Tools & Techniques

The Cooking Tools & Techniques channel offers information on prep methods to how to guides that will get you started in the kitchen. This section will also guide you through kitchen safety and best practices for the storage of foods.

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How do they figure out the number of calories in a recipe?

Is determining it as simple as adding up the calories in the ingredients and dividing them by the number of servings? Or does the cooking (or even the digestive process) change the final calorie count?

By Melanie Radzicki McManus Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

But Will It Caffeinate My Pastries?

Those coffee beans you grind for fresh brew actually come from a fruit, and the flesh of that fruit is being used in a new way — to make flour.

By Maria Trimarchi Oct 15, 2015 Tools & Techniques / Baking How-to

What is flash freezing?

What's that bagged mass in your freezer — and did you really want to eat 12 chicken breasts right now? Here's how to freeze food in serving-size portions.

By Alison Cooper Tools & Techniques / Food Safety & Storage

Can you freeze eggs to keep them longer?

Sure you can freeze eggs — actually you can freeze any food. It's the thawing part that can be tricky. How can a little prep time now prevent a freezer eggsplosion later?

By Alison Cooper Tools & Techniques / Food Safety & Storage

Why does salt prevent food from spoiling?

Salt has kept entire civilizations alive thanks to its ability to prevent foods from turning into bacteria-laden killers. It preserves food, too. What is it about salt that makes it so versatile?

By Laurie L. Dove Tools & Techniques / Food Safety & Storage

10 Most Overlooked Food Safety Guidelines

Think you can only get food poisoning at a C-rated restaurant? Guess again. Your kitchen – which gets no health inspection report – can be a hotbed of illness-causing bacteria. All because we ignore some basic food-handling procedures.

By Patrick J. Kiger Tools & Techniques / Food Safety & Storage

10 Rich Valentine's Desserts Worth the Splurge

Valentine's Day is a general get-out-of-jail-free card when it comes to counting calories, so make this year extra special for your special someone with one of these sweet treats.

By Sara Elliott Tools & Techniques / Baking How-to

5 Steps to Indoor Grilling Goodness

Sometimes, weather just doesn't permit grilling outside, but that doesn't mean you have to lose the smoky goodness of grilled food. We'll show you how to do it indoors.

By Sara Elliott Tools & Techniques / Appliances & Cooking Tools

Italian Night Done Right: Perfect Homemade Pasta

Pasta is a popular dish the world over, but there's a method to the pasta and sauce pairing madness. We'll steer you the right direction for the perfect pasta meal.

By Sara Elliott Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

5 Ways to Cook Chicken Quickly

Versatile, mild, affordable, healthy and utterly available, chicken is something of a standby in modern cooking. It's also quick to cook, especially if you follow one of these five cooking methods.

By Julia Layton Tools & Techniques / Poultry Guide

How to Make Animal Cupcakes

You want to make animal cupcakes, but don't know how to do it. Learn about how to make animal cupcakes in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Cook Cactus

You've heard that cactus is a very popular food in Mexico and you'd like to learn how to cook them. Read this article to learn about how to cook cactus.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Cook Chitterlings

Bring the traditional flavors of the south to your kitchen by learning how to cook chitterlings. Learn about how to cook chitterlings in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Cook Couscous

You want to cook couscous, but you're not sure how to do it. Learn about how to cook couscous in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Cook Lobster Tails in the Oven

You just bought a bag of frozen lobster tails and are wondering how to cook them in the oven. In this article we will show you how to cook lobster tails in the oven.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Cook Shiitake Mushroom

You want to cook shiitake mushroom, but you're not sure how to do it. Learn about how to cook shiitake mushroom in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Cook Spiral Ham

Learn how to cook spiral ham and serve your family a ham dish they'll love. Learn about how to cook spiral ham in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Make Pancakes From Scratch

You want to make pancakes from scratch, but you're not sure how to do it. Learn about how to make pancakes from scratch in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Make Peanut Butter Cookies

You want to make peanut butter cookies, but you’re not sure how to do it. Learn about how to make peanut butter cookies in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Make Fudge

You want to make fudge, but you're not sure how to do it. Learn about how to make fudge in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Make Powdered Sugar

When you know how to make powdered sugar, you can make cookies, icings and cakes with your own homemade sugar. Learn about how to make powdered sugar in this article.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to

How to Freeze Cookies Without Having Freezer Burn

You're thinking ahead, and have baked cookies for the holidays, which you want to freeze without them having freezer burn. Follow the simple instructions to learn how to freeze cookies without them having freezer burn.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors Tools & Techniques / Cooking How-to