We’ve all stared down a sad, empty fridge at too-late-for-a-grocery-run-o’clock on a weeknight, willing some higher power to magically replenish the shelves while our eyes are closed.

No matter how many flawless custards or mirror glazes you’ve made in your life, some culinary techniques just seem to invite disaster, especially those that hinge on precise temperature control. If you need to evenly heat a delicate substance to a precise temperature, the microwave might seem like a horrible…

Rhubarb rarely gets a starring role in desserts, with most recipes relying on strawberries to temper its raw, unpleasant sourness. This classic pairing, while tasty, makes very little sense to me. Rhubarb shines when gently cooked, but a hot oven destroys everything that’s special about a ripe strawberry—so why do we…

It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, and you know what that means: somebody is going to bring a bowl of terrible coleslaw to your home, and you’re going to have to pretend you like it.

If you’re chasing a perfect sear, mushrooms are a huge pain to deal with. Whether or not you rinse them, slicing and chopping alone releases enough of their natural moisture that even previously bone-dry mushrooms can turn soggy before they hit the pan—and that simply won’t do.

One of summer’s greatest pleasures is sipping an icy, refreshing beverage in the sunshine—or the nearest patch of shade. Summery cocktails and punches aplenty are finally ready for their seasonal debut, and just about all of them could do with a bit of salt.

If there’s one makeup technique that separates pros from amateurs, it’s complexion work. Convincingly faking perfect skin with makeup requires a working knowledge of color theory, lighting, skin types, and cosmetic formulations—not to mention lots of experience.

Thick, fluffy brows—you know, the ones you plucked into submission in the 90s that refuse to regrow—are making a serious comeback. For those of us with naturally “meh” brows, the deluge of readily available tinted eyebrow gels in recent years has been a godsend: a good gel emphasizes the hairs you already have, making…

Somehow, in the last few weeks, I have become someone who wakes up at 6:30 a.m. I did not choose this path—I would always rather be sleeping, thanks—but I’m trying to make the best of my body’s sudden refusal to sleep in.

No matter what your local Grilling Enthusiast Bro says, marinade mixology ain’t rocket science. At a bare minimum, all you need is a good bit of salt, probably some fat, and a smidgen of acid for basic flavor enhancement and tenderizing action. Sweet, spicy, and/or funky elements are optional, but never unwelcome.

Most people who wear makeup do so to look like a better version of themselves; “better” translates roughly to “prettier,” which is almost invariably code for “younger.” A fresh, youthful glow has long been the desired outcome of makeup application, and the recent explosion of highlighting means it’s easier to achieve…

As the temperatures climb past Arctic levels and the birds spend sixteen hours a day loudly heralding the arrival of Doin’ It Season, the brief and glorious highlight of my year—tomato season—seems close enough to touch. Of course, it’s still a long way off, but green tomato season has only just begun.

Summer is truly the worst. I loathe sweating and chafing, and I find wearing sunscreen only slightly more bearable than wearing hats. Of course, I love wearing makeup—but my oily skin makes its own makeup remover all day long, and it works overtime in hot weather.

As an unapologetic craver of the glorious mineral that is sodium chloride, I firmly believe that anyone who’s serious about cooking needs an easily-accessible salt cellar. No other ingredient changes the way you perceive flavors like salt does; while it’s rarely the sole seasoning agent in a recipe, it’s the most…

It’s hard to get excited about steamed vegetables. When done poorly, they range from totally unremarkable to actively disgusting—but done right, they’re absolutely transcendent. As we head, at long last, into peak spring and summer produce season, I think this underrated technique deserves another look.

Baking beautiful bread requires the skillful manipulation of three big, messy variables: technique, equipment, and ingredients. Poor technique accounts for most subpar results, but a sudden change in kitchen conditions or ingredient availability can throw even a seasoned baker for a loop. If your bread has started…

For years, I politely declined to keep the pedestrian substance known as table salt in my pantry. Spurred by the belief that real chefs use kosher salt—and my desire to be one, too—I dutifully bought box after box of Morton, painstakingly double-checking recipes to ensure I added the “Morton amount” and not the…

Fat makes food taste good, but greasy food has a way of lingering in the air—and on the dishes—long after a meal has ended. If you’re sick of finding oil slicks on dishes you could have sworn were clean, you owe it to yourself to fill a spray bottle with vinegar and keep it near your kitchen sink.

My area of the country saw four nor’easters in the last six weeks, which means that local March produce has been less than inspiring. As a result, I’ve been leaning on lemons even harder than usual to brighten up my meals.

Matzo ball soup is a fixture on seder tables around the world, and every recipe is built around a preference for “sinkers” or “floaters.” Dense, chewy “sinkers” are the natural consequence of mixing matzo meal and water, which makes cloud-like matzo balls slightly harder to pull off.