We have a trick from Julia Child that will completely change the way you poach eggs. And by “change,” I mean be prepared to make flawless poached eggs for the rest of your life. No exaggeration!

Even if you have a tried-and-true method, making poached eggs can be tricky. I’ve made more than my fair share, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that I make a darn good poached egg. So, it takes a lot for me to be wowed by tips in this department. Though, I suppose if there was anyone capable of that, it was bound to be Julia Child.

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Hey there, Kitchn friends! We’re thinking of getting our hands dirty in the kitchen with a podcast. (I mean, everyone else is doing it.) As we’ve batted ideas around, though, we knew we had to do the obvious thing and ask you all first.

If The Kitchn had a podcast, what would you like to hear?

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How To Make a French Omelette

When you first start cooking it’s natural and tempting to work on the beautiful, complicated recipes you see in fancy cookbooks. What you soon discover, however, is that cooking has a lot of building blocks. Your favorite chicken tikka masala recipe, for instance, will benefit from you having previously made a simple dish of chicken thighs. So, let’s start with essentials!

Here’s what we think everyone should cook before they reach the age of 30. How many things have you made off this list?

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Julia Child’s recreated kitchen at The Smithsonian.

In 1976 Julia Child wrote an essay for Architectural Digest about her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In it she called her kitchen “the beating heart and social center of the household … both practical and beautiful, a working laboratory as well as a living and dining room.” Sounds so lovely, right?

We — as her humble servants, now and forever — can’t get enough of her kitchen either. Over the years Julia’s famous pegboard has gotten a lot of attention, but there’s so much to learn from the rest of the kitchen, too! From how she set it up and the amazing way she labeled her utensil crocks, to the copycat paint color we found for those iconic blue-green cabinets, here are five other things to know about Julia Child’s kitchen.

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I developed this recipe specifically for those times when I’m dining solo. It’s not that it can’t be expanded to feed two or more, but I like the fact that it is my special, alone-time treat. It is truly one of my favorite meals: good, basic, hearty eating that fills me up and makes me ready for whatever life is throwing my way. It’s suitable for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I am very happy to share it with you today.

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The Joy of Cooking, 1975 Edition by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker

This week I’ll be digging around my cookbook shelves to unearth hidden tips from older and vintage cookbooks. When doing my research, I spent the most time with my 1975 edition of The Joy of Cooking which has always been a favorite. This deep dive really reminded me just how relevant (and even surprisingly hip) The Joy still is.

Here are five ways this classic book will still rock your kitchen.

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Sparkling rosé wine is my choice over and over in the spring and summer, for both casual sipping and for sangrias. This week I chose a demi-sec rosé champagne. Demi-sec translates to “half dry,” which is another way of saying “semi-sweet,” so expect a little inherent sweetness here. That touch of sweetness also makes rosé perfect for an icy pitcher drink.

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With more sunshine, my end-of-day goal is to spend a few moments putzing in my garden. This means dinner consists of simple recipes, served with easy but delicious drinks, like smashes. These smashes make up a whole new world of cocktails with endless options for muddling, mixing, and of course sipping. This one is just perfect for today’s 10-Minute Happy Hour.

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I’m a little too young to remember the 1950s, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pine for the aesthetic of the mid-century diner. My kitchen lacks the iconic black-and-white checkered floor, but I have been pining after a hand-lettered wall sign commanding all who enter to “eat.” While you can find updated versions online, these signs don’t come at 1950s prices anymore.

It seemed unreasonable to spend so much on what amounts to little more than scrap wood and a coat of paint, so I took on the challenge of making one myself.

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If you’re so fortunate as to have a dishwasher in your house or apartment, then you want to make sure it’s always performing at its peak.

From the right way to load your dishwasher, to the simplest way to banish stinky smells, to some other surprising facts, here are 10 things every dishwasher-owner should know.

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