how to

How to Pack Burgers
Cooking Basics

How to Pack Burgers For a Picnic

Burgers — a beloved backyard, picnic, and barbecue staple — aren't the easiest food to transport, but it can be done.
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Burgers — a beloved backyard, picnic, and barbecue staple — aren't the easiest food to transport, but it can be done. If you're planning on packing patties to grill at a remote location, here's how to pull off the stunt with ease.

  1. Several hours or the night before, prep any condiments for the burger. Slice toppings that won't spoil quickly, like tomatoes or lettuce leaves.
  2. Shape ground meat into patties and place on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap.
  3. Cut parchment paper into squares slightly larger than your burger (4 inches by 5 inches should do the trick for most). The number of squares you'll need, of course, depends on how many patties you make, so allot need one less square than the number of patties patties (for example, if you're grilling 16 patties, then cut 15 parchment paper squares).
  4. Spread a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a work surface.

Keep reading to see our tricks for packing burger patties perfectly.

How to Cook Ground Beef
cooking techniques

How to Properly Cook Ground Beef, in Pictures

Cooking ground beef on the stove top seems simple enough, but so much can go wrong.
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Cooking ground beef on the stove top seems simple enough, but so much can go wrong. Have you ever crowded the pan too much, and found yourself with rubbery, steamed ground beef? Does your beef seep out a ton of liquid, or do you struggle to chop the meat up into bite-size pieces, resulting in "meat rocks" (as one editor's boyfriend hilariously dubs it)? If cooking perfectly ground beef eludes you, have no fear. These pictures will show you how to properly brown ground beef — or any ground meat, for that matter — so that your tacos, tomato sauce, and sloppy joes turn out tasty every time.

Heat the Pan Sear the Meat Flip and Sear the Other Side Chop It Up Cook Until No Pink Remains Finish Cooking Use in Other Recipes
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How to Poach an Egg
Cooking Basics

How to Poach an Egg: A Surprisingly Simple Tutorial

If you love poached eggs, but you've written them off as something to be ordered in restaurants, it's time to reconsider the possibility of making them on your own at home — and given that today's National Eggs Benedict Day, there's no moment like the present.
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If you love poached eggs, but you've written them off as something to be ordered in restaurants, it's time to reconsider the possibility of making them on your own at home — and given that today's National Eggs Benedict Day, there's no moment like the present. To master this basic kitchen technique, all you need are three pantry staples. Watch the two-minute tutorial to learn the key to perfectly poached eggs, every time.

Lyrid Meteor Shower
How To

How to Catch the Lyrid Meteor Shower This Weekend

An annual star event called the Lyrids meteor shower is lighting up the sky this weekend, peaking late Sunday, April 21 and before dawn on Monday, April 22.
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An annual star event called the Lyrids meteor shower is lighting up the sky this weekend, peaking late Sunday, April 21 and before dawn on Monday, April 22. The light show can actually be seen through the 25th, but a bright, shining moon might get in the way of the spectacle.

Thanks to that glowing moon, around 4 a.m. on Monday morning will be the best time to see the sparkling comets in the sky. Lucky skygazers in the southern US are in for the best view of all.

How to Plant an Herb Garden
Cooking Basics

How to Plant a Thriving Herb Garden

Are you sick of watching bundles of leftover herbs languishing in your crisper?
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Are you sick of watching bundles of leftover herbs languishing in your crisper? Fret not, there's an easy solution: plant an herb garden. Resilient and low-maintenance, most herbs can grow indoors or outside — a backyard, deck, or balcony are ideal, but a sunny countertop will suffice — leaving little reason not to break out the potting soil, a trowel, and some seeds or herb starts. You'll not only waste less, but will be inspired to add fresh herbs to dishes more often, a boon for both your conscience and your palate. Before you rush off to the nursery, keep these step and tips in mind.

  • Assess the situation to determine what sort of set-up is ideal. Do you have a backyard? How long do you plan to live in your current home? If you can dedicate a corner of your backyard to the venture, and aren't planning on uprooting any time soon, consider a raised bed, either store-bought or DIY, which will provide enough space for a vast variety of herbs. If you're looking for a smaller-scale solution, terracotta or ceramic pots are a great alternative.
  • Consider what herbs you cook with most often. It can be easy to get carried away when browsing seed catalogs or the herb start section of your nursery. Plant only what you'll realistically use in order to avoid waste; you can always add more to the mix later. Herbs like basil, parsley, mint, thyme, rosemary, and cilantro are most practical, but consider chives, dill, tarragon, oregano, or more-exotic varieties like Thai basil, marjoram, or savory if you think they'll be a worthwhile addition.
  • Gather up the necessary equipment: Even if you're going the raised bed route, consider separate terracotta planters to restrict the growth of plants like mint that tend to grow rabidly, lest they overrun your other plants. You'll also need potting soil, a sturdy trowel, seeds or herb starts, a hose with a sprinkler attachment or a watering can, and a pair of gardening gloves. If your herb garden will live by a sunny window, make sure to buy planters with a saucer to collect excess water and avoid messy cleanup; alternatively, try one of these clever indoor setups.

