How to Skin Hazelnuts

By Sandy Hu

Hazelnuts have a delightful sweet, nutty taste but their skins are bitter and they refuse to yield them without some coaxing.

Still, their flavor contribution to baked goods, salads, savory crusts and chocolate desserts (who isn’t crazy for Nutella?) makes skinning them well worth the effort.

To skin hazelnuts, put them on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and pop into a preheated 375° F oven for about 10 minutes, until the nuts become fragrant, take on a light golden color and the skins start to crack. You don’t want to overbake or the nuts may get bitter.

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Mad for Mayo

By Sandy Hu

I was making tartar sauce the other day for a Special Fork Video Friday shoot on catfish when, rummaging through the fridge, the parsley eluded me. So I chopped up some cilantro instead.

While mixing the cilantro into mayonnaise, I realized that capers, while adding distinction to a good tartar sauce, would clash with the assertive cilantro. So I eliminated the capers and added some sriracha sauce, minced onion and finely diced sweet pickles. I liked the outcome – a Southeast Asian flavor profile that added zest to the fish.

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How to Blanch Almonds for Super Snacks

By Sandy Hu

Almonds make tasty, healthful snacks, great for nibbling during the big game this Sunday. So why not make your own seasoned almonds? They’re easy to make and totally addictive.

You’ll need whole blanched almonds – almonds without their skin. You can buy them that way but it’s simple to blanch them yourself in three easy steps.

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Pizza Pronto!

By Sandy Hu

Special Fork is all about solving the dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now, at 4 p.m., when everyone is struggling for an answer. Our daily blogs and our database of recipes feature dishes that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time.

From Monday through Friday, I tweet what-to-cook ideas as dinnertime approaches (@specialforksndy.) One of my favorite tips is to use flatbread, such as naan and pita, or even corn tortillas, to turn into pizzas. Store the breads or tortillas in the freezer in airtight wrapping to have on hand when you don’t know what else to make for dinner. Thaw, top and bake for a quick meal.

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If it’s Friday, it’s Video Blog Day on Special Fork

By David Hu

All this week, we have been re-introducing our bloggers by re-posting their very first post for Special Fork. On Monday we’ll be back blogging with more cooking insights, helpful tips and delicious recipes that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time, all to solve your daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now!

Today we feature Dave Hu’s early video blog post on cooking tilapia. Dave was inspired to found Special Fork, a mobile recipe website, when he was tempted to buy tilapia at the market because it was cheap. However, he refrained because he didn’t know how to cook it. Dave realized having tilapia recipes easily accessible on his smartphone would have enabled him to buy and cook tilapia or any other unfamiliar ingredients that he’s like to try cooking.

Dave, a competent novice cook, is CEO and Co-Founder of Special Fork. He is responsible for the design and features of the mobile recipe website and runs the Special Fork business. Dave has over 10 years of experience in the high tech industry, his last three years focused on the mobile space. Most recently Dave was the Manager for Mobile Devices at Virgin Mobile USA where he oversaw special edition handsets.

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