How to Make Pie Dough

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

One of the things I get asked about most is pie dough. People seem to be mystified by it. And I’ll quit pretending to not know why: it seems intimidating, fickle, and too much work.

But there’s nothing in cooking that has such a great pay off as properly made and cooked pie dough. And with all the new spring fruits and produce that will be popping up in grocery stores soon, like those ruby-hued stalks of rhubarb, you’ll have a great excuse to make pastry and make pies. The cooking, we’ll get to another time…today is how to make it.

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How to Cut a Mango

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

During the summer months, driving home after a weekend in Kona visiting relatives, we would pass roadside stands selling mangos. Mom would always make dad stop – she adored mangos – and soon our car would be filled with their heady, tropical fragrance.

In those days, very few Americans had tasted mangos outside of those of us living in tropical climates. But today, not only are they readily available in mainstream supermarkets, you’ll find them at smoothie shops and on restaurant menus, from casual to upscale.

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Okinawa Doughnuts – Fast!

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

I don’t know if it was custom or culture, but growing up in Hilo, Hawaii, friends or relatives often dropped by without calling first. We had a gravel driveway and when we heard the crunch of car tires, we’d peek out the French doors to see who had come to call, then we’d fly about the house picking up.

Guests never came empty-handed. Usually they brought a box of assorted pastries from Robert’s Bakery that we could serve back to them.

Sometimes they brought homemade jams or jellies or produce from their backyard. When we could see there was no familiar bakery box in their hands as they ascended the stairs to our front porch, we knew we needed something to serve the guests – fast!

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Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups

By Zoe McLaughlin
A new video for Video Friday

This Asian restaurant favorite couldn't be easier to make! The combination of the crunchy iceberg lettuce, fragrance of ginger and garlic, and sweetness from the hoisin sauce makes these wraps a perfect bite. This recipe can be turned into wonderful appetizers by simply spooning the chicken into smaller lettuce cups – they’re sure to be a crowd pleaser.

The simplicity of this dish is what makes it memorable and something you will make again and again. To streamline the recipe even further, instead of diced chicken you could use ground chicken; even ground pork would work nicely in this recipe.

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Meatloaf in Half the Time

By Joanne Lamb Hayes
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

Meatloaf has always been one of my family’s favorites, but as our schedule got busier and busier, the one-hour baking time made it scarce on the menu. When I discovered this easy trick, everyone was delighted to have meatloaf back on our table and looking a lot cuter.

I can’t take credit for the idea of baking meatloaf in cupcake pans; I must have seen it in a magazine somewhere. But I added another touch: pre-cooking the onion and carrots and then heating them with the salsa. Once I added the vegetables and salsa hot to the meat mixture, these little loaves cooked in 5 to 7 minutes less time than when everything was mixed in cold. And that made it a lot easier to have dinner on the table on time.

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