Cooking Exceptionally With Gin Lee

Old Dried Beans? Use Baking Soda to Help Soften Them You’ve soaked dried beans, simmered them for hours, and they’re still firm. Before tossing the pot, check the beans: old dried beans may still be usable, and baking soda can help soften them. But the result depends on how the beans were stored, what kind you’re cooking, and how hard your water is. A small amount of baking soda may speed softening, but it can also affect flavor and texture. Use it with care, inspect the beans first, and cook them thoroughly. Age alone doesn’t mean a bag belongs in the trash. Why Old Dried Beans Can Stay Hard Age can affect how beans cook Dried beans can become harder to cook as they sit in storage. Researchers call this the “hard-to-cook” phenomenon: under some conditions, beans take much longer to soften, even after soaking. It can happen with older beans, but age alone doesn’t guarantee a problem. Heat and humidity can speed quality loss. A bag stored for years in a warm, damp cupboard may cook less...

How Much Does It Cost to Make a Cheeseburger in 2026? Compare Your Burger With Past Years A homemade cheeseburger costs about $3.20 in ingredients in 2026, based on a standard 4-ounce beef patty and retail grocery prices. A restaurant may spend about $5.00 to $5.50 to produce a similar burger after adding labor, packaging, utilities, waste, and overhead. The customer may pay $7 to $12 for the burger alone, or $10 to $16 as part of a meal. The phrase “cost to make” can describe three different numbers: ingredient cost, full restaurant production cost, or the final menu price. This comparison uses a consistent homemade burger basket, then adds a separate restaurant cost model. The 2026 figures are estimates because August 2026 does not provide a completed annual average. The true cost of making a cheeseburger depends on the expenses included A cheeseburger is a useful inflation case study because it combines farm goods, factory-made food, labor, transport, energy, and rent. Beef follows ...

The Unsung Hero of Comfort Food: Mastering Classic Spaghetti Carbonara Forget the cream, the peas, the chicken – we're diving headfirst into the soul-stirring, deceptively simple world of authentic Spaghetti Carbonara. This isn't just pasta; it's a creamy, dreamy, peppery hug in a bowl, a testament to how a few humble ingredients, treated with respect, can create pure magic. Ready to unlock the secrets to this Roman masterpiece? The Sacred Trinity: Guanciale, Eggs, and Pecorino Romano Let's get one thing straight from the get-go: true Carbonara is built on a foundation of three non-negotiable pillars. Mess with these, and you’re venturing into territory that, while perhaps tasty, is no longer Carbonara. First up is guanciale. This is cured pork jowl, and it’s the undisputed king of Carbonara. Its fat renders down into a rich, intensely savory liquid that forms the base of our sauce. Forget pancetta, and definitely forget bacon. Guanciale has a unique, slightly gamey fla...

  Ready, Set, Spook! Gin Lee's Top 5 Favorite Halloween Costumes for 2026 Can you believe it’s already 2026? Time really does fly when you’re busy scrolling through costume catalogs and debating whether to go as a classic horror icon or a contemporary pop culture phenomenon. If you are still scratching your head wondering what to wear this October 31st, don’t worry because Gin Lee at “ Cooking Exceptionally With Gin Lee ” has got you covered. Halloween is more than just a holiday; it’s a creative outlet, a chance to connect with friends, and let’s be honest, a great excuse to eat candy. But choosing the perfect outfit can sometimes feel like a mission in itself. To help you save time (and stress), we’ve analyzed the latest trends, search data, and pop culture moments to bring you the definitive list of the Top 5 Halloween Costumes for 2026. From high-octane animated musicals to nostalgic throwbacks, here is everything you need to know to nail your look this year. 1. K-Pop Demon Hun...

  How to Season Cast-iron Cookware Regardless if you are new to using cast-iron, or you're a seasoned cast-iron cook. Today I will be demonstrating how I season my vintage cast-iron skillets. Yes, I have cast-iron cookware that I inherited from my great grandmother, grandma, and dad. And then I have a few cast-iron pieces that I purchased for myself several years ago. The oldest skillets happen to be my favorite ones to cook with. Seasoning cast-iron First, you'll need to scrub the cast-iron with a scrubber, using hot soapy water. Then dry it thoroughly with a cotton dish rag, or a paper towel. Place your cast-iron pans into a 200 degrees F oven, upside down for about thirty minutes. Then take the pans out of the oven using a pot-holder. Now, I like to use Crisco vegetable shortening to grease the inside of the cast-iron well, but you can use any shortening, lard, vegetable oil, or canola oil over the inside of it. I do not use cooking spray to season my cast-iron, because cook...

  Types of Cookware and Pans: Choose the Right Pan for Every Meal Food sticks to the pan, browns on one side, or turns soft before it cooks through. Often, the problem isn’t your recipe. It’s that the pan’s material or shape doesn’t suit the job. Types of cookware and pans vary in how they heat, how much care they need, and which stoves they work on. You don’t need a cupboard full of options. A few well-chosen pieces can cover everyday meals, from fried eggs to a pot of stew. Choose the Best Types of Cookware and Pans by Material Cookware material affects how fast a pan heats, how well it holds heat, and how food browns. It also affects weight, upkeep, and cost. No material is best for every task, so choose based on the meals you make and check the care guide for each piece. Stainless Steel Handles Searing and Everyday Cooking Stainless steel has no food-release coating, so it can handle regular use and a range of cooking tasks. It’s a good choice for browning meat, sautéing vegeta...