Hot Sauces & Dips How-Tos
How To: Make classic Italian marinara sauce for seafood
Marinara comes from the word marine which means it is a sauce for seafood. Many people like just marinara sauce on pasta without any seafood. This is an easy and fast recipe to prepare.
How To: Make a hearty spaghetti sauce
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a hearty spaghetti sauce. First, pour some chopped onions and diced green pepper into a skillet with olive oil. After this, add in a chopped red bell pepper in with the mix. Let this saute for 5-10 minutes covered over medium low heat. You can tell when it's done because the onions will be clear. From here, add in your meat to the pan and then break it up with a spatula. Cook this down and then add in tomato paste after draining the oils from the pan. Le...
How To: Make cranberry sauce from scratch for Thanksgiving
In this Thanksgiving day guide, we learn how to prepare fresh cranberry sauce from scratch. You'll need cranberries, orange rinds, brown sugar and water. It's as simple as that. For a complete recipe, and to get started making your own fresh cranberry sauce, watch this free video cooking lesson.
How To: Make simple vanilla whipped cream and maple whipped cream
Thanksgiving is coming up in a matter of weeks, which no doubt means you'll be consuming lots of pumpkin pie. And while pumpkin pie is heavenly on its own, adding a dollop of whipped cream on top makes it simply godly. But don't waste your time on those yucky whipped cream cans you can buy at the store.
How To: Prepare fresh salsa with jalapeno peppers and cilantro
Move over ketchup; salsa is officially America's favorite new condiment. This is great news, since salsa has infinitely less fat, calories, and bad artificial gunk than ordinary ketchup.
How To: Make homemade strawberry sauce for ice cream and cheesecake
We know the easy thing to do when you desire a fruit topping for your ice cream or dessert is to run to the store and purchase that squeeze bottle of strawberry "jam." But with all the gnarly chemicals and high fructose corn syrup that composes most of these toppings, you're probably getting more artificial gunk than actual strawberries.
How To: Make a buffalo wing dip
In this tutorial, we learn how to make a buffalo wing dig. This is to be baked in a 9x13 baking dish. You will need: 2 packages cream cheese, hot wing sauce, blue cheese dressing, 3 celery stalks, 2 c your choice cheese, and 2 c chopped boiled chicken. Combine all of these ingredients together in a large mixing bowl After this, pour into your baking dish and add more cheese to the top. Bake this in the oven until golden brown on the top and enjoy! To make another dip, you will need: 2 c chees...
How To: Make homemade spaghetti sauce
In this video, we learn how to make homemade spaghetti sauce. This uses ground turkey instead of meat. First, chop up a small onion and turn your pot on high. Fill it with 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and the diced onions. Next, add in 1 tbsp garlic shallot puree. Then, add in 1 tbsp dried basil leaves crushed up with your fingers. Then, add in 1 tbsp dried oregano and your ground turkey meat. Then, add in 1/3 c sherry wine and then 2 cans of organic crushed tomatoes. Let this simmer and mix...
How To: Prepare a spicy Arrabbiata sauce for pasta
Arrabiata sauce, of Roman origin, is a tomato sauce seasoned with garlic and red chili. It's tangy and spicy all at once, which means you can whip the sauce up and toss it onto any type of pasta for a taste explosion.
How To: Make thick turkey gravy with flour and corn starch
The quality of the turkey you roast in the oven on Thanksgiving day is tantamount to how successful your Thanksgiving table will be - turkey is, after all, the center of the celebration for most families (unless, of course, you're going the tofurky route).
How To: Make delicious syrup with apple cider, cinnamon, brandy and brown sugar
Turn your apple cider into a delicious syrup with a little cinnamon, brandy and brown sugar. This apple cider syrup can be used in a variety of recipes. Add it to maple cream cheese icing for pumpkin whoopie pies and even use it in cocktails that need a hint of sweetness. Experiment with it in anything that asks for the feel-good flavor of apples.
How To: Make a vegan-style Italian pesto sauce
Pesto is a great sauce for things like pasta, pita bread or spinach salad, making it a healthy addition for any lunch or dinner meal. In this video, you'll learn a recipe for an Italian pesto sauce, vegan-style. It's made from fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and cilantro, and is best served fresh. It's delicious and easy to make.
How To: Make caramel sauce at home
In this tutorial, we learn how to make caramel sauce at home. First, pour some sugar and water into a large saucepan. Turn on the heat and then wait for the reaction between them to begin. The sugar and water should start to boil, then put the lid on for two minutes and then take it off. After this, boil for 5-10 more minutes until it gets darker. After this, you will need to stir in the butter and the cream. Once both of these are completely combined, you will pour into a dish and let the ca...
