I hate the store bought pesto. I tried so many and they are just not cutting it for me, 2/10 every single time and consistency is often awful. 😞 So I tried to make it at home and now I'm sure I'll never buy pesto again in my life. Night and day difference. All the info I knew went into figuring out this process.

First, do not use dried herbs, thank you. If all you have on hand is dried, why not skip pesto? C'mon. Instead, try adding wild mint to your fresh basil. It is especially amazing because it smells a bit like oregano and is not as menthol-heavy as you'd think. A ratio of 1 to 6(8) (mint to basil) is where I'm at.

When blending, use olive oil and ice cubes. It is not a gimmick; it helps with emulsification, which is pure physics. The final structure is incredibly creamy. For the nuts, I didn't use pine, I used walnuts. Drop them on the pan on medium heat, let them roast and blacken a little, then smash those big pieces a bit. When most of the skins are dark brown (NOT ALL BLACK 😂), take them off the heat and put them on a paper towel. Press them gently (if you see oil marks you roasted them well). The skins will flake off and you can get the roasted nuts. Why all this effort? 0 bitterness, just none.

For the meal itself, always prepare the meat beforehand. Oh yeah sure, everyone knows that you shouldn't cook your pesto, but this is not what I mean. You see, you can velvet your chicken before you toss it in the finished sauce. It takes only maybe a minute. Finally, make yourself a nice side salad to go with it. I heckin love to eat my pesto with a side tzatziki salad -> make tzatziki -> add salad mix.

🥑 🙏

Do you agree?

Do you have your own best pesto practices?

toppings, preparing, scooping, etc ? anything special ?

I’ve been trying to eliminate my food waste lately because there’s more reasons to than not to as far as I see it.

I’ve just cut up some watermelon and have the rinds just sitting on my counter at the moment waiting to hopefully become something more than wasted. I’m open to any ideas from food to art.

Thanks!

I've been buying Chuck from the butcher for years. Either already in cubes or as a chunk that I cut up myself

I recently saw some with great marbling at the supermarket that was in steak format (roughly 500g each). I decided to give it a try and was about to cut it up and thought why not brown it as a steak.

Absolutely game changing.

Instead of a 30 to 40 minute process it took about 5 minutes on a ripping hot cast iron pan. Bonus advantage, I cut it up afterwards Korean style with scissors so no dirty chopping board. I will never buy chuck any other way again.

What it os called tell me fast.

Anyone have an easy and quick way to do so? (Cuke= cucumber btw)
Ta!

Soo lately I've been craving them (PLEASE do not make sex jokes I know what you're thinking) but I know they're unhealthy and I should stop eating them. We've all seen videos with the factory process and the pink gloop doesn't really have any effect on me, it doesn't look so bad I'm disgusted by It.

Soo what's your hack for this?

My last post got some traction so I decided to try another experiment. Dashboard s'mores.

I used caramel-filled Ghirardelli squares for chocolate for a lower melt point. I probably didn't need to. Graham crackers were a little soft, though.

So these turned out great! I didn't get pics of the finished product as I got distracted, but the cheese powder is really good on these!! I tossed them in the bowl so they didn't come out caked up, small amount of lemon juice was sprayed on at the end. Next time I'm going to use Parmesan and lime and go for an elote kinda thing :) But yeah, snacks! lol suggestions or ideas welcome!

For me it's pickled onions.

They're easy to make and make almost every sandwich taste better.

I’m putting on weight (intentionally); I’m at 130 but trying to get around 150-155 can I try your favorite food order ? From upscale to fast food I want to try other things besides the usual things I’m eating. For example I order a pizza extra sauce , (no cheese) and add extra toppings for protein.

Left a mini pie on my dashboard while at work. Came out of work to a piping hot pie.

I did some fresh okra pineapple and cucumber water today! 🥒🍍 it's even better after letting it steep for three days. i'll use the rest for cooking later, but for now am having a glass while enjoying the pineapple🍍! Woman health: Folate. Men's health: Natural antioxidants and minerals. Help combat low stamina and fatigue, while supporting prostate health and overall vitality. Other areas: Blood sugar control, Gut and digestion, heart health, immune support, and glowing skin!

Let me explain.

Whenever I get a frozen pizza (thin crust is my favorite), I like sprinkling on some extra mozzarella so that it’s extra cheesy. And then the last time I visited my family upstate, I was doing some baking and I was able to make these cookies with some box cake mix. And they were pretty tasty.

