I think Allrecipes and Food.com are the best free recipe search tools, and I think that one of the things that sets them apart is the user reviews of each recipe. They both have a large base of users (including quite a few that actually seem knowledgeable) that critique and also offer some great suggestions for…

@Buddha916: Although it does sound like this could happen, I've been using this technique for years. I've tested it extensively by brining some pieces (chicken and pork) and not others, freezing and defrosting them and then simply sauteing them side by side and the quality of the brined pieces are consistently juicer…

One of my favorite simple and quick (not to mention cheap) meals is to use one of those inexpensive ramen noodle packets available in any supermarket (some brand names are Top Ramen, Maruchan, Oodles of Noodles) to make a relatively healthy and incredibly tasty soup in about five minutes. The first thing you do is…

I always brine the meat as soon as I get it home from the supermarket. After brining, I rinse the meat, wrap the parts in plastic wrap, stick them in a zip-lock plastic bag and freeze what I’m not going to use immediately. When I’m ready to use it in a recipe, I simply defrost it, and since it’s now pre-brined, it’s…

Here is my recipe for an incredibly tasty, yet simple, thin and crispy <a href=" [www.cookhacker.com]" whole wheat sourdough pizza crust. This recipe makes two 12"-14" crusts. Mix 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, 1 ½ cups of active sourdough starter, 1 tsp. of salt and 2 tsp. of olive oil in a…

Hot sauce makes an interesting addition to home made pizza dough. I wanted to try something a little different, so I just whisked a few drops into the water before I added it to the flour to make the dough. It gives a little (or a lot, depending on the heat of the sauce and quantity used) extra "built in" flavor and…

@The Atomic Wingnut: Hey, AW...I forgot to leave an address to send it to. Please send, if available, to cvpipeline AT gmail DOT com...thanks again.

@The Atomic Wingnut: I would love an invite if you have any left...thanks!

@jonny6pak: There are some amazing sites...that's how I got started. First stop should be Carl's Sourdough ([home.att.net])...you send them a self addressed envelope and they'll send you an excellent, hearty starter for FREE. Then you can't go wrong with [breadtopia.com] for excellent videos and instruction. You have…

I bake bread every week or two (mostly sourdough) and I've found the best way to keep a loaf fresh for at least the first few days after baking is, after the first slices are cut (which inevitably happens the second it gets cool enough to eat), I put it cut side down on a wooden cutting board, cover it with a kitchen…

The best way to always have a towel on hand when cooking is to wear an apron the way it's worn in a restaurant kichen. Wrap the the apron strings around you and tie in the front instead of the back and keep the towel tucked into the string around your waist. This not only keeps the towel right where you need it, but…

For baking (esp. bread), temperature is incredibly important. Great way to test the accuracy of your oven's temperature without an oven thermometer. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Put one cup of 70 degree water in a 2-cup measuring cup and place in the preheated oven for exactly 15 minutes. If the H2O is…