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The Science Of Oils And Fats

photo of an olive orchard

Despite their bad press, oils and fats are essential to support life. Your body needs them. And it is almost impossible to cook well without them. Find out all about different vegetable oils and animal fats, how to cook with them, and how to use them healthfully.

The Science Of Sugars, Syrups, Sweeteners, And Sugar Substitutes

different caramel colors

Find out everything you need to know about sucrose, fructose, and glucose, as well as how to cook with different sugars, syrups, and artificial sweeteners, including granulated sugar, brown sugar, turbinado, demerara, Barbados, muscovado, and more. Plus a handy guide to the stages of sugar syrup for candy making.

The Ultimate Guide To Making Roasted Nuts And Snack Mix At Home

rosemary roasted nuts

Spicy, savory, sweet roasted nuts are always a hit as a snack. Serve them straight, mixed with dried fruit, or sprinkled as garnish on your favorite dishes. If you don’t have a smoker or grill you can make most of these recipes just fine in your indoor oven, though they will lack the deep smoky flavor of the grill.

The Science Of Rubs

BBQ dry rub ingredients on a white background.

Herb & spice rubs and blends are a great way to bring major flavor to food. But there is a science and art to making and using them.

Mythbusting the Smoke Ring: No Smoke Necessary!

SLiced brisket and a slicing knife.

Smoked meats often have a pink layer below the surface called the smoke ring. But you don’t need smoke to create it! It is created by myoglobin, a protein in meat, reacting with combustion gases. Read on to learn how removing the fat cap from meat, keeping the meat moist, and cooking low and slow create the smoke ring.

Carryover Cooking: A Problem or Much Ado About Nothing?

graphic of carryover cooking

What is carryover cooking? It’s true that the internal temperature of food can continue to rise after you’ve taken the food off the heat and placed it at room temperature. How long does carryover cooking continue? By how many degrees will the internal temperature rise? Here are all the variables you need to know.

How To Know When Ribs Are Done

A rack of smoked ribs being held by tongs.

There are several techniques to tell when your ribs are ready: bend, twist, peek-a-boo, taste, toothpick, popup, and thermometer test. Since ribs come in so many different weights and thicknesses, knowing when they are done is an inexact science but here are some guidelines and techniques that will help make it easier.

Benchmark Barbecue Sauces And How To Make Them

uncle sam pouring sauce over images of the US states

The US has several distinct barbecue sauce styles from Kansas City to South Carolina, Eastern Carolinas, Western Carolinas, Texas, Alabama, Kentucky, Hawaii, Florida, Memphis and more. Here is a description of them, and links to buy them, and recipes.

How to Grill With Wood and Master Campfire Cooking

wood burning grill.

Discover the secrets to grilling with wood and mastering campfire cooking. Once you cook with wood and enjoy the high heat and incredible smoke flavors, you will want to cook this way again and again.

The Science of Beans

multicolor beans

Beans are a cheap, easy, flexible source of protein, and there are a million things you can do with them once you understand these basic concepts.

The Science of Clams

clam

There are many varieties of clam, and many ways they are sold. Here’s what a cook needs to know.

The Big Chill: A Trick For Making The Perfect Sous-Vide-Que Steak

three fillet mignons

Fire meets water with the introduction of the sous-vide-que cooking method. By starting steak in a temperature controlled sous vide water bath, it’s rendered perfectly cooked every time. Before hitting the grill, the food is shocked in an ice and water bath to stop cooking so that it can be grilled without overcooking.