Choose the best pan for your favorite dessert. Here are a few tips on choosing the best Bundt pan. The Secret To Baking The Best Bundt Cake Choose the right pan for your baking project. Credit:Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox These features are important in baking a cake that releases cleanly from the pan. Avoid:Glass Bundt pans, as they do not conduct heat as well. Best:Aluminum pans are the best, since they conduct heat well....

Blanching vegetables is your ticket to fast, flavorful side dishes. Blanching is one of my favorite tricks for getting the most out of those fresh vegetables. It’s a low-effort process that’s worth every second of the scant handful of minutes it takes. Credit:Photo by: Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Why Bother With Blanching Vegetables? For fruits like peaches and tomatoes (yes,tomatoes are a fruit! ), blanching is a quick way to peel them (more on that below)....

Five steps to baking the perfect piecrust. There’s never a wrong time to make pie. Summer means fruit pies, lots offruit pies. Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee And no holiday is complete without a dessert table full ofdecadent favorites. What Is Blind Baking? “Blind baking” is the term for baking a piecrust before you add anything to the crust. Credit:Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless...

Nothing says summer like fresh corn on the cob. Read on to learn how to boil sweet corn to perfection. Plus, find out how long to boil corn so it remains tender and juicy. Credit: Emily Laurae/Southern Living Look for bright green husks that are tightly wrapped around the corn. If they are slightly damp, all the bettera little moisture signifies freshness. Avoid any husks that have holes, which indicate that insects have taken some bites....

Whether you’re prepping potato salad or pierogi, perfectly boiled potatoes will make your dish shine. Emily Laurae Boiling potatoes couldn’t be easier. It just takes potatoes, water, and lots of salt. Credit:Emily Laurae It’s as easy asmaking pasta, and the tender, perfectly boil potatoes are loaded with possibilities. you’ve got the option to even use them to make potato chips! If you have a vegetable brush, now is its time to shine....

But there’s a better way. it’s possible for you to even use boiled mashed potatoes to makesweet potato pound cake. The process is exactly the same: How To Boil Sweet Potatoes 1. Credit:Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Peel and cut Peel the skin from the sweet potato and cut it into similarly sized chunks or cubes. This ensures they will cook evenly, with no tough spots. Add a generous pinch of salt....

Learn to master the classic French braid, and 6 more braid types. It’s never too late tohop on the braid train. IG @thisislaurendavis Basic Braid Getty Images/Tatiana Maksimova A basic braid needs to come first. Credit:IG @thisislaurendavis Secure with an elastic and behold your basic braid. Continue doing this until you’ve reached the nape of your neck. From there, finish the length of your hair with a classic braid technique....

One technique many cooks use to guarantee a juicy, flavorful cut of meat is brining. If you don’t know how to brine a ham, no worries. Why Brine Ham? Credit:Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Brining was originally used to preserve meat and fish before reliable refrigeration. Unlike a marinade, the purpose of brine is to tenderize and moisturize, not add flavor. What’s In A Brine? In its simplest form, brine is salt and water....

With a little extra preparation, your Thanksgiving turkey will come out tender and flavorful. Even the simplest brine coaxes flavor from and add moisture to a reluctant turkey. Learn how to brine a turkey. Credit:Editor: Hunter Lewis, Photo Editor: Paden Reich, Art Director: Bob Perino, Prop Stylist: Buffey Hergett Miller, Food Stylist: Marian Cairns. What Should You Brine Your Turkey In? Turkeys can be big, and there aren’t a lot of vessels that make brining a turkey easy!...

Once you know how to brown butter, you’ll find plenty of reasons to use it. Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox We are firm believers that every good recipe starts with butter. This gentle toasting and caramelization releases a game-changing flavor profile that adds depth and richness to your recipe. Credit:Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Learn how to brown butter. It is a simple process, so lets get started!...

Our most celebrated dishes include shrimp, fromshrimp and gritsand seafood boils to our popularShrimp Etouffee. Let’s face it, Southerners loveshrimp. It’s crucial to choose a high-quality and cost-effective shrimp when it’s the star of the dish. Credit: Caitlin Bensel Let’s break down each label and what it means to you. Shrimp Buying Basics Shrimp is available at your local grocery store in the frozen section. Forgo bags with freezer burn or covered in ice, affecting taste and texture....

Its easier than you think to enjoy this delicious Southern delicacy. If you’ve never cooked fresh blue crabs, it might seem a bit intimidating. Once cooked, however, the shells turn vibrant shades of red and orange. Credit: VW Pics / Getty Images Blue crab seasongenerally runs from April to November, depending on the region. Never buy or cook dead crabs. How they are labeled (and priced) will depend on the seller....

Watch this Southern bloom put on a colorful show throughout the summer. When a homeowner stumbles upon a landscaping problem,hydrangeasare always a trusty solution. Looking for an essential Southern flower to bring a garden to life? Credit: Getty Images Wanting alow-maintenance perennial shrubthat thrives in full sun? Hoping to boost curb appeal with colorful, heat-tolerant blooms? There’s a whole lot to love about the South’s favorite flower. They’re also winter-hardy and provide color through fall....