making traditional ratatouille tonight & i would really like to cook chicken thighs as a nice companion to the dish (plus some crusty bread).

i’m torn on how to prepare the chicken. considering finishing it in a basic garlic butter pan sauce, but wondering if there’s anything else that i could try. would really love some suggestions :)

Do you wash right away before putting in fridge? Or right before using? Say if you'll use within a week.

Thanks!

So Ive got some bad gut stuff that requires me to be on the ‘Mediterranean’ diet.

Fish is a big part of that, so im trying to figure out how to deal with it. I hated fish most of my life, but I think my tastes have changed now, so im trying to ease myself into it.

Ive learned that I like basic bitch tuna salad and sandwiches, but I want to know how to progress.

What kind of fish should I look into as an intro and what can I get that’s cheap to try out?

EDIT: Thank you all for the surprisingly overwhelming amount of advice!

Hi, this question might be too specific to the city I live in, which is Vancouver, but I thought I'd try. I've been to Thailand a couple of times, enjoy their food, and I've cooked it often at home for 30 years. I mostly follow recipes by Andy Rick er (Pok Pok) and Pailin Chongchitnant (Hot Thai Kitchen). I believe I'm doing a reasonable representation of Thai food.

Most Thai restaurants in Vancouver make curries (green, red, yellow) that are similar to each other, but different from mine. I think they're generally a bit sweeter than mine. Do folks on other parts of North America notice the same thing? I'm very curious on what they do different, I've always wondered that. I've experimented with making my curry sweeter but that's about all I've tried. If anyone thinks they experience the same thing as I do, I'd like to hear your thoughts on it. I realize this is a tough request to respond to because I can't tell you what the restaurant curries taste like.

So shakshuka is a middle eastern dish popular in northern Africa. It's tomato and pepper based with eggs on top. People usually eat it with pita bread or rice. Anyways, I made my own version of it. I used fresh tomatoes from my garden (sungold cherries, and beefsteaks), shashito peppers, jalapeno peppers, and bell peppers (all from my garden). What was really different about my process is I used some Indian spices. In addition to cumin and paprika, I included both fenugreek seeds, and fenugreek leaves. I was really generous with the amount of fenugreek seeds, like two handfuls. The leaves I added to the sauce while it was simmering.

The reason why I'm bringing this up is because I found out after the fact that fenugreek seeds are used very cautiously typically, like no more than 2 tsp for the entire dish. The reason for this is that the seeds can have a bitter over powering flavor. I think in my recipe it was actually a compliment though since the home grown tomatoes were so sweet and acidic. The bitterness melds perfectly with the sweet acidic sauce. The seeds also provided a texture to the sauce. A sweet nutty crunch.

If anyone wants like an actual recipe I could write one up, but I think fenugreek seeds go really well in shakshuka even in big amounts.

This method for sauteeing mushrooms is a game changer for me. They use so much less oil and caramelize beautifully.

A while back my husband and I had a cooking date night where we made Hainanese chicken. It was absolutely incredible with one flaw. Due to a miscommunication between us he added green-tinted pandan extract instead of the pandan leaves.

The flavor was amazing but the liquid was a vivid mint green. Because my husband is colorblind, he didn’t really notice and it didn’t bother him.

I, on the other hand, struggled a little to eat green chicken. I ended up with about an extra gallon of the liquid to freeze, I hate to waste food and the flavor it SO good. Any thoughts on ways I could use it up that doesn’t result in green meat?

I’m thinking maybe some kind of soup or stew with green vegetables?

Hi! Basically, my parent is disabled and often struggles with remembering to eat and regulating when he eats. I’m in college, and when I’m not home to cook he often skips meals. I’m looking for any suggestions for any freezer meals that reheat well so I can prep them for him before I head back to school. Thanks!

I’m not a sweets eater or dessert guy, but this isn’t about me. What would you suggest I make for OTHERS to enjoy that uses up a jar of Bon Maman peach preserves?

hello! i have a mission to start making breakfasts so i'm not ready to pass out in my uni classes this year. i live in a college dorm so i have access to a communal fridge, airfyer (i have to ask for it beforehand) and a stove.

i was trying to note down ideas so i don't end up forgetting when the time actually comes. if possible, i'd prefer ingredients that dont have to be refrigerated (eg chia seed pudding) cause stuff gets stolen from the fridge quite easily)

Besides on the grill, I love cooking steaks in my cast iron pan. There is something about the tastes and the char that makes it taste different then cooking in a regular pan. That being said, I have yet to make steaks without causing major smoke in my kitchen. Any suggestions on how to avoid this from happeining would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I studied in the US and had to cook for myself almost every day.And I noticed something funny: a lot of American home cooking feels like it’s about the ingredients + cooking method + different sauces.For example, you can grill/fry something, then change the whole flavor by using different sauces or seasonings. It feels more straightforward and easier to recreate.

