Baking basics: Make your own all-purpose baking mix (and use it to make these fluffy pancakes)

March 23, 2020 NOELLE CARTER

I came up with this all-purpose baking mix to compliment my camp cooking, but it also works perfectly at home, whether cooking pancakes or waffles, scones, biscuits, dumplings and more. This recipe is simple and versatile, requires no refrigeration, and only needs a bit of water to activate, and a touch of oil for richness.

Kitchen hacks: Make your own sriracha sauce

June 18, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Homemade sriracha-style hot sauce. (Noelle Carter)

Love sriracha sauce? If you’re a fan like me, you probably put the stuff on everything (I even add it to salads). Spicy but sweet, with just the right amount of tang, just a small drizzle of the bright red sauce jolts even the most mundane dishes with a little extra personality.

Kitchen tip: Roasted garlic 101 (and use it to make this hummus recipe)

April 25, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Roasted garlic hummus with baked flatbread chips. (Noelle Carter)

While you can find roasted cloves at the store, but the flavor pales in comparison to what you can easily make at home. The method is simple: Cut the top of the pointy tip off a head of garlic (no peeling necessary!), then lightly drizzle a little olive oil over the exposed cloves, along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic head in a sheet of aluminum foil and roast at 325 degrees until the cloves are softened and aromatic, 40 minutes to an hour. That’s it.

Kitchen tip: Anatomy of a chef's knife (and how to hold one like a pro)

April 23, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Anatomy of a chef’s knife. (Noelle Carter)

A chef’s knife is one of the most common tools found in the kitchen. But not all cooks are familiar with the various parts of the knife, or even how to hold one. Learning the basic anatomy of the knife — and how to handle it like a pro — will up your game in the kitchen, and keep you safer in the process.

The only hard-boiled egg recipe you'll ever need

April 19, 2019 NOELLE CARTER

Perfect hard-boiled eggs. (Noelle Carter)

There are endless methods for making hard-boiled eggs — even a simple online search will turn up countless options. All of which can make the whole exercise frustrating and leave you wondering, which method should I trust? Years ago, when I worked for a high-end restaurant group in Los Angeles, I hard-boiled dozens of eggs a week. There was one method I used, and it’s never failed me: