Why are mustard seeds hot like chili peppers? Why is some mustard bright and mellow, while others are murky and hot? Here's the quick breakdown on how mustard works in the kitchen!

Home & Family: Oil Explanation

Daniel Kohler · January 18, 2016

Cooking oils vary not only in flavor, but also in practicality. There isn't one oil that's best for every job in the kitchen, so you may as well familiarize yourself with the options! From frying to baking and everything in between, here are the best choices.

Dairy Free, Dinner, Fall, Gluten Free, Meat, Winter

Jamaican Stew Chicken

Daniel Kohler · November 19, 2015

Walk into any Jerk shop in Crown Heights and you'll be overwhelmed with savory scents. Now, you might have opened that door planning to purchase the namesake dish, but let me point your nose in another direction. See that sultry, bubbling, brown tray? That's stew chicken, and I think you should give it a try. Brewed from the devilish flavors that make the Caribbean so intoxicating (lime, allspice, sugar), it is the sort of thing you never knew you needed in the depths of winter.

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner, Drink, Gluten Free, Fall, Home & Family, Spring, Summer, Video, Winter

Home & Family: Fermented Coffee

Daniel Kohler · August 29, 2015

Microbes are the oldest life form on this planet. They can be found in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and indeed inside our own bodies. Check out how food-hackers are changing the flavor of coffee with these tiny organisms!

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Home & Family, Video

Home & Family: Hot Sauce Science

Daniel Kohler · August 27, 2015

Chasing the high of another chili pepper? Ever wonder what makes us crave spicy food? The neurological science behind the pain in your tongue is fascinating, catch it all here!

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dinner, Fall, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Read, Side, Spring, Veggies, Summer, Winter

CapsaiScience

Daniel Kohler · August 26, 2015

Chili Peppers are not unique to one country or culture. Evidence of their cultivation dates back to 4,000 BC. But the love of hot foods is exclusive to humans. The rest of the animals on this planet either lack the neurological receptors to register hot food or they avoid peppers altogether, lumping them in with other poisonous plants. Why do we love them so much then?!

Dairy Free, Dinner, Fall, Gluten Free, Spring, Summer, Veggies, Winter, Home & Family

Jerk Sauce

Daniel Kohler · August 25, 2015

I miss many things about NYC, primary among those cravings are my local jerk joint. The well-known neighborhood favorite is The Islands, but for my tastes Fever Grass takes the gold medal (never mind that their storefront was directly across from the crimson entryway to my apartment building).