Isn’t it amazing how the holidays bring out the worst in us—especially family gatherings? No wonder they make such perfect fodder for movies! In the spirit of happier and saner holiday gatherings, here are some secrets (seven, to be exact) for toning down the stress around one of the biggest stressors of all: holiday meal making.
If you want to begin using more and/or more interesting herbs and spices, the most important step is taking the plunge. Don’t get persuaded to hunker down in your comfort zone by a possibility of un-success that’s really pretty small and hardly disastrous.
Of all the dozens and dozens of pantry staples in the grocery store, how do you know which to buy that won’t just sit on the shelves unused? Mary offers a “Canvasses and Accents” approach to help.
There are lots of slow cooker recipes to choose from. The problem lies in choosing just one or two to actually make. While a lot of that choosing is a matter of personal taste, here’s one thing I’ve learned specific to slow cooker recipes: Look for recipes that take advantage of a slow cooker’s two big advantages: cooking the heck out of tough characters, and fixing it and forgetting about it.
No doubt about it: a specialized appliance can make cooking a lot easier, save a lot of time and produce really delicious meals—but only if you first invest a little time getting ready to use it.
The idea is perfect: throw a few ingredients into a stoneware crock, turn it on and voila! At the end of the day, you walk in the kitchen and there waits a richly aromatic meal, all cooked and ready to go. So why are so many slow cookers sitting in the cupboard instead of cooking on the counter?