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Tom Colicchio's 5 Tips for Simple Entertaining

We caught up with Tom Colicchio earlier this week to chat about summer entertaining. With two little munchkins at home under the age of two, he likes to keep things real simple with cured meats, cheese, and olives—instant appetizer platter. Here are a few tips to keep in mind the next time hungry guests show up.

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9 Comments | Posted by The Serious Eats Team, May 20, 2011 at 9:00 AM
Tagged: entertaining, tips, Tom Colicchio

7 Tips For Making The Most of the Farmers' Market

If you're really lucky, you live in a city with a year-round farmers' market, but even if you do, this is the time of year when farmers' markets start really picking up. Ramps, asparagus, artichokes, fava beans, peas, and new potatoes are all approaching their peak here in New York, not to mention the tomatoes, plums, apples, and wild mushrooms we still have to look forward to. Here are 7 tips to help you make the most of your visit to the farmers' market.

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14 Comments | Posted by J. Kenji López-Alt, May 13, 2011 at 10:30 AM
Tagged: farmers' markets, shopping, tips

Comment of the Day: Secret Pro Tip for Eggs

"I call shenanigans. My secret pro tip wasn't even addressed: Were the eggs in this video room temp or were they direct from the fridge? I warm my eggs up slightly in a bowl of warm water for about 10 mins before cracking them and proceeding. It makes all the difference. Cold eggs hitting the hot pan makes them rubbery." —franko, on "This Week in America's Test Kitchen: The Perfect French Omelette"

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6 Comments | Posted by Alison J Herzog, July 6, 2010 at 5:30 PM
Tagged: Comment of the Day, eggs, franko, tips

The Crisper Whisperer: 10 Secrets for Making the Most of Your CSA

As the growing season hits its stride, the sheer magnitude of freshness delivered by a good CSA, farmers' market, or garden can start to overwhelm busy people with lives to lead. The good news is that with a little weekly preparation and planning and a few simple strategies, you'll rarely have a week where you can't use or freeze your whole haul. Read on for 10 ways to maximize your CSA experience.

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34 Comments | Posted by Carolyn Cope, May 11, 2010 at 10:15 AM
Tagged: CSAs, produce, The Crisper Whisperer, tips

How to Buy, Store, Use (and Re-Use!) Spices

It continues to baffle me how little attention is given to spices today. Maybe it's because we're told to eat local (they rarely are) or organic (they're usually not). Spices seem to still have a reputation of being slapdash cover-ups for mediocre chicken—and far too often they are—but they don't have to be. Yes, spice hunting requires a little time, effort, and money (though less than you think), but once you start using fresh spices in you're cooking, you may just find yourself addicted.

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25 Comments | Posted by Max Falkowitz, April 29, 2010 at 2:00 PM
Tagged: Chicago, coffee grinder, Penzeys, Spice Hunting, spices, tips

How to Start Your Own Herb Garden

Would I consider myself a green thumb-obsessed environmentalist who loves the planet? Not really. All this started from the fact that I'm just cheap. Keeping a small herb garden and growing some even from seed isn't difficult. For the most part, the herbs one uses in almost daily food preparation are ones that are hearty enough for the even the most questionable green thumb. Here are some herb-growing basics for the no-muss, no-fuss crowd.

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13 Comments | Posted by Denise Sakaki, April 22, 2010 at 11:15 AM
Tagged: gardens, herbs, how tos, plants, Serious Green, tips

How to Order Wine Without Looking Like an Idiot

No one likes to feel like a dope when staring down a wine list. So here's a cheat sheet on how to avoid embarrassment, culled from the collective wisdom of sommeliers and other wine professionals. For example, never walk into a wine store or restaurant and ask for a nice, dry red wine. It's like walking into a grocery store and saying, "excuse me, do you have any FOOD?'"

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32 Comments | Posted by Kara Newman, April 16, 2010 at 11:15 AM
Tagged: ordering, Serious Grape, tips, wine, wine lists

Kitchen Hack: Use Your Toaster to Heat Taco Shells

Another one for the "Hey! Why Didn't I Think of That?!?" file. Bike Hugger's DL Byron shares this tip for using your toaster to warm hard taco shells. "Pop them up when they start to sizzle," he says on the site. This would be a great idea for make-your-own taco nights. Simply prep all possible taco fixin's, line them up in serving dishes, and place the toaster at the start of the assembly line. ... Now I wish I would have bought that four-slot toaster I had my eye on.

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18 Comments | Posted by Adam Kuban, March 30, 2010 at 10:30 AM
Tagged: hacks, tacos, tips, toasters

Critic-Turned-Cook: The Coolest Things I Learned While Working in Professional Kitchens

After trading my pen for a pan and working in nearly a dozen different kitchens, I've picked up some amazing techniques. I am still in awe every time I walk in a kitchen and watched the seasoned pros do their thing with such style and grace. They make it look so easy. It's not.

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20 Comments | Posted by Leslie Kelly, March 25, 2010 at 1:30 PM
Tagged: cooking, Critic-Turned-Cook, kitchens, tips

Video: Chris Kimball Explains How to Tell When Your Cake Is Done

In this video over on the Christopher Kimball Blog, Kimball is full of great tips on figuring out when your cake is donezo. First, know your oven. Is it lying? When it says 400°F, does it mean it? He also recommends buying an oven thermometer—a worthy investment at $8. Watch the video for more cake-baking wisdom.

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6 Comments | Posted by Erin Zimmer, March 16, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Tagged: baking, cakes, Chris Kimball, Cook's Illustrated, tips, videos