About.com

Common Herbs in Soap

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 11:12:14 +0000

Besides making whatever you're cooking taste even better, herbs are also great additions to, yes, your daily shower.

Soapmakers know that adding herbs to soap can contribute wonderful color and texture to the finished product -- not to mention offer various benefits to your skin. Read up on some of the most common herbs used in soapmaking so you know what to look for on your next trip to the store (or to consider mixing into your next homemade batch).

...

Read Full Post

AeroGarden Sale: Frugal Find or Silly Gadget?

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:13:53 +0000

Image Courtesy of PriceGrabber

I've long been fascinated by AeroGrow's AeroGardens, which use soil-free aeroponic technology to bring year-round gardening indoors. But I'm most impressed by the array of available herb seed kits, which make it possible to grow hard-to-find herbs like chervil, epazote, and savory right on the countertop.

...

Read Full Post

From the Herb & Spice Forum: What Is Your Dream Spice Rack?

Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:56:03 +0000

I recently wrote an article on spice cabinet organization, and ever since, I've been imagining artful displays of herbs and spices in some future perfect kitchen. It's just been fleeting images of magnetic spice boards, and a kitchen herb garden � la the HGTV dream home, though -- nothing that's coalesced into a strong vision of my ideal kitchen storage situation.

...

Read Full Post

Curry Roasted Cauliflower

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:54:44 +0000

Moroccan Food Guide Christine Benlafquih recently polled readers to find out How Precisely Do You Measure Spices?. I wasn't sure how to answer at first. If I'm baking, I'm quite careful to measure ingredients precisely, because baking success relies so much on food chemistry. If I'm trying a new recipe, I'll measure as well, because I don't think it's really possible to evaluate a recipe without following it as it's written. And if I'm developing, testing, or writing a recipe, I'll definitely measure precisely, because I want whoever follows that recipe to have the best shot at a delicious result. But like many of those who responded to the poll, I don't tend to measure much when I'm doing everyday cooking -- I just play around until whatever I'm making looks/smells/tastes right.

...

Read Full Post

McCormick Is Recruiting Consumer Testers

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:17:25 +0000

Spice giant McCormick is recruiting consumer product testers to help provide feedback essential to product development. Maryland residents who fit the demographic profile for a particular product test may actually be called into the company's Hunt Valley headquarters to participate in tastings. People who've done it say it's a cool experience, and as a bonus, on site testers are compensated between $25 and $75.

...

Read Full Post

Doctor, Heal Thyself: Taming The Spice Cabinet Monster

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:58:30 +0000

I was writing an article on spice cabinet spring cleaning and ruing the fact that I have oddly narrow cabinets that cannot comfortably accommodate my herbs and spices in any semblance of order. Countertop spice racks aren't really an option for me, both because they'd eat up too much of the precious foot-and-a-half of counter space in my kitchen, and because they're still not big enough for all of my seasonings.

...

Read Full Post

Fennel & Carrot Salad With Coriander-Lemon Vinaigrette

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:36:47 +0000

Often as not, when we try to describe or decipher the flavor of a food, we talk about the herbs or spices we taste. As in, "Oooh, this is so garlicky and delicious!" or "Hmmm, is there...cardamom in this?" The better our sense memory for herbs and spices, and the more of them we taste, the larger our vocabulary for describing food.

...

Read Full Post

Countdown to the Coin Toss: Super Bowl Recipe Exchange Final Installment

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:13:40 +0000

Culinary Arts Guide Danilo Alfaro reminds us that a platter of Super Bowl chicken wings isn't complete without a cool, refreshing dipping sauce like Ranch Dressing or Blue Cheese. And for a real treat, try making them with Homemade Mayonnaise.

...

Read Full Post

More Super Bowl Snacks

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:57:20 +0000

Super Bowl Recipe Exchange

Guacamole is an easy and delicious appetizer you can make for a crowd. If you're feeding more than six people, double it! From Busy Cooks Guide Linda Larsen, you can ...

Read Full Post

Light Eats, Indulgent Dips, & A Super Bowl Sangria Station

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 11:50:37 +0000

Super Bowl Recipe Exchange

These are from Low Fat Cooking Guide Fiona Haynes. Mini Frittatas: Made in a mini muffin tin, these cute little frittatas make a perfect portion-controlled party food. Because ...

Read Full Post