Cooking

Preparing food creates a lot of waste. It's an unavoidable necessity; meats, fruits and vegetables all have parts that are inedible or undesirable. And that doesn't even bring into consideration the packaging that is necessary to get it all into our kitchens. It's what we do with that waste that we can control. Like make it grow into something beautiful (and delicious).

While it would be nice if all unwanted kitchen items (and cooking experiments) could be planted into the ground, hidden from view until they turned into something useful, sadly, that is not usually the case. … Read more

Evernote Food lets iDevice users take photos and notes of meals not to be forgotten.

My wife and I entertain a lot. We have two young kids, and having friends to our place for dinner is less expensive than paying a babysitter and dining out. Plus, we like to cook. We typically have the same cast of characters over for dinner, and my wife recently expressed a desire to start a food journal, so we could remember what dishes we cooked for whom, in an effort to avoid duplication.

You should also know that our household is somewhat unorganized. Or … Read more

There are more than a few things in the kitchen where time is of the essence. Cookies and smoothies-to-go are two of those things.

Cookies have to take the time to bake. Sad, but that is just the way it is (the deliciousness of cookie dough notwithstanding). Luckily, after this period of time has eclipsed, the oven door is finally pried open and--voila!--the cookies are ready to eat. After they cool down, that is.

Waiting may be torture, but prepping the dough doesn't have to be. The Ninja Kitchen System Pulse is a simple-to-use device that operates quickly … Read more

Anybody who has ever made anything in the kitchen has at one time or another most likely used a measuring spoon as a tool to mix the recipe in question. This shortcut usually doesn't work all that well considering that the darn things are usually quite small.

However, in the ongoing effort to reduce the amount of dirty dishes, there will never be a shortage of attempts to try to use oddly shaped contrivances to mix batter. There may be no substitute for having the right tool for the job, but that doesn't have to mean the tool … Read more

I had an incident recently where oatmeal bubbled over the top of the bowl and coated my microwave with a gloppy mess. If only I had a microwave with a built-in projector, I would have seen it coming much more clearly.

Designers Hwang Jungjoon and Lee Jaeryong are already on top of this issue with a concept that melds a microwave and a projector. It's called the "Proinjector," which sounds more like a fancy turkey prep accessory than a kitchen appliance.

The idea is that the projector captures what's happening inside and projects it against the kitchen wall. You don't have to squint through the thick front window of your microwave to see if the chicken cacciatore is about to explode.… Read more

Kitchen appliances and gadgets come in all shapes and sizes--and that is a good thing. When one style doesn't fit your liking, chances are another model might do the trick.

Immersion blenders are handy little devices that let cooks blend soups and sauces right in the pot. However, some of the available options out there can be uncomfortable to hold and operate at the same time.

The Breville BSB400XL Control Grip Immersion Blender utilizes an ergonomic trigger switch to set the action in motion, but a comfortable design is only part of the story. Extending use beyond simmering sauces … Read more

Learning to cook is challenging enough, what with ingredients, measurements, and cooking techniques.

But there's something even seasoned chefs struggle with: timing. How do you make sure that all the dishes you're serving during your meal are ready at the time you want to eat them? You don't want your meat to get cold while you wait for your potatoes to roast. You really have to choreograph it to make sure your meal comes together. I usually just set the timer on the microwave and hope for the best.

But if you're someone who needs some help coordinating the timing of your recipes, then this is for you: the DoneRight 5-in-1 Digital Kitchen Timer. … Read more

Running a close second to the smell of frying bacon is the aroma of freshly baked bread. It permeates the kitchen and then escapes to greet anybody within olfactory distance with a tantalizing scent that simply cannot be ignored. And again, like with bacon, when the siren scent is answered, eaters are sure to not be disappointed.

Achieving this deliciousness in the home kitchen is easier than ever thanks to bread machines such as the Zojirushi BB-PAC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Breadmaker. Baking a large, 2-pound, traditionally shaped rectangular loaf, the countertop appliance ups the ante by adding an additional heating … Read more

Ugh. There's no worse first-world problem than having to wait for your food to come out of the microwave.

Thanks to a group of young developers, you can now watch YouTube videos on your microwave while you're waiting for those delicious little White Castle burgers. Mmmm.

The uWave is basically an HP TouchPad connected to a microwave, but its functionality is so much more than that.… Read more