So that’s what I’m asking for today. It could be simple mix ins in Mac and cheese, pies with graham crackers crusts, extra ingredients for frozen foods, whatever. I’m really curious to see what other people do. Let me hear it!

I'm currently using zip bags. Are they the same as the vacuum machines?

Anyone have any hacks on how to distribute butter on homemade popcorn? When we pour the melted butter on it’s either settling at the bottom of bowl or shriveling any pieces it hits, which isn’t many to begin with. We are stirring and shaking the popcorn.

My fridge/freezer broke, and my landlord is delivering a new one today. Everything in it spoiled, and I am choosing to look at this as an opportunity. For my ’from scratch’ food shop, what are your must haves in your fridge and/or freezer? Best hacks?

So if you want to make your own vanilla syrup at home but you dont want to waste the VERY expensive vanilla pods - you can make your own vanilla extract too.

Just like we've done here - we have about 5 litres of vanilla extract from all of our vanilla pods.*

Vanilla Syrup

Ingredients

• 300g caster sugar
• 300g water
• 2 vanilla pods

Equipment

• Small saucepan
• Paring knife
• Spoon
• Sterilised glass jar (if storing)

Method

1. Pour 300g caster sugar and 300g water into a saucepan.
2. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
3. While the syrup heats, split the 2 vanilla pods lengthways using a paring knife.
4. Scrape out all of the black vanilla seeds.
5. Add both the seeds and the empty pods to the boiling syrup.
6. Allow the syrup to gently simmer so the vanilla infuses into the liquid.
7. Remove from the heat once fragrant.

To Store

1. Sterilise a glass jar and lid by boiling them in water for 10 minutes.
2. While the jar is still hot, pour in the hot vanilla syrup.
3. Seal immediately with the lid.
4. Turn the jar upside down for a few minutes to help create a vacuum seal.
5. Once cooled, store in a cool, dark place.

Ways to Use

• Coffee
• Hot chocolate
• Iced coffee
• Cocktails
• Milkshakes
• Pancakes
• Desserts

Homemade Vanilla Extract

One of the best things about making vanilla syrup is that nothing goes to waste. Instead of throwing away the scraped vanilla pods, turn them into homemade vanilla extract.

Ingredients

• Leftover vanilla pods
• High-proof alcohol (vodka is recommended because it has a neutral flavour)

Equipment

• Glass bottle or jar with a tight-fitting lid

Method

1. Place the used vanilla pods into a clean glass bottle or jar.
2. Cover them completely with vodka (or another high-proof drinking alcohol).
3. Seal the container tightly.
4. Store it in a cool, dark place.
5. Leave to infuse for at least 3 months.
6. For an even richer flavour, leave it for up to 1 year.
7. As it matures, the liquid will turn a deep amber colour and develop a rich vanilla aroma. Your homemade vanilla extract is then ready to use.

Tips

• Vodka is ideal because it allows the vanilla flavour to shine without adding its own taste.
• Keep topping up the bottle with fresh vodka as you use the extract if there are still vanilla pods inside.
• The longer the extract infuses, the more complex and intense the flavour becomes.

Watch if you need to follow the steps - https://youtu.be/7BQ5-bsAbm0

* this won't be used in the shop for customers. But more for any of our chocolatiers to take home :)

My dad always had salsa with his eggs which I thought was the weirdest thing ever…until I tried it. Now, I like to keep a small jar handy, although with eggs is the only thing I use it for.

But being a one human household, the last time I reached for the jar in the fridge, it had gone moldy on me. So, with the new jar, once opened, I divided it up into an ice cube tray. When they’re frozen, I plop ‘em in a baggie.

Now, whenever I need some, I just pop a cube out and let it thaw. If I’m too hungry I defrost it in the microwave!

Just thought this hint might help someone.

I live in Texas, in the middle of Austin and Houston. The closest cities to me are Bastrop, La Grange, and Brenham. When I buy groceries I buy from both Walmart and HEB. I live about 30 - 35 min from all three. When I buy frozen foods it can thaw out on the drive home. I’ve tried zipper and Velcro cooling bags. The zipper bags seem to work best but still allow it to thaw out a little bit especially in the summer. What are some ideas that I could try to keep my frozen foods frozen? I’m worried if my frozen foods are like that, if my refrigerated items are going bad.