Keep reading for the rest of the steps.

Simple Baguettes: A Tutorial
baking

Secrets to French Baguettes

We've got a partnership with the recipe, equipment, and product testing gurus at America's Test Kitchen.
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We've got a partnership with the recipe, equipment, and product testing gurus at America's Test Kitchen. They'll be sharing some of their time-tested recipes and technical expertise with us weekly. Here, the simple baguette is adapted for the home oven.

When we set out to create a simple baguette recipe that could be prepared in a home kitchen, the test kitchen was divided. Everyone agreed that it should have a deep golden crust and an open, airy texture. Where we parted ways was on the question of whether you could actually create an outstanding baguette at home in a regular oven. Some were skeptical, but we were determined.

During the development process, we did find that there were just some things that couldn’t be simplified. First, to get the right flavor we needed to use a sponge. This mixture of flour, water, and yeast develops a full range of unique flavors that improves the longer it sits. We also had to put in some work to find the best oven temperature. Unlike many other rustic breads, baguettes cannot be baked in a super-hot oven, or else they form a crust before fully expanding. Putting baguettes in a 500-degree oven and then immediately lowering the oven to 425 degrees gave us a perfectly crisp crust and moist crumb—and won over the skeptics.

See the baguette recipe, as well as step-by-step instructions when you read on.

Step 1: Create Sponge Step 2: Allow Sponge to Rise Step 3: Wait for Sponge to Fall Step 4: Mix Dough Step 5: Add More Flour (If Needed) Step 6: Start Turning Step 7: Turn on the Other Side
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How to Shuck Oysters | Video
POPSUGAR Food

From Shopping to Shucking: All About Oysters

Oysters can be daunting to eat and prepare, but at their freshest, their sweet-saline taste is worth the effort.
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Oysters can be daunting to eat and prepare, but at their freshest, their sweet-saline taste is worth the effort. Scott Garrett, executive chef at Blue Plate Oysterette in Santa Monica, CA, gives us the lowdown on selection, storing, shucking, and — the best part — eating. Watch this tutorial and never be daunted by oysters again.

How to Grow Herbs | Video
How To

Video: Herbs For Everyone! Three Easy Ways to Grow Your Own

Contrary to popular belief, growing your own herbs is easy.
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Contrary to popular belief, growing your own herbs is easy. No, really! Here are three low-maintenance, practically foolproof picks that will have you channeling your inner Martha Stewart in no time.

  • Eggling Grow Kits ($10): These little ceramic eggs come preseeded with either basil, mint, or thyme. Gently crack open the top with the back of a spoon, water, and wait. Each Eggling comes with an extra seed pack, just in case the first round doesn't take, all but guaranteeing success.
  • GrowBottle Hydrogarden ($35): Housed in recycled wine bottles, these organic/heirloom herb gardens come with everything you need to grow herbs hydroponically. Follow the directions and your oregano, chives, basil, parsley, or mint will sprout within two weeks. With proper care, these good-looking gardens will produce all year long.
  • Misco Self Watering Pot (from $6): Available in a variety of colors and sizes, these lightweight pots are self-watering and therefore perfect for the forgetful or frequent-flier gardener. A lipped reservoir makes it easy to keep an eye on the water level and a ventilated base helps with drainage. Once you plant the herbs, these puppies will be on the plant equivalent of autopilot.
Tax Day Apps For iPhone
taxes

How to File Your Taxes on Your iPhone

Tax Day is here!
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Tax Day is here! Today is the deadline to file your taxes, but there's no need to panic if you've got simple forms to file as the task can be easily completed using your iPhone. Both H&R Block and TurboTax offer iPhone apps to help you prepare and file your 1040EZ forms before the deadline. What are you waiting for? Get more info on each below.

  • H&R Block at Home — This app makes it easy to file your federal and state taxes on the go. Snap a pic of your W2 and import it into your return, even get alerts when your return is accepted and on its way to your bank account. Plus, your information can be transferred over from your federal to your state return for easy completion of both for $10.
  • TurboTax SnapTax — File both your federal and state taxes by snapping a photo of your W2s and answering a few questions. You can e-file both federal and state returns, but it'll cost you $25.
Best Denim Care Tips
POPSUGAR Fashion

The Best Denim Care Tips to Preserve Your Jeans — Take Note!

Today, we're sitting down with the jean experts at Denim Therapy to learn the best practices for taking care of your jeans!
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Today, we're sitting down with the jean experts at Denim Therapy to learn the best practices for taking care of your jeans! From the washing dos and dont's to how to hem your jeans (the right way!) and fix holes, we're highlighting the most important things you need to follow to preserve your favorite pair of jeans!