Posted by Emily Koh, July 1, 2008 at 2:30 PM
It's a little more of an upscale DIY project than, say, baking your bread or growing your own garden, but wine enthusiasts too can turn their love into a full-fledged hands-on hobby by making wine at home:
"The growth and interest in wine generally over the last decade has really fueled an interest in winemaking as a hobby," says Brad Ring, publisher of Winemaker magazine. "With the greater availability of grapes, equipment and information, it’s come on strong as a hobby."
[...] All of which means that you don’t need to buy a vineyard in Tuscany or the Loire Valley to create your own label of succulent red or crisp white. In fact, all you need these days is a few hundreds dollars, some space in your garage or basement, and a little spare time.
Winemaking may sound intimidating, but the way Ring describes the process, it sounds quite simple: make juice from grapes, ferment it, ferment it again, strain it, store it, and bottle it. Grapes are available year-round, and winemaking supply stores even settle bottled grape juice made specially for the task. Check out the many home winemaking websites for more information.
Should you end up feeling particularly pleased and ambitious about your finished product, you can even enter it in amateur winemaking competitions, like the annual Winemaker International Amateur Wine Competition.
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The WinePod
Posted by Robyn Lee, April 29, 2008 at 12:00 PM
File this under, "Why didn't I think of that?" Turns out the best tool to peel a kiwi with is a spoon; just push it under the skin of the cut ends of a kiwi, rotate it until the skin comes loose, and out pops a naked kiwi!
Watch the tutorial video, after the jump.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, April 11, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Want to become a hot dog eating champion? Then read wikiHow's How to Win a Hot Dog Eating Contest tutorial. Just follow these four easy steps: stretch out your stomach, develop a hot dog-eating technique, learn to suppress your gag reflex, and time yourself. You'll be snarfing down those processed meat logs in no time!
Previously
'Major League Eating: The Game' Coming Soon for the Nintendo Wii
59 and a Half!
The Best Hot Dogs
Roadfood Roundup: Hot Dogs
Posted by Robyn Lee, April 10, 2008 at 4:45 PM
You want fresh s'mores without using a microwave or firing up a full-sized grill? Make a Mini S'mores Grill; this tiny table with bolts for table legs is just the perfect size to roast one marshmallow over a tiny fire of burning toothpicks. Use it to roast all kinds of tiny, marshmallow-size foods. The possibilities are endless. [via productdose.com]
Previously
Whole Wheat S'more Cookies
What do you do with marshmallows?
Question of the Day: What's your favorite food to grill?
Posted by Robyn Lee, April 9, 2008 at 2:15 PM
Are you still thinking about making that bacon-infused bourbon and maple syrup cocktail but don't know where to begin? Watch this video of Don Lee making the Bacon-Infused Old-Fashioned in which he explains each step, including how to make the bacon-infused bourbon.
Posted by Robyn Lee, March 27, 2008 at 11:30 AM
I've never thought of making those super-thin omelets (usuyaki tamago) you sometimes find in Japanese dishes—I assumed reaching that thinness would take more skill than I possess—but Biggie at bento-making tutorial site Lunch In A Box shows the easy way to make them by cooking them in your microwave. With an appropriately-shaped plate and plastic wrap (Biggie includes information about the safety of microwaving plastic wrap), you'll be churning out these egg sheets in no time. Chop up the egg sheets to use as a garnish or keep them whole to use as wrappers around other foods.
Of course, you can make these without a microwave; go to Just Hungry for directions on how to make them in a pan.
Posted by Robyn Lee, February 29, 2008 at 3:00 PM
If the infamously stinky odor of the durian weren't already enough to keep people from eating it, there's also the task of splitting open the spiny shell to reach the creamy pods within. Durian newbies, be not afraid; Kathryn Hill at The Kitchn has documented the process of opening a durian. All you need is a big knife and adequate arm strength.
If you want to try durian without opening it yourself, a fruit vendor may do it for you. In Manhattan's Chinatown my friends and I bought a durian from a vendor on Mott Street and Grand Street who scooped out the flesh and neatly packed the "pods" in a container, probably in much less time than if one of us went at the durian with a knife. Still, it's good to know how to open one yourself!
Posted by Emily Stone, January 2, 2008 at 2:30 PM
It takes cajones to set a cooking show to the tune of Isaac Hayes's "Chocolate Salty Balls." Emeril's not doing it. Neither is anyone else on cable or network TV. The only guy brave enough is James Beard Award-nominated chocolatier Michael Recchiuti—on YouTube.
Last week, the namesake of Recchiuti Confections uploaded two videos: Chocolate Truffle Class Part 1 and Chocolate Truffle Class Part 2. Recchiuti turns a San Francisco freight elevator into a makeshift studio, where he unveils a try-this-at-home recipe for "refrigerator truffles" while throwing around cue cards and tossing back champagne. Dressed like a wacked-out Santa in a red cap and a pair of kitchen overalls, he's the most subversive chef since Mero Cocinero, star of culinary-politics roadshow Cooking con Karimi (con Castro).
About the author: Emily Stone, a food writer and proprietor of Chocolate in Context, is a chocolate enthusiast, itinerant traveler, and a lover of literature who lives in Pittsburgh.
Posted by Robyn Lee, October 26, 2007 at 12:30 PM
The above video from About.com shows you how to carve a pumpkin in just three minutes!
...I mean, the video is three minutes long. It'll probably take you longer than that unless you have an electric saw. Whatever you do, don't hack it with a sword.
Carving a pumpkin is easy, results in a nice decoration, and is a good way to get our your aggressions if you want to stab something. Check out these links for pumpkin carving tips, stencils and inspiration:
And if you don't have access to a real pumpkin, there's always virtual pumpkin carving.