How To: Make an authentic alfredo sauce
In this tutorial, we learn how to make an authentic alfredo sauce. First, you will want to add some soft butter into a bowl and break it apart. Then, mix in some grated cheese (your choice) and mix together until you have a creamy paste. Once this is a paste, add in your cooked pasta and mix everything together until the pasta is coated. Add in some of the pasta water to the bowl if you would like, then add in the vegetables to the dish. You can season this with some more seasonings if you wo...
How To: Make apple butter cream sauce
In this video, we learn how to make apple butter cream sauce. Start out by adding one piece of butter to a skillet and letting it melt. Then, add in some shallots to the skillet and saute them for a minute. Next, add in some white wine to the skillet and let it reduce. Then spoon in some apple butter to the skillet and continue to simmer and mix together. Next, add in some heavy cream and finish off with adding in some more butter. Melt this all together, then when finished you can pour over ...
How To: Make delicious guacamole dip
Skinny and Mini teach us how to make delicious guacamole dip in this video. First, take a ripe avocado and scoop the middle out into a bowl. After this, use a fork to mash up the avocados and get rid of the big pieces. Now, take some onions, tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, and any other types of items you want for the dip and cut them up into small pieces. Now, throw them all inside the bowl and mix everything up together. When finished, pour this into a serving dish and enjoy with chips or a de...
How To: Make gravy with a quick and easy recipe
In this tutorial, we learn how to make gravy with a quick and easy recipe. First, grab a 1/2 stick of butter and melt it in a saucepan. After this, turn the heat down to medium and add three spoonfuls of flour. Stir this together until well combined, smashing out any lumps. Now, add 1 c of chicken broth by slowly stirring into the saucepan. Wait for this to heat up, then spoon out 1 c of drippings out of whatever meat you have cooked. Once your saucepan mixture has gotten thicker, slowly stir...
How To: Thicken your gravy
Did you make a gravy for your holiday feast or just your usual dinner but it came out a little watery? Well there's a way to get it to thicken up using things such as cornmeal, a few gingersnaps, or other things! In this video you will get tips on how to thicken your watery gravy and make your feast that much better!
How To: Make guacamole from scratch
In this tutorial, we learn how to make guacamole from scratch. First, take an avocado and scoop the middle out into a mixing bowl. After this, finely chop up an onion and have someone else mash up the avocado in the bowl with a fork. Now, chop up a tomato into small pieces, then add into the bowl. After this, squeeze fresh lime juice into the mix and then chop up a jalapeno pepper, taking out all the seeds. Add in some garlic salt to the bowl, then mix everything together until it's combined....
How To: Make tart and tangy southern-style tartar sauce
Serving fish tonight? Then you're going to need some tartar sauce, but not just any tartar sauce— tart and tangy tartar sauce. You can't buy this stuff in the grocery store! Betty shows you this sauce recipe that goes great with a catfish dinner.
How To: Make Your Instant Gravy Taste Like Homemade
If you've gotten the store-bought instant gravy as a way to save time but have found that the taste just isn't up to what you'd really like it to be, there's still a way to get that savory homemade taste with just a few extra ingredients! In this video, you will learn how to combine things such as mushrooms, sherry, and other great things to make a great-tasting gravy!
How To: Prepare garlic flavored butter in minimal time
Butter by itself is like a recipe cure-all, making everything from chicken to layer cakes taste magnificently rich and creamy. So imagine what butter flavored with garlic could do.
How To: Make garbanzo bean and tahini hummus
Hummus is one of those rare foods that are both delicious and healthy. It's made mostly of beans and tahini, which means it's packed with belly blasting fiber and lots of antioxidants, which deccelerate the aging process.
How To: Make creme fraiche (sour cream) with two recipes
Sour cream makes just about anything taste good. What would baked potatoes be without it, or tortillas for that matter? We personally cannot live without this creamy, fluffy, sour confection.
How To: Make an interesting jam with lavender sugar
When we think of jam, we usually think of luscious, thick strawberry or raspberry preserves, made rich and saccharine with loads of molasses or table sugar. But did you know you can actually add other interesting ingredients to your jams, including herbs and spices?
How To: Make three different flavored herb and olive oil dips for bread
Most people only really ever see bread dips at a restaurant, but hey are easy to make and give your meals a very professional flair. Watch this video to learn how to make three different easy herb and olive oil bread dips that will wow your dinner guests.
