Serious Eats Editors Share 8 Kitchen Shortcuts
Food editors from Serious Eats reveal their favorite store-bought swaps and time-saving techniques for easier weeknight cooking, from instant dashi to
The editors at Serious Eats are sharing the culinary shortcuts they personally rely on for easier weeknight meals. These are the store-bought swaps and time-saving techniques they use when time is short and hunger is high.
Lazy Roast Chicken and Instant Stocks
Daniel Gritzer, the site's editorial director, skips advanced techniques for roast chicken. He salts a whole bird and places it on a rimmed baking sheet in a cold oven. Letting it come to temperature with the oven cooks the meat gently and dries the skin for a crispy finish.
For Japanese dashi, Gritzer uses convenience products. He steeps dashi tea bags containing kombu and katsuobushi or uses hondashi instant granules. He notes the instant version is ideal for recipes with many components and adds a hidden umami boost to non-Japanese dishes.
Bouillon Bases and Store-Bought Pastry
Senior culinary editor Leah Colins keeps a jar of bouillon base in her fridge for last-minute broth needs, citing its flavor and long shelf life. Writer Ashlee Redger also uses Better Than Bouillon paste as a backup to homemade stock and adds it to dishes like buttered orzo for extra umami.
Grace Kelly, a senior editor, endorses store-bought puff pastry. She stated, "Unless you have a dough sheeter, I don't know who is making puff pastry at home." She agrees with Ina Garten's sentiment that "store-bought is fine."
Pre-Made Flavor Boosters
Associate editorial director Megan O. Steintrager uses pre-made spice blends for instant flavor. Her favorites come from Red Stick Spice Co., such as the Bayou Seafood Blend and the Bayou Lafource Blend, which bring Louisiana flavors to her New York kitchen.
Senior editor Genevieve Yam keeps jars of ginger and garlic paste in her fridge for Indian cooking. While they can be made at home, she finds the store-bought versions from stores like Manhattan's Kalustyan's offer great convenience.
The Frozen and Jarred Pantry
Associate food editor Laila Ibrahim relies on frozen vegetables, especially in winter. She uses them in risottos, stews, and stir-fries, sometimes combining them with jarred curry paste and protein for a quick dinner. Editor Rochelle Bilow expressed a strong preference for one jarred product, stating, I'll be honest: I can't tell the difference between a simmered-all-day red sauce and a jar of Rao's Homemade.
