I’ve made corned beef, sausages and pastrami but never did bacon until a couple of weeks ago. The results were fantastic! Once you make your own bacon you’ll never buy its lesser store-bought cousin again. Continue reading →

Story and Photos by Rick Browne Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities on earth, having traveled there more than 18 times over the years. I enjoyed three months of living there while I worked on a photojournalism book about the island and its people, entitled Hong Kong: Here Be Dragons. That time was spent eating the best Chinese … Continue reading →

This is the first ever biographical essay on the professional life of Wilbur Scoville. Continue reading →

Cooking demos, fabulous fiery products, books, and more. Coming soon to an Albuquerque near you. Continue reading →

The hottest chile tested in 2011 was the 'Trinidad Scorpion Red Butch-T' at 1,107,000 Scoville Heat Units. Continue reading →

Until last weekend, I’d never made fried chicken at home. This is primarily because I grew up in a household that did not deep-fry. My mother preferred the kind of cooking that employed a nonstick skillet and the barest coating of heart-friendly olive oil. When we’d go out to eat, she would expound on the many dangers of fried foods and point my sister and me toward lighter, more healthful options. French fries were a very rare treat and chicken fingers came only in baked varieties.

It wasn’t until high school that I had my first piece of fried chicken. A dear friend’s mother prided herself on her perfectly cooked, crisp, tender drumsticks and delighted in making it for us. I gobbled it down hungrily and didn’t tell my family.

In recent years, fried chicken has gotten increasingly trendy. It’s got a pleasantly retro-kitsch appeal, so higher-end restaurants have begun to add it to their menus. I’ve taken advantage of those offerings on occasion, all the while believing that it was still something best left to professionals or those families with a serious fried chicken tradition.

Then, last Saturday, that all changed. My husband and I woke up to a city covered in snow and decided that we’d venture out early for a few provisions, before heading home for a cozy day. We picked up groceries at our local market and included a cut-up fryer among our dozen eggs, broccoli and bag of oranges. Instead of stewing, baking or roasting that chicken, I decided to spend my Saturday making Giada’s Pollo Frito. Truly, there’s no better time to tackle The Weekender than on a snowy Saturday in January.

Before you start heating your oil, here are a few things you should know:

Marisa McClellan is a food writer and canning teacher who lives in Center City Philadelphia. Find more of her food (all cooked up in her 80-square-foot kitchen) at her blog, Food in Jars. Her first cookbook, also called Food in Jars, will be published by Running Press in spring 2012.

Though it’s easy to pick up the phone and order Chinese food takeout, it can be just as simple to cook up those white-box favorites in your own kitchen — often without the extra cost and unnecessary calories and fat. Prep your pantry for traditional Chinese recipes by picking up a few Asian-food staples, such as soy and chili sauces, rice wine vinegar and fresh ginger, and you’ll be ready to serve up classic appetizers and main dishes in a flash. Find a menu of our favorite Chinese foods below, including stir-fried chicken, fried rice, dumpling soup and more.

Though they’re far more heart-healthy than their deep-fried counterparts, Baked Spring Rolls are every bit as light, golden and perfectly crisp. Those pictured above from Food Network Magazine are filled with delicate lump crab, green cabbage and fresh ginger and served with a salty, sweet soy-mirin sauce.

Cooking Channel’s Ching-He Huang is the queen of Asian cuisine. Her authentic Yang-Yang Crispy Beef recipe showcases sirloin steak tossed in an orange-chili sauce, nestled atop a bed of fresh romaine and cool sliced cucumber. She also features a traditional take on the authentic General Tso’s Chicken, laced with a tangy, crimson-colored sauce. Though Ching-He cooks both chicken dishes in a wok, they can be made in a screaming-hot skillet just as well. For a starchy side, serve this with a scoop of Food.com’s easy Vegetable Fried Brown Rice. Carrots, cabbage, peas and bean sprouts add texture and pops of color to the plate, while quick-scrambled egg whites offer a bit of heft.

If you tend to prefer takeout noodles, opt for this Fall River Pork Chow Mein from Cooking Channel instead. Emeril prepares his dish with earthy shiitake mushrooms, tender shredded pork and fried strips of egg roll wrappers that become noodles.

To round out your home-cooked table of takeout staples, cook up a batch of Food Network Magazine‘s Chinese Dumpling Soup (pictured above). With fresh ginger, baby spinach and your choice of filled dumplings, this comforting bowl is ideal on chilly winter nights.

Visit Food Network for Chinese New Year recipes and more ways to Take On Chinese Takeout.   

So you think you know steaks? Maybe you do.

But truth is, you probably only really know the particular cuts you buy over and over again. That’s good, but there’s a world of great beef out there to explore.

And many of those cuts (and by the way, butchers are creating new ones all the time) are far more versatile than you think.

You could spend ages learning the different cuts of beef and the various names for each (there isn’t nearly as much naming standardization as you would think). But I think it’s better to simply pick a cut you haven’t often prepared at home and start playing around with it. That’s how I learned to love flank steak.

First, the basics. Flank steaks are lean cuts from the rear side of the cow and are characterized by rich, deep, beefy flavor and a slightly chewy texture. Traditionally, London broils were made using flank steaks, though today any of the leaner, less tender cuts often are substituted.

Flank steaks are easy to identify by sight because they are flat and have a long, horizontal grain that runs the length of the meat. These steaks are meant to be briefly grilled or broiled to rare or medium-rare, then thinly sliced across the grain. The result is deliciously beefy and substantial.

