Lauren Bennett

Yes, you can use margarine instead of butter for cookies in a 1:1 substitution ratio by volume. Margarine works as a direct swap in most cookie recipes, but expect noticeable differences in the final batch: cookies tend to spread more, bake up softer and cakier, and carry a milder flavor than those made with butter. … Read more

You’re halfway through brining the chicken, reach into the fridge, and there is no buttermilk. It happens to every home cook. The good news: you have several solid buttermilk substitutes for fried chicken hiding in your kitchen right now, and I have tested each one to see which actually delivers that signature tang, tender bite, … Read more

Strong coffee means a bolder, more intense flavor in your cup, not necessarily more caffeine. Bitterness creeps in when water sits with the grounds too long, gets too hot, or works through a too-fine grind. That is the whole game in one sentence. At our restaurant, we have pulled thousands of espresso shots, brewed countless … Read more

You should rest a brisket for at least 1 hour before slicing it, though 2 to 4 hours gives noticeably better results. With proper insulation in a cooler or Cambro, you can extend that rest to 6 or even 8 hours without drying the meat out. After fifteen years of smoking briskets at home and … Read more

We’ve pulled 14-hour briskets off the smoker and bitten into something that tasted like a dirty ashtray. It’s one of the most deflating moments in low-and-slow cooking, and the worst part is that why your smoked meat is coming out bitter almost always comes down to the same handful of fixable mistakes. After a few … Read more

To reverse sear a thick steak at home, you cook it slowly in a low oven (225 to 275 degrees F) until it is about 10 to 15 degrees F below your target doneness, then finish it with a 60 to 90 second sear in a screaming-hot cast iron skillet. This gives you edge-to-edge even … Read more