Baking Soda Vs. Baking Powder: The Difference

Yesterday someone told us she had baked a cake recipe from one of her favorite authorities, and it was “inedible.” We asked to see the recipe. While she is an experienced baker, in her rush she grabbed baking soda instead of baking powder. It’s an easy “oops.” Some recipes use both leveners, but if only…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Use Unsalted Butter For Cooking And Baking

Go for the unsalted butter (photo courtesy Kasey Albano | SXC).   Some recipes call for salted butter, others for unsalted butter. Does it make a difference which you use? Yes, and the answer is that unsalted butter produces more consistent results. The salt content of butter varies from brand to brand. There can be…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Add Colored Food

Dark green spinach leaves, yellow tomatoes and red radicchio turn a sandwich from blah to wow. Photo courtesy Royal Rose Radicchio. You don’t have to read too many food magazines or watch “Top Chef” too often to see how important presentation is. “Top Chef” judges regularly comment on a bland presentation, telling cheftestants that the…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Cornmeal Instead Of Polenta

If you read history or old literature, you encounter cornmeal. A flour ground from dried maize (corn), it’s been a staple for millennia, feeding the native populations of the Americas and, later, the Colonials. Ground to fine, medium and coarse consistencies, cornmeal is used to make everything from tortillas and cornbread to cookies and cakes.…
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TIP OF THE DAY: How To Make Coffee

Yesterday we attended the Coffee & Tea Festival in New York City (sign up for the newsletter and get advance notice of future shows). We had some terrific coffees and teas and will report on our discoveries in future blog posts and product reviews. But for today, some notes about how you can make the…
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