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).

Home & Family, Video

Home & Family: Soap

Daniel Kohler · August 14, 2015

Soap has played incredible an incredible role in the development of both modern society and our species. When you buy it at the store it tends to be filled w...

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Homemade Soap

Daniel Kohler · August 5, 2015

Soap is a rather remarkable creation resulting from the mixture of two common materials. Though it seems odd to say, soap is a salt. Salts are the products of acid+base reactions, in this case the fatty acids contained in vegetable oils and the alkaline properties of lye. Sodium Hydroxide (now industrially produced and known as lye) was once collected and made from ashes and rainwater.

Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner Party Theater, Drink, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Summer, Video

Home & Family: Strawberry Shrub

Daniel Kohler · August 4, 2015

Trust me on this one, drinking vinegar is great for you. A shrub is a vinegary preserved, fruit syrup that will keep you satisfied all Summer long. Stir some into soda water or shake it with a cocktail!

Dairy Free, Drink, Summer

Plum Basil Shrub

Daniel Kohler · July 31, 2015

Once you've graduated from the Strawberry Shrub, it's time to incorporate fresh herbs. A noseful of basil pairs well with most fruits and I am partial to swooning over its combination with fresh plums. Indeed, on the road to this shrub I ate fistfuls of torn green leaves wrapped around slices of bleeding plums.

Dairy Free, Dinner, Dinner Party Theater, Drink, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Summer

Summer Crush Cocktail

Daniel Kohler · July 29, 2015

We all have one. Sometimes it's the ringmaster of that traveling circus with ice-blue eyes, sometimes it's the lifeguard sitting perched atop a lookout, clad only in red. Wherever you may be in life, it is never too late for a summer crush. While I'm pining for that man in the top hat I will make do with this blush colored cocktail. A mix of tequila and my strawberry shrub, this couldn't be easier to assemble. Wow your guests with a non-margarita tequila drink and fall in love with this sweet sip.

Drink, Summer

Strawberry Piloncillo Shrub

Daniel Kohler · July 28, 2015

A shrub is nothing more than fruit preserved in both sugar and vinegar. The resulting brew is a bracing syrup, at once sweet and sour. Stir this into sparkling water all summer or shake it up with a cocktail and startle your palate. Vinegar has remarkable health benefits, but let us forget those in favor of its obvious flavor strength. Brew once and let this jar of power support you in the coming months.

Breakfast, Dinner, Home & Family, Video

Home & Family: Icelandic Rye Bread

Daniel Kohler · July 26, 2015

Iceland is a country full of wonder and delight. Situated on top of volcanic activity, the residents of Iceland have been able to harness the amazing geothermal activity in the area for both heating homes and baking bread. Check out this great rye bread baked underground by steam heat!

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner, Dinner Party Theater, Fall, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Snack, Side, Summer, Video

Home & Family: Mealy Fruit

Daniel Kohler · July 22, 2015

The secret to avoiding mealy fruit this summer lies in temperature control. Learn the science behind those unfortunate peaches and get some tips on storing your favorites while the weather is still warm!

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner, Dinner Party Theater, Drink, Fall, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Meat, Side, Snack, Spring, Summer, Veggies, Video, Winter

Home & Family: Nomiku Sous Vide

Daniel Kohler · July 16, 2015

What was once a tool fit only for commercial kitchens has been adapted for your home! The Nomiku is an immersion circulator for the modern cook. Control temperature within a fraction of a degree for perfect cooking.

Gluten Free, Dinner Party Theater, Home & Family, Read

Mealy Fruit Chemistry

Daniel Kohler · July 10, 2015

The bounty of summer is upon us and it is time to investigate that most wonderful invention, the refrigerator. Winter harvests produce tough, solid produce, but the joy of summer is in tender, exquisite, gentle fruit and vegetables. These things can spoil quickly and our attempts to keep them in our homes are often met with mealy frustration. But what causes fruit to become mealy? Can it be avoided

Dairy Free, Dessert, Home & Family, Video, Winter, Summer

Home & Family: Candied Fruit

Daniel Kohler · July 9, 2015

Preserving fruit with sugar is a centuries-old tradition that seems to rear its head every Christmas. As we celebrate Christmas in July with Hallmark, take to heart some candying tips. Get started on this now and you'll have gifts aplenty on your shelf to dole out come December!

Dinner Party Theater, Home & Family, Meat, Summer, Video

Home & Family: Tandoor Oven

Daniel Kohler · July 6, 2015

Forget the grill, invest in a few clay pots and build a tandoor in your backyard this summer! For about $100 you can build a natural convection oven that will make you the envy of neighborhood bbq's.

Dairy Free, Dessert, Fall, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Side, Snack, Spring, Summer, Winter

Candied Lemon Peel

Daniel Kohler · July 3, 2015

This is not a new trick, it is simply good, old, cooking at its best. When we slowly replace water content in food with sugar we act to reduce the amount of H2O necessary to support the growth of bacteria and microbes. Which is to say, we preserve the food. Sugar is a most excellent prison for your lemons. Keep them alive far past their due date with this solution.

Video

Home & Family: Sugar Breakdown

Daniel Kohler · June 30, 2015

Sucrose is sucrose, but what that powerful chemical compound is wrapped in makes a huge difference. Check out this explanation of the various sugars that are available to you for baking and cooking!

Dinner, Dinner Party Theater, Home & Family, Meat, Summer, Read, Veggies

DIY Tandoor Oven

Daniel Kohler · June 26, 2015

This is how I will become a grillmaster. Neither changing propane tanks, nor praying at the altar of Weber, but rather with a tandoor. The contraption now sits in my backyard, taunting my with its emptiness. It is neither difficult to build nor challenging to maintain and at the risk of sounding alarmist I want to scream through the digitas WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Dinner Party Theater, Breakfast, Dinner, Read

Food Map

Daniel Kohler · June 24, 2015

Often I am asked for restaurant suggestions around the country. While my list is hardly comprehensive, it is heartfelt and detailed. Take a peak and visit one of my favorites if you happen to be in any of these fair cities.

Video

Home & Family: Weight vs. Volume

Daniel Kohler · June 15, 2015

Behold the insufficiency of the measuring cup! Though it may be hard at first, you'll thank yourself when you transition from volumetric measuring to weighing ingredients in your kitchen. Accurate, repeatable, reliable baking ahoy!

Breakfast, Dessert, Home & Family, Read

Weight vs. Volume

Daniel Kohler · June 10, 2015

Any scientist worth her salt will tell you that the two most important factors in any experiment are consistency and reproducibility. Considering that every time we bake we are essentially conducting a science experiment, why wouldn’t we hold the same standards in the kitchen?