and you'll have absolutely no excuse. More
I know many chefs and cooks who keep a cake-tester tucked into pen-pocket on their whites and none who use them to test cakes. Not that you can't test a cake's doneness with them, it's just why would you want to when there are so many more interesting assisted-poking tasks at which it excels? More
We're kicking off our holiday gift guide series with 8 pieces of equipment that can help your loved ones (or yourself, if you're the self-gifting type) become better cooks. Whether it's something as fancy as a $96 thermometer (essential!) or an under $15 stocking-stuffer timer (also essential!), there's something here for everyone's budget. And I can almost guarantee that at least one item on this list isn't already in their kitchen collection. More
I don't have a big backyard, but if I did, I'd probably consider figuring out a way to cook my holiday bird without wasting oven space, and without the terrible hassle (and frankly mediocre results) of deep-fried turkey. If the Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-Less Turkey Fryer ($99) lived up to its promises, then it might be a great contender for the job. More
Even when you buy a cleaned side of salmon or char (the more responsible choice) from the fish counter at the supermarket you run into the occasional pin-bone that's better off removed. In a pinch you could use a pair of needle-nose pliers, or you could try and cut around them with a knife, but both of those methods end up mangling more than extracting. Fish tweezers are the only tool that can do the job effectively. More
For someone who doesn't eat much ice cream, I sure use my ice cream scoop an awful lot. As a baking tool, a few different sized scoops are essential—there's no faster or more consistent way to get cookie dough from the bowl to the baking tray. Muffins and cupcakes benefit too, making filling up the wells quick, even, and mess-free. More
Want to up your pumpkin carving game this year? We're here to help, beginning with this guide to essential pumpkin-carving equipment. Here's what you'll need. More
I can't stand it when I reach for a nice big balloon whisk and start beating away only to find out that the wires are too stiff to get decent whipping action and that I might as well be trying to make my meringue with a fork. For me, the ideal whisk needs to combine a few features. Let me break them down. More
