Shake Shack is a place that has burgers (example pictured here) that people in NYC seem to think are good. We have not personally tried said burgers, but we’ve yet to meet someone who has that isn’t enthusiastic about them. With that in mind, we direct you to a recipe that claims to allow you to make the Shake Shack burger at home.
cooking
How To Cook A Meal In Your Hotel Room
By 8.24.09
We’ve never looked at a hotel’s bathroom counter and thought, “I could probably roll out some dough right there.” We’ve also never tried to use an iron for a hot plate, or shoved uncooked spinach into the coffee maker. But now that we’ve watched this proof of concept video from George Egg, we may consider going grocery shopping the next time we’re stuck in a hotel with an overpriced room service menu.
Save Money On Groceries, Save The World …Er, Wallet
By 8.22.09
Our sibling publication ShopSmart has a great article this month on ways to save money at the grocery store. It’s available as a PDF download, but here are some of the highlights.
What's Your Favorite Recipe Site?
By 6.2.09
As numerous commenters on our “50 Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free Or Cheap” pointed out, it’s easier to get good food at a good price with a nice home-cooked meal with fresh ingredients. Then we have the perpetual dilemma, what to make, and how to make it?
Is It Cheaper To Make Or To Buy? Six Foods Tested
By 4.27.09
Jennifer Reese decided to make six common food items and then determine whether it was better to go the homemade route or to buy from the store. We briefly considered making our own crackers last month in a fit of anger over how expensive generic saltines have become, so we’re glad someone did the research for us.
Learn To Make Depression Era Recipes With 93-Year-Old Clara
By 2.23.09
By 9.16.08
../../../..//2008/09/16/got-a-picky-eater-want/
Got a picky eater? Want to avoid getting one in the future? The NYT has 6 mistakes that you may be making when it comes to feeding your kids. [NYT]
By 8.12.08
../../../..//2008/08/12/heres-a-fun-summer-project/
Here’s a “fun” summer project: make your own homemade Oreo cookies! Will you save money? Who can say! Will they be healthier? Probably not! Will your friends think you have too much time on your hands? Yes, but they’ll appreciate the free baked goods. [Post Tribune]
Surviving On 99-Cent-Store Food For A Week In NYC
By 3.27.08
Henry Alford of the New York Times writes that sometimes he will “plop a can of chicken broth down on the checkout counter and think, ‘$2.19? For someone to boil chicken bones? I want that job,'” so he decided to try going a week with food from 99 cent stores in New York City.
The Truth About Kobe Beef
By 1.3.08
Real Kobe beef can only come from one region of Japan—and since the U.S. has banned Japanese beef imports due to mad cow fears, the best you can hope for now in an American restaurant is Kobe-style beef, writes Debonair Magazine. They explain what to look for if you’re shopping for this premium beef in the U.S., and the best way to prepare it.
By 12.13.07
../../../..//2007/12/13/pillsbury-has-told-a/
Pillsbury has told a New York food co-op to stop using the phrase “bake-off” because they own it. Pillsbury coined the phrase back in 1949 (according to this unverifiable web source), and then trademarked it in the early 1970s (according to another). Now you know. (Thanks to Sarah!)
Most Recalled Meat Is Eaten, Never Recovered
By 12.9.07
Most recalled meat is eaten before it can be returned to the factory, according to a nauseating analysis by USA Today. Well-publicized and timely recalls catch slightly less than of all affected meat, a stunning accomplishment when compared to the recovery rates for tainted meat that sickens people.
A Bunch Of Ideas For Turkey Leftovers
By 11.23.07
If you are like us, you like turkey leftovers more than you like Thanksgiving dinner, but don’t have a ton of creative ideas for turkey and stuffing.
Consumer Reports Recommends Electric Turkey Fryers Rather Than Propane
By 11.20.07
Consumer Reports recommends that consumers try new, safer electric turkey fryers this Thanksgiving. Propane powered fryers have this nasty habit of setting themselves on fire—a feature that tends to annoy Consumer Reports, the fire department and the burn unit at your local hospital.
Alternatives To Fire-Prone Turkey Fryers
By 11.17.07
A turkey fryer has never really sounded like a safe way to cook—there’s just something inherently stupid about the act of dropping a dead bird the size of a basketball into a vat of boiling oil, no matter how tasty the outcome. According to TheStreet.com, “Turkey fryers are a known cause of many fires, so much so that the National Fire Protection Association advises against their use.” TheStreet test-drives an alternative, the $129 Char-Broil Big Easy oil-less fryer, which Char-Broil describes as “Just like a turkey fryer, minus the boiling, hot oil and visits from your local firefighters.” According to TheStreet, it doesn’t leave the skin as crispy as a real fryer would, but otherwise works great.
Roasting Pan Tips From Some Butterball Lady
By 11.17.07
Mary Clingman, the director of Butterball’s help line, gave Newsday some advice on finding a good roasting pan for your Thanksgiving dinner. Her advice: get a shallow pan 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep that’s large enough to place a rack inside to sit the turkey on. You can buy a new, reusable one at a restaurant supply store or Sur La Table for between $35 and $200, but the next best thing is a cheap disposable aluminum one from the supermarket: “Place four-five whole carrots on the bottom and rest the turkey on them. Put a cookie sheet underneath the foil pan for extra support.”
Are Your Cooking Spices Too Old?
By 11.9.07
In the grand scheme of things to watch out for—heavy metals, date rape drugs, foreclosure—a jar of less-than-potent nutmeg might not seem like such a big deal. But most ground spices lose their potency after only six months, which means households all across the country are about to enter the most spice-centric time of the year with expired spices. Spice seller McCormick now offers a handy spice-dating service via its website, which is how one highly excitable reader discovered that her local supermarket was selling stuff that was 5 years old.
How To Avoid Boredom While Turning Your Finances Around
By 11.1.07
The worst part of cutting your expenses is also the worst part of going on a diet. Boredom. Not being able to do exactly what you want, when you want to do it is boring. “Grown up,” but boring.
