Espresso may seem intimidating, especially perfecting a shot. Contrary to popular belief you don’t need the fanciest manual machine. There are many options out there for making espresso, either with stovetop makers or automatic capsule methods. Regardless of your method, you should learn the basics of espresso and how to operate the machine of your choice. If you’re looking for an authentic Italian espresso, you’ll need an espresso machine. A

If you’ve ever baked a chocolate or mocha-flavored cake, then you’ve probably seen a recipe call for espresso powder or instant espresso. This ingredient is a quick way to boost the flavor of the chocolate. You may also have seen espresso powder called for in dry spice rubs for meat, especially to grill. So what exactly is espresso powder? Here’s how to best utilize it, and what to do if

Bread crumbs add texture, color and a crunch that immediately elevates any dish. You can sprinkle these on a dish to take a dinner from drab to delicious. While there are store-bought options out there, you can easily make your own. Breadcrumbs can come from any kind of bread or roll that can be going stale in the freezer. These breads are great to turn into crumbs. Sourdough French bread

Oil has evolved over time. We have come a long way from shortening, margarine, lard and butter. Our pantries can have oils from all over the world. With all these choices, come more questions. Here’s a guide to cooking oils depending on different cooking methods. Smoke point. This is the temperature an oil will start to smoke. The smoke comes before burning. Not all oils behave the same when heated.

A caramelized onion brings out a deep, rich, and sweet flavor. Slowly cooking them in a little olive oil is a great way to pull out all the flavor from the simplest of ingredients. As you slowly cook onions over time the natural sugars caramelize, making the best topping to steaks, onion soups or pizza. Learn how below. Prep time: 10 minsCook time: 45 minsTotal time: 55 minsYield: 2 cups

Baking a pie with the perfect flaky and tender crust is no easy feat. Ideally your dough should be assembled with cold ingredients and a gentle hand. The temperature in your kitchen is always a factor when you bake. If your kitchen is too hot and humid, dry ingredients tend to absorb the moisture in the air. On the other hand, when your kitchen is too cold, bringing ingredients to

Reheating a leftover pizza to the same level of crispiness can be difficult. The first step is to ditch the microwave. You’ll end up with a soggy pizza slice. Microwaves heat water that’s in food, so the pizza will end up steaming from the inside out. The better way to reheat a pizza is to use a skillet on the stove. This can be a nonstick skillet or a cast

The exact temperature of your oven is important, but so is where the heat is located. If heat is uneven in an oven, you could end up with goods that are burnt in some places and still cooking in other places. A thermometer will tell you the temperature, but it won’t tell you where the hot or cold spots are. Luckily you can test your oven with just sugar and

Baked goods and savory treats made with brown butter give it an extra depth of flavor. It works some serious magic. It has a depth and an intensity that melted butter can lack. While brown butter isn’t hard to make on a stovetop, it can be more work. It requires an extra level of vigilance so the butter doesn’t overcook or burn. Simplify the process by browning the butter in

Cooking steak can either be a success or a failure with just one crucial step. After you have transferred steak from a grill to a cutting board, it should rest on the board at room temperature for five to seven minutes. These crucial moments ensure the perfect distribution of the juices inside. If you cut into steak too quickly off a barbecue you’ll get a bullseye pattern. On the other