Vegetables
157 Helpful Cooking Tips
How to Prevent Mushrooms from Absorbing Too Much Oil
Mushrooms are veritable sponges, absorbing as much oil as you put in the pan. But while developing a new method for sautéing mushrooms, we noticed that, once co…
Published: January 2019
How to Cut Ingredients on the Bias
Cutting long, slim vegetables diagonally adds visual interest to many dishes.
Published: January 2019
How to Cook with Daikon
This long white root may look like a pale carrot, but it is actually a member of the same family as radishes, broccoli, and turnips.
Published: January 2019
Should You Wash Mushrooms?
Does washing mushrooms really affect their flavor and cooking time? We address this long-held debate.
Published: December 2018
How to Prep, Buy, and Store Delicata Squash
Get the most out of this small, mild winter squash.
Published: November 2018
How to Shop for Cucumbers
Gone are the days when supermarkets sold only one type of cucumber.
Published: July 2018
How to Use Purple Potatoes
We tasted three different kinds of purple potatoes to determine what they taste like and how much starch they contain.
Published: May 2018
Can You Eat Cilantro Stems?
Cilantro is more than just leaves. Here's some information about the rest of this entirely edible plant.
Published: May 2018
What To Do with Leftover Lemon Grass
Don't toss those extra leaves! Here's how to use them to make homegrown shoots.
Published: January 2018
How to Use Escarole
This worthy, crisp green is a versatile ingredient in everything from fresh salads to Italian soups. Here are some tips on how to prepare and cook it.
Published: November 2017
How to Cook Baby Kale
Since it came onto the scene, baby kale has been billed as a salad green. But, we wondered, why not cook it?
Published: September 2017
How to Choose a Sweet Potato
Sweet potato varieties with orange or red skin and deep orange flesh, including Red Garnet (our favorite) and Jewel, cook up sweet and moist.
Published: September 2017
Three Tips for Roasting Chile Peppers
After developing our method for roasting and peeling bell peppers, we were eager to try it on other pepper varieties.
Published: July 2017
The Best Way to Store Rhubarb
It turns out that the best method we’ve found for storing celery also works for rhubarb.
Published: May 2017
Regular vs. Shanghai Baby Bok Choy
There are two types of baby bok choy. Here's what you need to know when you go shopping.
Published: March 2017
How to Prepare Endive
The crisp, bitter-tasting leaves of endive can provide a bold accent in salads or serve as a counterpoint to dips or fillings.
Published: March 2017
A Green Bell Pepper Alternative
Long, slender Cubanelle peppers are commonly used in Spanish, Caribbean, and Italian cooking.
Published: January 2017
Piquillos: More Than a Pricey Roasted Red Pepper
Are piquillos, a pepper common in Spanish cuisine, worth the extra money over jarred roasted red peppers?
Published: November 2016
A Different Way to Chop Onions
The most widely known method for chopping an onion involves making a series of vertical and then horizontal cuts, the latter requiring cutting toward the hand h…
Published: November 2016
All About Celery Root
Celery root (also known as celeriac) boasts a crisp, firm, parsnip-like texture under its tough peel and a mild, celery-like flavor that sweetens with cooking.
Published: November 2016
How Slicing Impacts Onions
Because the layers of plant cells in an onion run from the root to the stem end of the bulb, the direction in which you slice onions can make a big difference i…
Published: September 2016
How to Handle Monster Squash
Breaking down a massive, rock-hard squash with a knife can seem downright dangerous. We prefer using two alternative tools: gravity and asphalt.
Published: September 2016
Oil-Cured Olives: A Kalamata Substitute?
Can oil-cured olives stand in for kalamatas as a substitute?
Published: May 2016
Don't Snap Asparagus; Peel It
What's the best way to prepare asparagus spears for cooking?
Published: March 2016
Season Your Salad, Not Just the Dressing
Even though most salad dressing and vinaigrette recipes contain a measured amount of salt, most professional cooks like to season the salad itself as well. Here…
Published: March 2016
Jerusalem Artichokes: Another Tasty Tuber
Jerusalem artichokes are neither from Jerusalem nor are they artichokes. So, what are they?
Published: March 2016
The Best Way to Rehydrate Sun-Dried Tomatoes
When buying sun-dried tomatoes, we typically purchase the oil-packed kind, since the dry-packed variety have tougher skins and a chewier texture. But dry-packed…
Published: January 2016
Speedier Brussels Sprouts Prep
We prefer to thinly slice 1½ pounds of sprouts for Brussels Sprout Salads (see related content) by hand rather than use a food processor, since its blades tend …
Published: November 2015
Comparing Kale
Three types of kale are commonly available in supermarkets. So, how do you know which to choose for your application?
Published: November 2015
Getting the Most out of Leeks
Here's a few test kitchen tips for getting the most out of your leeks.
Published: September 2015
A Better Way to Seed Jalapeños
Recently, we found a better way to seed jalapeños and other straight-sided chiles.
Published: July 2015
Skip the Salt When Cooking Corn
When cooking fresh corn in boiling water, skip the salt.
Published: July 2015
How to Cook with Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi, which can be either purple or green, is a member of the brassica family. Here's the best way to cook with it.
Published: July 2015