They go bloody everywhere the second you open them!
I was more thinking of this as a joke they are kinda annoying but it doesn't bother me. I make a mess when I cook with them or not.

Three generations of my family have done their soups, sauces, stews, and stocks in this one fairly massive cooking pot. It's 12 inches in diameter (15 with the handles) and 6.5 inches tall. We don't use it every day, but for large recipes it's so useful that when I moved out, I went looking online for an identical pot.

I couldn't find one. The manufacturer still existed, but their "12-inch" pot was only 10 inches in diameter and they had nothing larger. Other brands of cookware didn't seem to make anything even remotely like it. Edit to clarify: All the pots I found online were tall, taller than they are wide, and this one is not. I ended up going on eBay and finding an identical pot listed as "vintage [brand]" instead (which was perfect).

Similarly, we have a 14-inch frying pan that I was able to find a replacement for - but only through a restaurant supplier for the brand that made the previous one. Finding lids and spatter guards sized for this pan was also challenging, in hindsight.

Both the pot and the pan have a 12-inch diameter flat cooking surface. Is this not a standard size for cookware nowadays? Or was it never standard, and I just grew up in blissful ignorance of my American excess?

Looking for budget (bean, lentil, chickpea) meals, but I get bored easily of the same thing over and over.

Things like lentil shepherds pie, empanadas, Ethiopian stews.

Tell me your faves!

Edit: Bonus points if there is a crispy/textured element

Instead of gushing over this staple in a comment, I thought I might do a related post covering what Americans mean when we say "biscuit" and/or "gravy".

Biscuit: can be "cut" or "drop" categories.

Cut biscuits are often (usually?) a laminated dough. Not as extreme as phyllo or puff pastry, but still has distinct separation of fat and dough to provide flaky goodness. Rolled out and cut with a ring, hence the name. Not the only way to make them, but that's the very basic explanation.

Drop biscuits have a very wet, loose dough, almost a batter. Scooped and "dropped" onto baking sheet, or used similar to dumplings to top a stew or pot pie analog family meal. A common term is "cat head" biscuits, because that's the target size when baked. America's Test Kitchen has a fantastic recipe that has sour cream in the dough.

Gravy: gravy is a spectrum. The most common variety, especially for biscuits and gravy, is "sawmill", or "breakfast" gravy. Loose, crumbly sausage, usually very herby and sage-forward, is browned well in a skillet. Prominent flavor is black pepper as well.

Flour is sprinkled in and cooked in the fat with the sausage (similar to flour and butter roux), then milk is gradually stirred in (pour too fast and it'll be lumpy), then stirred and reduced to desired thickness.

My family would add homemade creamed spinach, like what's popular in steakhouses; lots of garlic goodness, and provides subtle flavor change.

"Redeye" is my personal favorite gravy, though it's not often seen for biscuits and gravy. Instead of sausage, fond and flavor source is a thick ham steak that's been fried in a skillet. Instead of milk, coffee is the liquid base.

Creamed chipped beef over toast is a related dish; called SOS by military veterans and family. Chipped beef is thin dried processed beef; used as a basis for white gravy like aforementioned sawmill. Served over toast. Military toast is typically indistinguishable from roofing shingles (in color, texture, and odor), and the creamed beef is less than appealing in appearance, hence the name "Shit On a Shingle". Also the Morse code distress signal, which you'll be using after enough time on Army chow.

These all fall into similar formula as most comfort foods; starch topped with meat in a rich sauce. Carbs, fats, proteins, lots of seasoning.

Fufu and egusi, currywurst mit pommes, poutine, donburi, shrimp and grits or red beans and rice, carbonara, loco moco; everybody has the same needs when about to do farm work, or after a good night at the bar.

This is a little weird and I don’t know if this is the right place to ask but I used to love the burgers you would get in high school. I’m sure they were just burger patties from GFS but they were so juicy! I’m sure they weren’t grilled which makes me think they were broiled/baked in an oven; maybe they were cooked in beef broth which could explain why they were so juicy. I’m sure someone has worked in a school kitchen and could provide me a little insight. I’d love to enjoy one of them again :), thanks!

I'm trying to increase the amount of vegetables I eat and I'm looking for easy go-to recipes for weekdays.

Please tell me if you've found one that works well. I used to use basic Farmer John's links but they splatter so much on the stove and recently I've found more gristly bits in them. It's so easy to make but gotta start with good sausage. Thanks!

I find it hard to get good flavor when making beef stock. How do you make your best version?

My elderly parents aren't doing too well and have resorted to eating bread for most meals. I'm chronically ill myself but really want to do something to help. I figure I can make some filling soups and oven dishes they can easily reheat. The only challenges are that my mother is vegetarian and that their palates are pretty bland (nothing spicy, nothing too complex, no exotic combinations). That said, I'm struggling for ideas beyond lentil soup, vegetarian Shepherd's pie and maybe an apple crumble for dessert. What else can I make for them?

