expands, which creates a light and airy texture. In
addition, butter and coconut oil become harder
when combined with cold ingredients, as they are
saturated fats. If a recipe calls for melted butter or
coconut oil, and you whisk it with a cold egg, the fat
will solidify. I suggest taking ingredients out of the
refrigerator at least 30 minutes and ideally 1 hour
before baking. If you’re short on time, microwave
butter in 10 second intervals until just malleable
but not melted or place eggs in a bowl of lukewarm
water for 10 minutes.
Cooling Before Storing: No matter the recipe, I
highly recommend allowing it to cool completely,
uncovered, before storing in a sealed container,
whether on the counter, in the refrigerator, or
in the freezer. Any bit of residual heat will cause
condensation inside the container, which will make
your food mushy.
Tips for Freezing Food: Here are my tested tips and
tricks for using your freezer to your advantage.
Cooking Terms
Simmer versus Boil: When a liquid simmers, you will
see very small bubbles around the edges, but not in the
middle. When a liquid boils, you will see large rapidly
forming bubbles all over the surface of the liquid.
Mince versus Dice versus Chop: Starting with the
smallest, mincing, you will create tiny pieces (about
⅛ inch). Mincing is usually used for garlic, ginger,
and jalapeño. Dicing creates 1⁄4-inch pieces. Chopping
refers to ½-inch pieces or larger, and sometimes is a
more rough chop with pieces that aren’t necessarily
uniform. If ingredients are to be puréed, they can
often be roughly chopped.
Sauté: To sauté food means to cook it in a bit of fat
over medium to high heat while stirring.
Deglaze: To deglaze a pan, you add a bit of liquid
(often water or stock) to the pan after foods have
been sautéed to loosen and scrape up any browned
bits of food stuck to the bottom of the pan. This adds
flavor and richness to the dish.
Pans, Equipment, and Supplies
Baking Sheet Size: Whenever a recipe includes a
baking sheet, you can assume that I am referring to
a standard-sized sheet pan that’s 12 × 18 × 1 inches.
This is also known as a “half sheet pan.”
Cast-Iron Skillets: These classic heavy pans are a
great investment. They’re generally inexpensive and
get better with age if properly cared for. Cast-iron
takes a little while to preheat, but it gets screaming
hot and has excellent heat retention—after it gets
hot, you may need to turn down the heat. It’s great
for dishes you want to ensure get cooked evenly
throughout and any time you need a nonstick
surface. To clean you skillet, wash it under hot water
with a textured (but not metal) sponge and without
soap. Be sure to clean it as soon after cooking as
possible. If a gentle scrub doesn’t do the trick,
sprinkle a few tablespoons of coarse salt over the
surface and scrub with a dish rag. Rinse and dry
thoroughly. You can place it in a warm oven to dry.
Some cast-iron skillets come preseasoned. If you
have a new one that isn’t, you’ll want to season it
before use. Preheat oven to 325º F. Wipe the skillet
with a wet cloth, and dry thoroughly. Apply a thin
coat of oil to the skillet (I use avocado oil). Place
skillet upside down on oven rack, and place a sheet of
aluminum foil on the bottom rack to catch dripping
oil. Turn off the heat after an hour, and allow the
skillet to remain in the oven until completely cooled.
Loaf Pan Size: Whenever a recipe includes a loaf
pan, you can assume that I am referring to a standard
size of 9 × 5 × 3 inches.
Saucepan: A “saucepan” refers to a pot that’s deeper
and has steeper sides than a frying pan. “Small
saucepan” refers a 2-quart pot, “medium saucepan”
refers to a 4-quart pot, and “large saucepan” refers to
an 8- to 12-quart pot. A “stockpot” can range in size
from 8 to 25 quarts.
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