How To: Make crab dip with Dijon mustard and lemon juice
We don't think it's even possible to resist crab dip. Usually we try to eat healthy and go for the hummus, but when there's crab dip around we swear we're compelled by some mysterious force to head in that direction and gobble up the bowl before anyone else has a shot at it.
How To: Make a healthy, vegan salad dressing
Just because you're vegan, doesn't mean you have to substitute flavor with drab foods. Remember mayonnaise? Well, it can be substituted with something called Vegenaise, a vegan mayo substitute, perfect for potato salads. And for your southern-style greens cooked with pot liquor, you can substitute the meats with simple chipotle chili and smoked jalapeño peppers.
How To: Cook Béchamel white sauce with milk and flour
Bechamel white sauce is one of the most often used in French cooking, and is in fact considered one of the mother sauces of French cuisine since it's used as a base for other sauces like Mornay sauce. Best of of, Bechamel sauce is extremely easy to prepare.
How To: Make flavored homemade butter with cilantro and shallots
As Paula Deen has taught us time and time again, butter makes everything taste better, even air. And no dish is done until you've tossed a pound of lard or a stick or two of butter into the mix.
How To: Make interesting burgers by using alternative toppings
When you think of burgers you probably picture a bun topped with a beef patty, ketchup, mayo, lettuce, and a slice of tomato, but there are so many different types of burger toppings you can try that you've probably never thought of!
How To: Pan Baste Any Food to Add Moisture and Flavor
From Thanksgiving turkeys to grilled chicken, basting helps add incomparable moisture, tenderness, and flavor to any dish. So if you've never basted before and would like to experience the oily awesomeness that is basted food, check out this food video for a tutorial using chicken and melted butter as an example.
How To: Make cumin-spiced homemade refried pinto beans
Mexican food (triple cheese enchiladas topped with avalanches of sour cream aside) is some of the healthiest in the world thanks to the generous usage of tomatoes, hot sauce, spices, and other veggies.
How To: Make Indian-style black-eyed pea dip with baked pita chips
If guacamole and salsa are starting to wear you out, it's time to bring on the peas. Cowpeas, that is, but we all know them as black-eyed peas. Chef Madhu Gadia gives her Indian recipe for this delicious black-eyed pea dip, perfect for potlucks or parties. Preparation is as simple as simmering canned black-eyed peas with aromatic Indian spices for 10 minutes. Easy, healthy and delicious. Plus, the pita chips are easy to bake!
How To: Make orange plum tomatoes salsa with Me Gusta
Orange plum tomatoes are sweeter than your average red tomato, which make them a sweet treat to put into salsa. Summer's coming to an end soon so celebrate the last waning days of warm weather and ripe, succulent food by making this pluout, or plum tomato, salsa with Me Gusta.
How To: Make a traditional pesto sauce
Pesto sauce is a staple of Italian cooking and makes any type of pasta taste fantastic. But instead of going to your neighborhood Olive Garden, make it yourself at home! Just make sure you have a food processor lying around! In this video, chef Jason Hill shows you how to make a traditional pesto sauce from the Cinque Terre region. He will show you how to harvest and toast the pine nuts and shows you how he uses his food processor to create the sauce. Bon Appetite!
How To: Make a basic roux with butter and flour
In cooking, a Roux is used to add thickening to either a soup or a sauce and are a crucial base to both for certain recipe's such as a gumbo sauce or a Alfredo/cheese sauce. In this video you will learn how to make a basic roux to get started with melting butter in a pan and stirring in equal parts flour.
How To: Make a delicious homemade tartar sauce perfect for fried seafood
You can't have fried fish without the tartar sauce! For that matter, you can't have fried any-seafood without tartar sauce. So, if you want to whip up a batch of your favorite fried clams or shrimp, let Chef Keith Pooler shows you the recipe for a just-spicy-enough tartar sauce that pairs perfectly with anything fried - fish, shrimp or potatoes. Keith starts with a mayonnaise base, then adds chopped pickles, onions and Worcestershire. Sriracha chili sauce gives a little touch of heat that goe...
How To: Make your own butter from heavy cream
You can buy heavy cream or whipping cream at the grocery store, and then mix it in an electric mixer at home. Set your mixer to medium high (and make sure you've set up a shield of plastic wrap to protect against spatter!) and mix for five minutes. Then pour and drain, and you've got homemade butter!
How To: Render regular butter into clarified butter
Before watching this video, we thought there was only one type of butter: The kind you buy in sticks or in plastic containers at the grocery store and toss into all your foods for extra flavor. But apparently butter is a much more complex foodstuff than we thought.