Tausi Insider

Photo : Africa Studio ( Shutterstock ) As the cold really settles in, we’ve been talking a lot about ways to conserve energy . We’ve also been talking about how to prepare for the big holiday season . What if we told you that you could do both? Even if you’re throwing a massive Thanksgiving or Christmas shindig, you don’t need to break the bank with the energy bill your kitchen generates. Here’s how to save energy while you’re cooking up a storm (besides getting energy- efficient appliances, that is ). Match the cookware to the meal I am guilty of using the toaster oven for literally everything I make, which takes a lot of time and is the result of pure laziness. What I didn’t consider until recently is that it’s also an effective way to waste energy, since I’m popping in one course and side at a time. According to Spark Energy , you should match the size of your cooking tools to the size of your meal to maximize efficiency. If you fry an egg in a big pan or make all your dishes i...

Photo : KHUNNINE ( Shutterstock ) Some foods keep fine in the fridge for longer than others, and whether you observe the rules of the USDA (which advises that most foods be trashed after three to four days of refrigeration) or live by the sniff-and-taste model, it’s good to be aware of when the final day is near—and nearly a week out, the end is darn well nigh for this year’s Thanksgiving leftovers. If you hate tossing leftover meats but you’ve run out of time and appetite, break out the zip top bags and reusable food storage containers and turn to the freezer. As you of course know, meats like turkey, roast ham, or prime rib all freeze well when raw, but they’re also perfectly fine for freezing after they’ve been cooked. But when you’re ready to freeze them, keep future you in mind, and make it easy for yourself to thaw the meat later. If you have a large, solid hunk of meat, break it down into serving sizes, or small slices. This ensures quick freezing, and quick thawing on t...

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Part of being a food writer is writing about things that are popular, because popularity drives clicks and clicks are what keeps the lights on, so to speak. It’s also just good service journalism. Positioning yourself as too cool or smart for the appliance that’s trendy with the masses doesn’t help anyone, not to mention it comes off as elitist. An air fryer might “just be a convection oven,” but it’s an accessible way for people who live in apartments or can’t afford to buy a new oven to get convection oven results by paying a mere $100. Anyway. This can translate into me using an appliance more often than I would if I was just cooking to eat, but sometimes that results in finding new and exciting ways to use the appliance that I wouldn’t have arrived at “naturally.” It also leads to saturation, and moving on to whatever new and shiny appliance is trending that year, for the clicks, but also to alleviate appliance burnout. That is obviously not a problem most people have, but kno...

Photo : Andrey_Popov ( Shutterstock ) Between spatchcocking birds and air frying cheesecakes this holiday season, I haven’t had much time to think about anything other than putting food inside a hot-maker, and taking it out again. It was only during a recent air frying session that I became very aware of my inability to face a kitchen disaster should one arise. Not only did it make me nearly crap my pants, but afterward, it got me thinking. As holiday parties hit full tilt, take these small kitchen safety measures to ensure 2022 ends without you soiling yourself. (Unless it’s from uncontrollable laughter.) Get a fire extinguisher Full disclosure: It was fire. My boyfriend and I nearly set our air fryer ablaze, and although it probably took four seconds to sort out, nothing slows down time like flames you can’t control. I realized that my small Brooklyn apartment would be better with a fire extinguisher. Even professionals overlook these things sometimes. Regardless of your comfo...

Photo : PandaStudio ( Shutterstock ) Gas stoves are the latest innocuous item to turn into a culture war symbol, due to rumors that they might, at some point in the future, be banned . But are gas stoves really that bad for us? Are government agents going to come and take them away? And if the health concerns are real, are we doomed? The government is not coming to take your gas stove If you’ve been paying attention to the political controversy, you may have noticed conservative figures yelling about how they are prepared to physically defend their gas ranges from government intervention. I guess some folks like the hero fantasy, where they get to imagine grabbing their guns to engage in a glorious battle over the honor of their old Maytag. But realistically, even if gas stoves were to be banned, this is not how banning works. G/O Media may get a commission Up to $100 credit Samsung Reserve Reserve the next gen Samsung device All you need to do is sign up with your email and boom...

Photo : Allie Chanthorn Reinmann S ometimes the simplest decorations make the most beautiful desserts. The naked cake really leans into a minimal attempt at frosting, and you can get away with decoratively sticking candy bars into your dessert. Here’s another decoration to add to your minimalist reper toire. I t’s elegant, extremely versatile, and requires nothing more than a vegetable peeler. Shave a chocolate bar to make chocolate curls and shavings. Using this method for decoration is as easy as powdered sugar, but with far more flavor, and a bit more drama. Plus, you can always hit it with a dusting of sugar afterward. Shavings are smaller than curls, but they’re both made in the same manner. Decide what sort of shape you want first. If you’re making small desserts, like cupcakes or individual mousses, shavings might be a better fit . If you’re decorating a spoon cake , a more pronounced curl is in order. The size of the curl is dictated by the temperature of your chocolate...

Part of being a food writer is writing about things that are popular, because popularity drives clicks and clicks are what keeps the lights on, so to speak. It’s also just good service journalism. Positioning yourself as too cool or smart for the appliance that’s trendy with the masses doesn’t help anyone, not to mention it comes off as elitist. An air fryer might “just be a convection oven,” but it’s an accessible way for people who live in apartments or can’t afford to buy a new oven to get convection oven results by paying a mere $100. Anyway. This can translate into me using an appliance more often than I would if I was just cooking to eat, but sometimes that results in finding new and exciting ways to use the appliance that I wouldn’t have arrived at “naturally.” It also leads to saturation, and moving on to whatever new and shiny appliance is trending that year, for the clicks, but also to alleviate appliance burnout. That is obviously not a problem most people have, but kno...