18 Feb
20 iPhone Food Apps to Feast On
Posted by Michelle as How-To | 24 Comments
If you’re like most iPhone users, the phone is likely attached to your hip and goes wherever you go, including the kitchen and grocery store. I used to drag my laptop into the kitchen with me, but since getting an iPhone some 18 months ago, I find that I am relying less on my laptop and more on my space-saving phone to pull up recipes or conversions, or set a timer while I am in the kitchen. It can also be great for organizing lists for the grocery store and getting dinner ideas. I have found many great food-related apps that I use on an almost daily basis and thought that since many of you may be iPhone users as well, you might enjoy having some new apps to download and play with. From recipe databases to farmer’s market locators and grocery lists, you will be sure to find something that interests you in this list!
28 Jan
How to Stock and Organize Your Freezer
Posted by Michelle as How-To | 37 Comments
Does your freezer look like this?
Do you wish it looked like this?
(Images above courtesy of Google Images; neither are my freezer, that is coming up!)
I think we’ve all had a moment when we’ve unearthed something from the depths of our freezer only to wonder not only when it was put there, but what in the world it was! As I was cleaning out my own freezer and ridding it of remnants of last summer’s ice cream bounty, I thought that perhaps it was time to talk about freezer organization here on Brown Eyed Baker. (I also thought it was time that I whip up a fresh batch of vanilla bean ice cream.) A freezer can be a lot like a vacant spare bedroom that usually meets one of two fates: (1) A nicely organized space that allows you to store things that you don’t use everyday but want to keep for when you need them; or (2) A space so disorganized and messy that you don’t want to open the door for fear of what may fall on your head (or toe), and if you can get the door open safely you probably can’t get very far into the mess to even figure out what’s in there.
The first part of this post will be dedicated to organizing your freezer – figuring out what you have in there and going over some food safety guidelines for proper food storage and how long different types of food can last safely in a freezer.
The second part of this post will help you re-stock your freezer with food that you can prepare and have ready to heat up at a moment’s notice. These will be particularly useful on nights when you get in late but don’t want to pick up fast food. Also, if you know someone who is expecting, a nice gesture may be to prepare one or two dishes that are ready to freeze so once the baby arrives the new mom can pull it out of the freezer, pop it in the oven, and have a warm, homemade dinner with no effort.
13 Jan
How to Plan a Dinner Party (Or Any Party!)
Posted by Michelle as How-To | 23 Comments
Over the holidays, I helped my mom host a Christmas celebration with my dad’s side of the family the weekend before Christmas. I eagerly offered to do all of the menu planning, which included the grocery shopping, food prep and planning out the oven schedule for the day of the party. It was my first time handling the logistics of a holiday and while it took some work, it was unbelievably fun and I loved putting together a large meal.
While the holiday season has already passed, I thought the start of the new year would be a great time to do a walk-through of how I planned the meal and got myself organized, as well to share some guidelines and checklists that you can use when planning a large-ish food event at your home. After all, the year is full of reasons to throw parties – birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, holidays like Valentine’s Day, 4th of July, and countless other occasions!
11 Nov
Food Photography 101: The Basics
Posted by Michelle as How-To | 96 Comments
Thinking back to when I launched this site, I knew pretty much nothing about taking pictures of food. I made something, put it on a plate or in a bowl, put it on the counter or table, snapped a picture and ate it. It wasn’t until months later, when I was still blogging and photographing food on a very regular basis that I realized I had quite a bit to learn about how to make the food that I knew tasted fantastic look just as good. Let’s be clear – I am in no way an expert when it comes to food photography and still have countless things to learn, but I have received a number of emails asking about how I go about taking my pictures so I thought I would share that information with all of you.
So, how did I go from pictures like this (posted in March 2007, a month after launching the site):
To this (posted four months ago in July 2009)?
After the jump I will outline the tools and methods I use for taking my pictures, and how they go from food sitting on a table to the pictures you see on the site.
