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Posts published in “Kitchen Tips and Tricks”

Homemade vegetable stock

Homemade vegetable stockBrowse recipes, menu ideas and more From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

For me, cooking always makes the house smell wonderful and "homey." There are few things I love more than making big batch recipes, tackling a culinary project like making homemade pasta, or baking something special on the weekend.

Making homemade stock is a tradition I love around Thanksgiving, when I make stock from leftover turkey bones plus aromatics (different vegetables and herbs) in an attempt to use every part of the turkey after our family meal is finished, freezing a few quarts to use later in the winter for warming, flavorful soups. I just let it simmer as I cook other things, do chores, or other activities around the house and it turns into a golden, flavorful liquid.

Homemade stock is definitely like a culinary perfume for the house and really useful to have, at any time. It is a relaxing cooking project for any time of the year, like on a lazy Sunday morning or afternoon in the middle of winter.

Stock is a basic recipe that every homecook should know, and there are a few ways that it can be done.

Use it up! Chipotle in adobo sauce

Use it up! Chipotle in adobo sauceBrowse recipes, menu ideas and more From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

I always have at least one, if not multiple, cans of chipotle in adobo in my pantry. I use it in my chili, both the adobo sauce and the whole peppers, which I just add whole or slightly mash, and they end up cooking down nicely. After, I am sometimes left with half a can that I don't know what to do with.

If this sounds familiar, whatever you do, don't throw it away! Continue reading for a few quick ideas to use, now and later.

Kitchen time savers (Part 2)

Kitchen time savers (Part 2)Browse recipes, menu ideas and more From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

From big-batch cooking on the weekends, to "pantry raid" recipes for fast weeknight meals, it only takes a glance through some of my past posts to know that I'm not one to turn my nose up at a time-saving trick when it comes to making meals. Here, I'm sharing a series of a few time-savers that I've turned to often.

Search #timesavers for more helpful tricks and tips!

Kitchen time savers (Part 1)

Kitchen time savers (Part 1)Kitchen time savers From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

From big-batch cooking on the weekends, to "pantry raid" recipes for fast weeknight meals, it only takes a glance through some of my past posts to know that I'm not one to turn my nose up at a time-saving trick when it comes to making meals. Here, I'm sharing a series of classic time-savers that I've turned to often.

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks and shortcuts! For quick weeknight dinners, also search for #pantryraid.

Finally crossing off a food “bucket list” item: Homemade pasta

Finally crossing off a food “bucket list” item: Homemade pasta

This is not a sponsored post or endorsement made in coordination with or paid by any of the brands or individuals mentioned here. 

You may remember that for a few consecutive years, I made a list of 3-5 goals that I called "Foodie Resolutions." It seemed like a fun idea at the time, but I tried and for the most part failed to complete them all within the course of the year.

I guess getting laid off and looking for a job while completing an MBA, then finding a job, then going back to my old job may have had something to do with it. (That, of course, is just a brief recap. Yikes. Reflecting on that time makes me think, "what a long, strange trip it's been," to quote Jerry Garcia.)

The overachiever perfectionist living inside of me was heartbroken. As much as I like setting goals and making lists—with color-coding and symbols for emphasis, Post-Its on the page added for extra notes about the lists, and all—I love crossing things off my lists more.

That's why writing this recap...

My final foodie goals verdict for 2016 was 2 for 5, and the two that I knocked off my list were making homemade kombucha and aioli. Pasta was a big ol' fail, though—I didn't get to it in time.

...which I updated just over three years ago, August 2017, kind of sucked. At the time, I also set a few goals for the remainder of 2017 that I wanted to try to accomplish. With four months left in the year at that point, that was also a big "F" for me. Womp, womp.

Today, I'm happy to say that, although I'm several years late, a quarantine task that Dave and I completed this year was to finally make homemade pasta!

It's true—it finally happened! And we made it again recently, too—with photos and video to prove it!

Spicing-up take out: Chinese

Spicing-up take out: ChineseSee a quick sauce for Spicing up Chinese takeout From Anna's Kitchen (www.fromannaskitchen.com)

What's that one thing you really crave when a food craving hits? Pick your poison: savory or sweet. Maybe it's a really decadent chocolate dessert? Or a fresh, piping hot pizza with all of your favorite toppings?

You know that feeling of having a craving that just needs to be satisfied. A desire for something, you can practically taste whatever it is. Sometimes, the end result is amazing. Other times?

One of the worst food-related things that can probably happen in my opinion is having a craving for something, finally eating it, and having it be an epic fail. Talk about a letdown!

This happened to me recently with Chinese food. Dave and I try not to get take-out food too often, since it's expensive and not always the healthiest. But one night recently, neither of us felt like turning on a stove, firing up the grill, cutting seemingly endless amounts of produce, or doing anything for dinner other than picking up a fork (or chopsticks) and calling it a day. I ordered shrimp with broccoli, no sauce, and I couldn't wait to eat it after not having it in a while.  

Granted, it came without sauce, but on the first bite... something wasn't right. It didn't taste bad, i.e. spoiled, but it didn't hit the spot. Added a little soy—still not right. 

Then, the lightbulb went off in my head: make a quick sauce. Soy sauce needed some help from its friends ginger and garlic if there was any hope to save this dish.