Last year for Christmas, Jason bought me an Instant Pot, and I have been using it regularly, but every single time I have to look up how to do x in an Instant Pot. So here are some of the things I regularly make all handy dandy here on NMB. Making these basics in the…
Category: Tips
Stir Fry Secrets
We do stir frys on the regular, but in the last year or so I’ve learned a couple of secrets that have dramatically upped my stir fry game. Apparently it’s all in the method. 1) Velvet the chicken*–this is the biggest game changer 2) Have everything ready to go, including meat and vegetables chopped and…
A New Method for Hard-Cooked Eggs + Natural (Easter) Egg Dyes
We have recently become enamored with hard-cooked eggs. I say “hard-cooked” instead of “hard-boiled” because I have had mixed luck trying various methods that promise the perfect hard-boiled egg, but I recently came across a method for cooking eggs in the oven that I was really pleased with. The method is originally from Alton Brown,…
Make-Ahead Baking
This is so brilliant — and so simple — I can hardly stand it (and I wish I could find the article that sparked the idea to give credit where credit is due. Genius woman out there in the blogosphere, I salute you!): mix the dry ingredients for your favorite baked goods and store in…
Tip on Double-Boiling
“It could be curtains or dishes or a [beat] double-boiler!” This was my one solo line in the 7th grade Exploratory Music course’s short recital. Anyone know the name of the show tune it comes from? Does anybody have a double-boiler hanging out in their cupboards anymore? I have an old scratched one I’m a…
Freezing your own spinach
In Japan, there are often small farming plots throughout the city, intermixed with houses and businesses. Most of them are rice paddies, but in our neighborhood, there are quite a few produce fields. About five blocks away is a really nice, little shed that holds the produce of that particular plot of land — we’ve…
Regarding Chicken
A lot of people seem to love the chicken I make, whether it’s grilled or fried or whatever. Here’s the secret, though it’s not one for any of the hypochondriacs out there: I simply undercook it. Not by a lot mind you, but if you cook chicken too long, it — surprise! — gets tough…
