Featured Recipes
CookFearless Recommends: Soup Books
So you’ve made it through “Soup School,” but you – and that trusty stockpot – are just getting started. If you’re craving more creamy, hearty, vegetable-y happiness by the bowlful, our … [Read More...]
Recipe: Go with the Flow Lentil Soup
I fell in love with lentil soup out of a sense of obligation. On a cold winter day on an early trip to Paris, I stepped inside a small bistro to get out of a frigid winter mist. Why ever did I book a … [Read More...]
Recipe: Carrot and rosemary soup
By Kathleen Flinn This savory and sweet soup can be served at any temperature, but it’s excellent chilled. Immersion or “stick” blenders are great for soup because you can plunge them … [Read More...]
“Minestrone” Soup like My Mother’s
Recipe by Kathleen Flinn In my first book, The Sharper Your Knife, the Less You Cry, this recipe was known as "Potage 'Minestrone' a la Ma Mere," since all the recipes had French names. This is … [Read More...]
Featured Basics
Soup 101: The Basics of Simple Soup (video lesson)
Simple soups are an inexpensive, low-fat meal solution. They can be a kid-friendly source of vegetables plus a great way to use leftovers. Soup needs adequate time and salt; try to avoid skimping on … [Read More...]
A “Cheat Sheet” to Flavor Profiles
What makes something taste Italian or Cajun or Moroccan? Whether crafting vinaigrette, seasoning chicken, or developing a soup, understanding the flavors of ingredients that help to define various … [Read More...]
Recipe: How to Make Basic Stock
by Kathleen Flinn Learning to make stock is a kitchen fundamental. Given that a quart of stock averages $2.25 in the supermarket, it's a worthwhile investment to learn to make it on your own. This is … [Read More...]
How to Make No-Knead Artisan Bread [Video Lesson]
Making your own bread sounds like a laborious undertaking. But with this savvy recipe from Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, the authors of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, you'll find that it … [Read More...]
Earlier Lessons from The Year of Cooking Fearlessly
How to do a Comparative Tasting and Why You Should
Salt to taste. If you’ve ever read a recipe, you’ve probably seen that line. Though common, it’s also a common source of confusion for home cooks. “Whose taste?” some ask. The answer, your taste, often leads to more questioning: “What is my taste?” or “What if my taster’s no good?” Salt to taste just means salt [...]
How to make Cajun seasoning
I generally don’t add salt to my seasoning mixes; instead I add it separately when cooking. A recipe that specifies a commercial blend assumes it has salt, so adjust accordingly. Be sure to use garlic powder and onion powder, not the salt form of either. 2 teaspoons cayenne, red chili flakes or a combination 2 [...]
Vinaigrette Basics [video lesson]
Do you have so many bottles of vinaigrette and in your fridge, that when you open the door it sounds like wind chimes? Vinaigrette is one of the first things that any home cook should master for a couple of reasons. One, it’s expensive to buy and tends to be loaded with ingredients. I did [...]
Spices & Herbs: A Quick Lesson
As this terrific video by Consumer Reports shows, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on fancy spices. However, the key element is when spices get old. Ground herbs and spices are more exposed to air, and thus they lose their potency more quickly. Spices vs. Herbs First, its important to know the [...]
How to Outfit a Kitchen on a Budget or 14 Things Every Kitchen Needs
People have been quite successful making a lot of food in the past centuries with little more than a pot, spoon, bowl, knife and cutting surface. I’ve put together a very general guide that I’ve used for events aimed at college students, and you’ll find the list below. A Good Chef’s Knife Don’t waste money [...]
