When my daughter Sadie turned nine, she asked if she could have a weekly cooking night. Thursday nights became Sadie’s territory, and as is our habit, I knew we’d work out the details as we went.
When Sadie plans her dinner menu, she always includes dessert. This is her favorite chocolate cake, adapted from a recipe from one of the first books she took into the kitchen, Mollie Katzen’s Honest Pretzels.
In the United States, one in seven people struggles with hunger, and many rely on food from local food banks to help feed their families. The holiday season is an especially difficult time to live with food insecurity — that is, not knowing when you will get your next meal — and many of us think about making food donations to local food banks at this time of year.
But what types of donations help most? And what kinds of food should you avoid donating? I spoke with representatives from food banks around the U.S. to find out the best ways to help hungry families in your community.
Who: Tucker Pecan Company
What: Southern Pecans
Where: Montgomery, Alabama
For more than 60 years, Montgomery’s Tucker Pecan Company has been providing people all over the South and the country with premium pecans and pecan products. It all begins with a bright-green orb hanging from a tree branch.
When it’s time to clean out the fridge, it’s minestrone day. Minestrone is a soup of scraps, and because the recipe is infinitely changeable depending on what you have, it’s also a soup of the moment.
From now until the end of the year, our homes can feel like one giant swinging door, with family and friends shuffling in and out for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and holiday parties. If you’re hosting, you have to think about cooking, cleaning, and those little things that make guests feel awesome. That’s a lot to handle — which is why realizing at the last minute that you’re out of toilet paper is enough to send even the calmest host over the edge. (I believe “ARGH!” is the going phrase at that point.)
I know I’m never going to be able to plan for every possible contingency, but at least I can be somewhat prepared by stocking up on these five things now.
Who: Tucker Pecan Company
What: Southern Pecans
Where: Montgomery, Alabama
In 1952 Monroe Tucker started selling in-shell pecans alongside fresh produce at a curb stand in Montgomery, Alabama, writing the first lines of Tucker Pecan Company’s “nutty” story.
No matter how long you’ve done it or how many different people you’ve lived with over the years, sharing storage space is one of the most challenging parts of living with roommates. The refrigerator can be especially tricky territory.
If you’re currently navigating a roommate refrigerator situation, here’s some advice on how to keep it organized and keep the peace.
Want an easy way to up your weeknight dinner routine?
Take two heavy hitters in your weekly rotation, chicken and pasta, and bring them together for one meal that’s cozy and satisfying. From pasta bakes and casseroles, to a ragù and skillet meals, dinnertime is about to get even more delicious with these 14 chicken pasta recipes that will leave everyone with happy stomachs.
We don’t normally get caught up in the world of celebrity here on The Kitchn, but when so many of the rich and famous have stellar kitchens, it’s hard to resist taking a peek inside their homes.
Here’s a look at a few of our favorite celebrity kitchens. Consider it your Monday midmorning escape.
When I invite friends over for dinner, I always swear to myself I’ll have dinner all ready and the kitchen cleaned up when they arrive, but more often than not, we drink our first glass of wine together while I’m still working at the stove and shoving dishes in the sink. Unless, that is, I remember to pull out this recipe. Then I’ve got dinner in the oven and I’ve had time to clean up before they even walk in the door.
