Blog Posts by Sarah McColl, Shine staff

There are certain labor-intensive recipe phrases that can make the most diligent cook roll her eyes. "Do I really have to do that?" we wonder. Every week, we will track down the answer to that question. Why? Because as much as we love cooking, we're kind of lazy. Leave your Do I Really Have To Do That? questions in the comments and they shall be answered, saving us all a lot of needless trouble.

This week's question comes from Snow, a reader lucky enough to have a fully-loaded kitchen: “Why can't I put my good knives in the dishwasher?" We turned to Kemp Minifie, Senior Editor at Epicurious.com for the answer.

Related: The only 4 knives you'll ever need

"As tempting as it is to stick your knives in an automatic dishwasher—particularly if you've been using them to cut up raw poultry, for instance—don't do it," she cautions. "Even if the manufacturer's instructions said the knives were dishwasher safe, it's not a good idea." Why? "Once you close that dishwasher door and turn it on, you

Read More »from Hand-Washing Knives: Do I Really Have To Do That?

I'll get to the stew recipe in a second. First, I have to admit my consuming crush on Rachel Khoo, British author of The Little Paris Kitchen. Just look at this chick. She's my style ideal, a girly girl made of equal parts flirty Audrey Hepburn bangs, vintage frocks, and commanding red lipstick. Don't you just want to meet her on a warm evening for a Lillet (or three) and talk about lingerie? I do.

With what can be day-in, day-out dinnertime drudgery, Rachel's approach to food is a reminder of something all too easy to forget: that great cooking can inject style and creativity into the everyday. Put simply: she's an inspiration. Whether it's opening her tiny apartment kitchen to strangers in order to test the recipes for this cookbook or figuring out how best to use the first strawberries of the season, Rachel brings a kind of sensuous, feminine fun to cooking we haven't seen since we first discovered Nigella Lawson. The world could use more of that.

And now for her lamb stew. Rachel

Read More »from Rachel Khoo and Her Spring Lamb Stew Are Everything We Love Right Now

We asked cooks everywhere to join the Shine Supper Club by sharing a favorite egg recipe and you delivered with mile-high meringue, protein-packed pancakes, easy Easter egg bakes. We narrowed the field to seven finalists and now it's time to pick a winner. Voting closes Wednesday, March 27 at noon PST. Good luck and good eating!

See all of this month's Supper Club entries and recipes here.

Read More »from Vote for this month's Shine Supper Club winner

Caramel cake is a Southern tradition, the likes of which "can reduce a fully grown adult to tears," Matt and Ted Lee write in their newest cookbook, The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen. And they don't mean tears of joy. It's the toffee-sweet icing that's the trouble.

"It has to be just the right temperature," they explain. "Warm enough to be pourable, but cool enough that, when you work it around the cake with an icing spatula, it sets in place." When the icing sets, magic happens; it develops a toothsome, fudge-like crystalline texture. It's also where things can go wrong. If the icing sets too fast, you'll rip apart your cake layers as you attempt to spread it. If it doesn't cool fast enough, you'll have caramel icing running all over the counters. Freaked out yet? Don't be.

It's likely the reputation of a purportedly untameable caramel icing that's kept this cake a Southern confection, rather than a coast-to-coast classic. But when Matt and Ted hand over crystal clear directions, a

Read More »from Caramel Cake Mastered, Courtesy of The Lee Brothers

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Ulysses Press/Judi Swinks Photography

We don't make a habit of looking at the ingredients lists of some of our favorite snack foods. We're well aware there's unpronounceable, death and disaster-causing gook in there, but look, we really, really love Cheez-Its. "Classic Snacks Made From Scratch" takes all our beloved greasy-fingered treats (Fritos, Pop-Tarts, and Hostess Cupcakes, we're looking at you) and makes them from perfectly normal, find-it-in-the-grocery-store, easy to pronounce ingredients.

Make no mistake: author and culinary whiz Casey Barber isn't out to make these treats low-cal. She's an enthusiastic cook and self-described "DIY fanatic" who loves the mad scientist deconstruction of factory-produced treats. "It's supremely gratifying to nail a recipe and find those flavors that have such strong emotional connections," she writes,"but without preservatives or weird chemical aftertaste."

Let's look at one of our favorite school lunch sweets, Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups. You won't find a single strawberry in the Read More »from DIY Classics: Homemade Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups

While some celebrate mathematics on March 14, Pi Day, bakers everywhere celebrate pie.  No knocks on the number 3.14, known more formally by the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet π (are you having scary high school flashbacks yet?), but we think our approach is a little more fun, and more delicious by far.

In this recipe, a classic Key lime pie gets a double dose of coconut. A rich coconut milk custard filling is crowned with a cloud of whipped cream, then sprinkled with flakes of golden, toasted coconut. We call that infinite deliciousness.

Coconut Key Lime Pie
from Everyday Food
Serves 8

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (13.5 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
1/3 cup fresh or bottled Key lime juice
7 large egg yolks
1 Easy Press-In Pie Crust, made with graham crackers, or a store-bought graham cracker crust
2 cups cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk togetherRead More »from Pi Day Means We're Baking this Coconut Key-Lime Pie

There are certain labor-intensive recipe phrases that can make the most diligent cook roll her eyes. "Do I really have to do that?" we wonder. Every week, we will track down the answer to that question. Why? Because as much as we love cooking, we're kind of lazy. Leave your Do I Really Have To Do That? questions in the comments and they shall be answered, saving us all a lot of needless trouble.

Truth be told, I never do it. Sifting flour, baking soda, and baking powder feels like a finicky extra step in the baking process. But am I  doing harm to my cakes and muffins? Turns out, yeah.

Two-time Food Network Cupcake Wars winner Hollis Wilder sympathizes with my resistance. "Sifting is a pain because it adds an extra step to the recipe, especially when you can't wait to get the finished product in your hot little hands. But it's a must if you want a light and airy product. There are no shortcuts to perfection!"

Perfection, in this case, is a tender crumb created by aerating the dry

Read More »from Sift Dry Baking Ingredients: Do I Really Have to Do That?

We love eggs, but poor things don't exactly get their due. They show up for dinner when there's nothing else to make, appear on so many Saturday mornings without asking for much in return, and do excellent background work for cakes and custards. But what better kitchen stalwart than the egg, a symbol of life, to kick off the season of fresh starts, green shoots, and fragrant, warmer air? Grab your whisk, ramekins, and your frying pan. This month, the Shine Supper Club is putting the ultimate kitchen pinch hitter in the spotlight. Join us by sharing your favorite egg recipes. Here's how:

1. Write a blog post telling us about your favorite egg recipe by Sunday 11:59PM PST, March 24th. Be sure to include a photo and a recipe.

2. Mention and link to the Shine Supper Club in your post: http://shine.yahoo.com/supper-club/

3. Tweet @YahooShine with a link to your post and include the hashtag #shinesupperclub. Aren't on Twitter? Email the link to shine_sarahmccoll at yahoo.com. We will

Read More »from Amazing Egg Recipes from the Shine Supper Club