Nathaniel Lee 
Baked beans are a childhood classic. Few things spark memories of nostalgia like cooking baked beans over a fire with some hotdogs on a stick. A true staple of the pantry, I always try to have a can or two on hand for a quick side with barbecue and grilled meats. While the most common …
Assuming you don’t have a nut allergy, who doesn’t love peanut butter? Growing up, I don’t think there was ever a lunch at school where someone wasn’t eating a peanut butter sandwich of sorts. That said, cleaning up peanut butter can be a real task. I’ll be reviewing how to clean out peanut butter jars …
Sliders are an all time favorite of mine. Even as a Californian, I am one of those people who would take White Castle slider over an In-N-Out Burger any day of the week (my fiancé and I debate over this constantly). For me, it’s all about the steamed onion in a slider. Yes, that is …
Many people associate stovetop mac and cheese with their childhoods. For me though, it has to be butter noodles with some parmesan cheese. At the end of the day, there isn’t too much difference – it’s noodle, butter, and some cheese. I like to joke that it is the poor man’s Alfredo, but after trying …
Right up there with fire (and maybe even before that), the mortar and pestle was one of the first kitchen gadgets man invented. After all, what is a mortar and pestle than two rocks bashing and grinding into each other? Here in San Diego, you can even see ancient mortars carved into the rocks at …
A few things will take your next burger or sausage recipe to the next level quite like grinding your own meat. The control you have in food safety, quality, mix, and texture is unparalleled in the kitchen. But, for all the same reasons I need to be cautious of ground meats on the store shelves, …
An electric skillet is a great way to gain back some valuable stove top real estate. They are one part hot plate, one part non stick pan, however, they are not the easiest to clean. Lucky for you, if you have never cleaned an electric skillet or were unsure if you were doing it the …
One of the wonderful things about modern cookware is hard, durable, anodized aluminum. Another major plus is safety – aluminum cookware is much safer than PTFE and Teflon, as it won’t release chemicals into the air when you heat it on the stove. For many, anodized cookware was and still is my first “real” set …
Wooden salad bowls are amazing pieces of craftsmanship. Some fetch prices well into the hundreds of dollars and are considered heirlooms or wedding presents. Whether you are dealing with a $30 or a $300 dollar wooden bowl you want to make sure you are taking care of it properly. I’ll review how to clean and …
I think Italian food might just be my favorite cuisine of all time. I always make Italian food at home and while most of it is pretty straightforward, there are a few I tend to leave to restaurants, like veal parmesan. Veal parmesan can definitely seem a bit intimidating. Many don’t cook with veal on …
When you think of beef for dinner, steak probably comes to mind. Grilled hot and fast with that perfect tender rare meat inside; few things could compare right? As amazing as steak is, I can’t eat steak everyday – it’s too expensive and it is only part of what makes beef so delicious. That brings …
When you think of Mediterranean dips and sides, you probably think of hummus. If you want something that is lighter, smokier, and more flavorful than hummus, you need to try baba ganoush. While you may be thinking that you hate eggplant or there is no way it can be as good as hummus, I think …