Flank steaks also love to be marinated. And because they have a heartier texture, they can handle more acidic marinades for longer, even overnight.

When shopping for flank steaks, note that some grocers will label them “London broil.” Just note that they also sometimes label other cuts as “London broil,” too. So when in doubt, it’s best to ask.

For the weeknight home cook, flank steaks are the perfect cut. They can be tossed with a marinade the night before and left in the refrigerator until dinner. And they cook in just minutes on the grill or under the broiler.

As with all meat, flank steak should rest for 5 to 10 minutes after cooking (before slicing) to let the juices redistribute.

What to do with flank steak?

• Flank steaks are perfect for fajitas. Marinate them in a blend of olive oil, salt, pepper and pureed chipotles in adobo sauce, then grill or broil and thinly slice. Serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and fresh vegetables.

• Sauté tomatoes and onions with garlic and olive oil. Season with thyme, salt and black pepper, then add thinly sliced flank steak. Cook for just a couple minutes, then use to top pasta or spoon onto rolls.

• Use thinly sliced grilled or broiled flank steak in fresh spring rolls instead of shrimp. Combine with cucumber, carrots and thin strips of red pepper. Serve with a spicy peanut dipping sauce.

• Make a chunky puttanesca (or buy jarred) and serve it hot over freshly grilled or broiled flank steak. Serve with warm crusty bread.

Balsamic-Pepper Flank Steak With Grilled Pears and Blue Cheese

For extra flavor, the marinade can be mixed with beef broth, then boiled and reduced until thick (while the steaks cook), then drizzled over the finished dish.

Start to finish: 1 hour (20 minutes active)
Servings: 4

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Kosher salt
1½ pounds flank steak
2 pears, peeled, halved and cored
Crumbled blue cheese, for topping

In a blender, combine the vinegar, garlic, peppercorns and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Blend for 20 seconds, then transfer to a wide, shallow bowl.

Add the steak to the marinade, turning to coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours.

When ready to cook, heat the broiler with a rack 6 inches from the heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then coat it lightly with cooking spray.

Cut each pear half into 4 slices, then arrange them on one half of the prepared baking sheet.

Remove the steaks from the marinade and set those on the other half of the sheet. Broil everything for 5 minutes, then use tongs to flip the steaks and pears. Broil for another 5 minutes for medium-rare.

Let the steaks rest for 10 minutes, then cut into thin slices against the grain. Divide the slices between 4 serving plates, then top each with pear slices.

Top each serving with a bit of crumbled blue cheese.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 360 calories; 110 calories from fat (30 percent of total calories); 12 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 60 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrate; 39 g protein; 4 g fiber; 700 mg sodium.

J.M. Hirsch is the national food editor for The Associated Press. He is the author of the recent cookbook High Flavor, Low Labor: Reinventing Weeknight Cooking. He also blogs at LunchBoxBlues.com.

A go-to comfort food favorite that the whole family will enjoy, meatloaf is a foolproof dish that is as quick to prepare as it is easy on the wallet. Whether you prefer turkey or beef varieties, adding fresh vegetables, spices and a tasty glaze to your meatloaf promises that it will be rich in texture and bold flavors. Check out Food Network’s top five meatloaf recipes below and cook up one for dinner tonight.

5. New Classic Meatloaf — Quick-cooking oats and molasses are “new” ingredients Ellie adds to her traditional meatloaf recipe, featuring ground beef, button mushrooms and herbs.

4. Turkey Meatloaf With Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes — Chewy herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes and tangy feta cheese offer texture and a Mediterranean flair to Giada’s easy weeknight meatloaf.

3. Vegetable Meatloaf With Balsamic Glaze — Zucchini and bright bell peppers add pops of color and lightness to Bobby’s meatloaf, made with lean ground turkey and panko breadcrumbs.

2. Turkey Meatloaf — Ina adds chicken stock and whole eggs to ensure her turkey meatloaf is moist and succulent.

1. Good Eats Meatloaf — Ten minutes into baking, Alton brushes the top of his combination sirloin-chuck meatloaf (pictured above) with a sweet and sharp honey-ketchup-Worcestershire glaze.

When you write about wine, you sometimes get to taste the really expensive stuff. I’m not talking filet mignon or even white-truffle expensive. I’m talking splurging like Diddy-in-a-diamond-hoodie-on-a-yacht expensive.

When a collector shares one of these bottles with me, friends later ask, “Does it taste like [insert obscenely expensive price]?”

The honest answer: It doesn’t, at least not to the untrained palate, and probably not even to most trained palates.

The lesson here is that while the price is often reflective of a wine’s quality, it is so only up to a point. And even when a wine is of high quality — from the best grapes handled by the most talented hands — it doesn’t mean that you are going to automatically taste its full price. In fact, some of the most-prized bottles can evoke qualities — think soy sauce or pencil lead or even a barnyard in August — that are off-putting to the uninitiated.

So next time you’re thinking of ordering that $50 bottle instead of one that is $30, or when you’re embarrassed about ordering the least expensive bottle, consider these non-quality factors that play into a wine’s price:

Every week, Mark Oldman — wine expert, acclaimed author and lead judge of the series The Winemakers — shares with readers the basics of wine, while making it fun and practical. In the coming weeks, he’ll tell you what to ask at a wine store, at what temperature to serve it and share his must-have wine tools.