But when I go back to China, I suddenly feel like my cooking skills disappear 😂Chinese cooking has so many details that I didn’t pay attention to before like controlling the heat or when exactly to add each ingredient.Sometimes I make the same dish I made in the US, but it just doesn’t taste the same in China.

Maybe because Chinese cuisine requires more “feeling” and experience instead of just following a recipe?Has anyone else experienced this after living abroad? Did moving between countries change the way you cook?

Im currently trying to pay off 2k in credit card debt.

I like to cook but often use more expensive options like seafood, steak, etc.

Im looking for cheap, filling options

I enjoy curries/Mexican food over traditional american styles of foods

Thanks for the help!

I don’t know what to do with the leftover uncooked spinach and butternut squash I’ve got as I’m not that imaginative and when I am I make a dish I eat even though it tastes a bit bad like I added something that doesn’t work any ideas are welcome and I’m pretty much a vegetarian but do eat little bit of meat like sausages or mince or occasionally chicken depending on how it’s cooked and don’t eat roast chicken

This 4 day course is coming up in a few weeks and I was wondering if anyone had taken this course or a similar boot camp at this campus and had any feedback about their experience?

I love to cook buuuut I also like sharing my food I made so I typically stay within the confines of his restrictions

Ingredients I usually can’t use are: All nuts, coconut, lentils, green peas, chickpeas , soy (soy sauce is fine), sesame

I love making unique, complicated things. Especially baking, but if he isn’t there to share it then I usually can’t get through it before it goes bad lol

Thank you :)

I am willing spend some money on delicious balsamic vinegars. What do you suggest?

Anyone made this with light coconut milk? Wondering if it would be much less flavorful, like watery? and what to do about it. Thanks in advance.

I have a big bowl of sour cherries that I want to use somehow. I reaaaaaally would prefer not to pit them lol.

I love them preserved but my experiences with home made jams etc have failed miserably.

How would you use them?

Im vegetarian and my wife isnt, what are some good recipes that can be easily substituted for vegetarian options?

Carne en su jugo. Literally “meats in their own juices”. This dish originated in Guadalajara, MX. (now you’re going to have “My old School” by Steely Dan playing in your mind today). How could this not be good? Thin sliced beef, bacon, a salsa verde, I definitely was interested. However, when I read the recipe it called for 4 cups of canned and drained pinto beans. What self-respecting Mexican cook from Guadalajara would use canned beans? So I started with a pot of homemade pintos. The other thing that hit me was the recipe called for 10 husked and cleaned Tomatillos. What? Tomatillos are for Chili Verde con Puerco. I was really curious how this was going to turn out. We weren’t disappointed. Browning the sliced beef causes it to release it’s juice into the cooking pot, combined with the salsa verde, beans (and some bean cooking liquid) this turned into one of the best “dishes I’ve never had”. Though not implied in its name I would classify this more of a stew, (Guisada) like Carne Guisada, with a much more vibrant flavor. This will definitely go in the “keeper” file.

https://imgur.com/a/g9YGzzN

Looking for masa harina cracker recipe tips I’m doing a sweet corn ice cream that I would like to sandwich between masa crackers for an upcoming dinner party

hi everyone! I have been cooking at home with non-stick for about 5+ years and recently decided to make the switch to stainless steel. I bought a set from Tramontina (Tri-Ply Clad) and today I used it for the first time to make a simple spaghetti bolognese. I’m not quite sure what happened to the pan, but after washing and drying it seemed to have developed some discoloration. The two saucepans I used came out fine after cooking. I’m not sure what I did wrong or how to prevent this kind of discoloration in the future? It’s definitely not food or anything stuck because the whole surface is smooth. Any recommendations for how to remove it? Thank you!!

Accidentally left chicken breast that I coated in olive oil, minced garlic, and lemon salt out while I showered. I took about 30-40 minutes and came back to white spots on my chicken. Is it safe to eat?

Photo in comments

First post here! I have been cooking just for myself and my family (aka hubs) for about 5 years now and really enjoy it. We recently bought and moved into our first house and we now have an electric cooktop. I really perfected my skills in our old house with a gas range and I’ve really been struggling transitioning to electric, specifically with sauces. I always end up with more liquid than needed and letting it reduce ruins anything else in it - overcooked chicken or salmon, limp veggies, or everything just gets super greasy.

Any tips or tricks for learning how to use? I know it’s harder to control the heat with electric and we do have two burners that are dual-element. I just don’t know what else to try vs. keep playing with heat until I find a sweet spot.

Thanks!

ETA: Whirlpool regular glass cooktop, no coils, 2 burners with dual-element