TIP OF THE DAY: Test For Wine Allergy

Some wine lovers have an allergy that produces flushing, headaches, hives, rashes and more. Traditional advice is to avoid sulfites, which are added to many wines as a preservative (to prevent bacterial growth). People with sulfite sensitivity comprise perhaps .2% of the population. Given this tiny number, if you develop symptoms from drinking wine, it…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Secrets Of Salting

Kosher salt. We use this salt server in THE NIBBLE test kitchen to add pinches of salt as we cook. Since cooking is chemistry, you have to combine ingredients in the right order to get the fluffiest cakes or soufflés, for example. It’s the same with salt: Pay attention to the order in which you…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Calibrate Your Kitchen Thermometer

CDM meat & poultry thermometer available at Amazon.com. Many kitchen thermometers will be used on Thanksgiving to test the temperature of the turkey. Undercooked turkey means the possibility of salmonella; overcooked turkey most certainly means dry meat. Given that 10 degrees can make the difference between good and dry, how accurate is your kitchen thermometer?…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Help With The Thanksgiving Turkey

Everyone knows about the Butterball Hotline—the number you call on Thanksgiving when you have a question about—or a problem with—your turkey and stuffing. Many of us have used it—even a fictional president of the United States. The Butterball Hotline was featured in a memorable episode of “The West Wing,” when president Jed Bartlet called it…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Panko, Japanese Bread Crumbs

We no longer use American bread crumbs. For several years, our crumb of choice is panko, the crispy bread crumb used in Japanese cuisine (think tonkatsu and crunchy sushi rolls). They’re actually “bread flakes” rather than bread crumbs. Panko is made in small flakes, not ground into crumbs like traditional bread crumbs. The flakes provide…
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