No yard? No Problem … Container Gardens to the Rescue

These days, home is a second-story condo with no yard. Instead, we have a sunny, south-facing balcony and a sizable deck, which means our urban farming must be done in containers. Which is all right by me. Even when I lived in houses with yards, I was still more inclined to garden in containers because I’m horticulturally challenged and lazy. Overseeing a few containers just seemed...easier. And it is; even I’ve managed to cultivate pots of vigorous herbs and sweet cherry tomatoes.

Spring Pantry Cleaning Reinvigorates Your Cooking

The urge to do some serious spring cleaning has hit, and I wondered how many others shared my crazy pantry dilemma. So I’ve put together a list of the three most common ingredients lurking in cupboards and included ideas for using them.

Stretch Your Food Budget: Use Everything

“Profits are measured in pennies,” one of my culinary school instructors often repeated to remind us of the importance of maximizing our use of ingredients. Smart chefs--those who want to stay in business--do this all the time and now, thanks to a stagnant economy, it’s a practice budget-conscious cooks are bringing home.

Label Lingo: A Guide to Eggs

Buying eggs used to be so simple: Grab a carton off the shelf, open it to check for any cracked shells and go on your merry way. These days, however, you need to interpret a myriad of claims before deciding which carton goes into your cart. What do they all mean? Find out here.

The Cook’s Thesaurus: Lori Alden

Truth is, if you want to learn more about how to use an ingredient or find a substitution, you’ll probably start with the Internet. My first stop is The Cook’s Thesaurus, a site I learned about a few years ago from a colleague. It has a homey, unfussy design, a vast range of reliable food information, and great navigation. I’ve consulted it on my iPhone while at the farmers’ market and when I needed to make substitutions on the fly in a busy pastry kitchen. It’s rare that I don’t find what I seek in The Cook’s Thesaurus, and every time, I’m impressed anew by the site’s breadth and depth.

Nourish Yourself in the New Year: Love Your Lists

Originally, I was just going to write about keeping a par stock list to keep track of your (fabulously efficient) pantry. But then I looked around my own kitchen and realized I have three lists working synergistically to help me keep the basics well-stocked and use what I have on hand. Here’s how I use them and how they work together.

Build a Healthy Pantry

Healthy meals start with a healthy pantry. Stock up on these basics, from cooking oils and vinegars to whole grains, beans, legumes, salt and spices.