Has anyone used a brisket instead of a chuck roast when making pot roast with potatoes/carrots? Curious how it would turn out.

How do you all actually crack your eggs?

I was taught to crack them on the edge of the bowl or pan, but I just saw someone say you should always crack them on a flat surface to avoid getting shell in your food and pushing bacteria inside.

What do you do, flat surface or edge? One hand or two, or some other way?

I know this is a bit much for such a simple question, but I might be overthinking it 🤔

I work at a medical care facility and recently the patients did a pumpkin decorating activity. There were some left so the activity coordinator gave me one.

But this thing is massive!!! I've never cooked or baked with a gourd before, and while I am aware big pumpkins aren't great for cooking I still wanna eat it somehow so it doesn't go to waste. Any recipes?

I have had a chuck tender roast in my freezer for months. I don’t know what to do with this thing. It’s taking up valuable space. I read that it’s much leaner than a normal chuck roast (which is what I meant to buy). Anyone have experience using this cut?

Thanks!

There’s a chili contest coming up at work but I don’t know how to make “American” Chili’s. The best I got is Carne en su Jugo. Could I make that and still reasonably enter the contest? Or is it best to sit this one out…
Thanks!

I’m currently in the market for a new gas range. The max I’m willing to spend is $2,000.

What brand should I be looking at?

Hey all splurged the other day as we’ve been cooking everything at home for the past few months and wife wanted a crab omelette.

Well that omelette used like maybe an oz of crab and now I have 15 oz to use up in the next few days. I’m assuming someone has a bomp crab cake or crab roll go to but any other suggestions out there?

Omelette was pretty solid - avocado - parm - chives and parsley - a bit of sour cream on top 👌

I'm going to a potluck on the weekend where I need to drive an hour to get there. What are your favourite dishes to bring when you have a long commute and/or they'll be left out at someone else's house?

Hey guys,

So, I'm a fan of hot wings, or not hot, just wings in general.

I've been trying to find a good recipe to prepare a batch of wings and freeze them in smaller proportions to have them ready to cook without having to prepare the whole rub every time I feel like eating some.

On YouTube I'm not really able to find something like I intend to do, now I'm not sure if there's a reason for that or not.

Do you guys have a process to make wings fast, or ideally to have them ready to go from freezer to the oven without any further preparation?

trying to prep some things early. can I make stuffing (really dressing, the kind not in the turkey) ahead of time and freeze it? would I bake it, let it cool, freeze- then thaw and reheat? any tips appreciated!!

Right now I’m working as a server for private events, so I’m on my feet for 8 ish hours straight with essentially no break. I get home around 12 am - 2 am and I’m beat from the non stop movement, lifting, walking, and customer service of it all.

Im trying to find meals that will be filling for before my shifts and easy meals to reheat when I get home.

Thank you!

I came across this on America's Test Kitchen site and was curious if anyone has tried it and how well it worked? I'm wondering if it will smoke a lot.

How To Clean Your Silicone Baking Mat

Follow these steps to make your silicone baking mat look as good as new. (Note: This method will not remove the brown spots that these mats acquire over time.)

1- Place baking mat on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.

2- Bake in 450-degree oven until mat no longer smokes, about 1 hour.

3- Using tongs, transfer mat to sink and wash thoroughly with soap and hot water.

4-If oily residue remains, scrub gently with Bar Keepers Friend or similar nonabrasive scrub.

We are a family of 2. We use lpg for cooking till now. But now the 14kg cylinder costs us 2400INR. I was thinking to start using induction but was worried about the electricity cost. Electricity rate here is 8.5RS/Unit.

What should I choose and if induction then which model to buy?

I eat chicken breast a lot because I go to the gym and it's a great source of protein. The problem is that I've gotten so tired of the taste from eating it so often. I usually pan-fry it with a little oil and sometimes add spices, but lately, I've been forcing myself to eat it.

Do you have any recipes or cooking methods you recommend to make chicken breast taste better? I'd love to hear your favorite recipes!

Been experimenting with roasted chicken. Trying to dial in the perfect recipe. This is the best attempt yet but needs improvement. Primarily:

1. More seasoning , including salt, so that chicken is more flavorful. I went .75% of raw weight so next time will go to 1%

2. Crispier skin. Open to feedback here from others. My steps below

3. Dry brine with overnight with salt and pepper and compound better (compound only under the skin)

4. Convection bake at 425

5. Light drizzle of olive oil

6. Bake for 45 minutes

Any others perfect a roast chicken? What was your recipe / what did you season with? How did you ensure crispy skin ?

I bought this but it’s not a classic steak cut as such. How best to cook it? It’s from the topside apparently. There’s no fat on the sides or anything like that. https://imgur.com/a/chN43y8

Thank you