04 Nov
How to Make Perfect Scrambled Eggs
Posted by Michelle as Breakfast Foods, How-To | 37 Comments
Scrambled eggs are a popular breakfast staple, but one that can often go painfully wrong. Sure, it’s pretty hard to make scrambled eggs inedible, but there’s nothing worse that rubbery scrambled eggs, or ones that are still quite watery. Once you master perfectly fluffy and moist scrambled eggs, there will be no turning back. It’s so simple and combines a few “secret” methods that together produce some of the most delicious scrambled eggs that will ever pass your lips. Weekend breakfasts will never be the same! Now what are you waiting for? Grab some eggs and practice your scrambling!
21 Oct
How to Roast Garlic
Posted by Michelle as How-To, Vegetables | 25 Comments
In my previous post about the fabulous Potato Rosemary Bread you may remember that, aside from rosemary, the bread also included roasted garlic, which took the bread’s flavor to a whole new level of wonderful. I said that I would be following up with a tutorial about how to make it at home and, as promised, here it is! Roasting garlic is so incredibly simple and it can add robust flavor to countless dishes including breads, pizza, sauce, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and pasta, to name a few. Not to mention mixing it into things like butter or mayonnaise for a more “gourmet” condiment. Roasted garlic takes on a much milder flavor than raw garlic and as a result its uses are practically endless. With less than 10 minutes of active prep time, this is definitely a how-to that you’ll want to save and put to use again and again. Now let’s get roasting!
04 Sep
How to Build a Baking Pantry, Part IV: Equipment (Advanced)
Posted by Michelle as How-To | 18 Comments
[This is Part Four in a four-part series on stocking a baking pantry. You can catch up on ingredients by checking out How to Build a Baking Pantry, Part I: Ingredients (Beginner) and How to Build a Baking Pantry, Part II: Ingredients (Advanced). Check out basic equipment in the previous post - How to Build a Baking Pantry, Part III: Equipment (Basic).]
Here we are, on the last leg of the Building a Baking Pantry series, rounding out all of the equipment you may want to add to your wish list or shopping list. This list is comprised of what you’ll find in my equipment cabinet (combined with the basic list), and I think it’s pretty all-encompassing; however there are seemingly countless specialty and novelty pans, funky gadgets and other fun things that are out there. I kept this list to what I think most bakers keep stocked, keeping in mind that based on individual tastes or interests you definitely could have much more than this!
03 Sep
How to Build a Baking Pantry, Part III: Equipment (Basic)
Posted by Michelle as How-To | 13 Comments
[This is Part Three in a four-part series on stocking a baking pantry. You can catch up on ingredients by checking out How to Build a Baking Pantry, Part I: Ingredients (Beginner) and How to Build a Baking Pantry, Part II: Ingredients (Advanced).]
I hope you all found the first two installments of How to Build a Baking Pantry useful. Now that we have your pantry stocked with plenty of ingredients it’s time to identify the equipment needed to start your baking journey. For practical purposes I have only included things in this first list that I feel someone would really truly need to get started baking. After all, our grandmothers were in the kitchen baking and churning out delicious desserts long before Williams Sonoma stocked their shelves with every imaginable pan and gadget. The last thing I want is for baking to seem overwhelming; I want you to be excited about all the goodness that flour, sugar and butter have to offer.
31 Aug
25 Excuses to Bake in September
Posted by Michelle as How-To | 30 Comments
Can you believe that we’re a day away from September? I have no idea where the summer went, but ready or not, here comes fall! Apple picking, football parties, hearty stews, spicy chili – all signs that fall has arrived. In case you are short on ideas for what to bake in the coming month, or just want a good excuse to cover the kitchen in flour, here are 25 reasons you should dust off your apron and get baking!
28 Aug
How to Build a Baking Pantry, Part II: Ingredients (Advanced)
Posted by Michelle as How-To | 22 Comments
[This is Part Two in a four-part series on stocking a baking pantry. You can catch up on basic ingredients by checking out How to Build a Baking Pantry, Part I: Ingredients (Beginner).]
So, you’ve mastered chocolate chip cookies and quick breads and feel like you’re ready to move on to more advanced baking, but you aren’t sure exactly what you may need to add to your pantry. This list is for you! In this second installment of Building a Baking Pantry, we’ll be building on the list from Part I: Ingredients (Beginner) and running through all of the ingredients you may want to keep on hand if you’re planning on taking your baking up a notch.
