Secrets to the perfect steak: Cooking sous vide

Want to make the perfect grilled steak? Sous vide is a great method to cook steak exactly how you want it, but most sous vide steak recipes on the internet lack a critical steps that make all the difference between mediocre meat and a perfectly cooked, mouth-watering masterpiece.

Many sous vide enthusiasts get frustrated when they can’t replicate the perfect steak they see on blogs, videos, or Instagram. I was in the same boat for a long time. You know what it looks like, the perfect steak has a uniform, pink color on the inside and a thin, beautifully caramelized sear on the outside. And a great sous vide steak looks so invitingly juicy and tender.

But contrary to popular belief, it’s pretty easy to mess up a steak when cooking sous vide. In my years of cooking sous vide, I’ve made all of the newbie mistakes.

Learn how to cook the perfect sous vide steak

Healthy Homemade Dog Food… Fast (with a pressure cooker)

Healthy Dog Food Pressure Cooker

When our Boston Terrier Jack turned 10, we started to think more about his health, especially with the low-quality, dangerous dog food causing illness and even death in some pets. We didn’t want to feed him mass-produced dog food, even from previously well-trusted brands.

We decided that cooking quality, human-grade food made of chicken, veggies, and grains was the best way to ensure he’s eating well. And our recipe was a hit with Jack, a notoriously picky eater. Additionally, since feeding him this fresh dog food, we get lots of compliments on how shiny his coat is and how young he looks.

When we started making the recipe below, we were cooking with a crock pot, which required 8 hours of cook time. While we were happy with the result, it was far too time consuming to make.

Healthy Dog Food Pressure Cooker

When I adapted the same recipe for my Instant Pot electronic pressure cooker, I could cook everything in 1 hour. Also, the quality of the dog food I made was much better than with a crock pot, results were more consistent (it’s easy to control precisely how long each ingredient cooks), and cleanup became much easier (no more burnt on food on the sides of a pot).

Check out our recipe for healthy dog food

Coffee Subscription Services: Are they right for you?

coffee delivery service

Subscription services are everywhere now. You can get groceries, clothes, pet toys, wine, and even ammo delivered to you in the comfort of your own home. Why not coffee? If you’re even a minor coffee lover (coffee liker?) like me, you have to buy it from the store anyways… right?

I’ve recently tried a couple of coffee subscription services (some call it “coffee of the month”) that deliver craft coffee to see what its is all about.

Learn if coffee delivery services are for you

Buying an induction burner: 12 things you need to know

What are induction stoves? Some might argue that they’re the best thing since sliced bread, myself included.

Induction burners (also known as induction hobs in the UK) use a magnetic coil to excite electrons in any magnetic pot or pan, which leads to heating food quickly, efficiently, and with a great deal of digital control.

What’s so great about induction stoves? What do you need to know before you start using one? Here are 12 things I’ve learned after using them (and loving them) for over a year.

Read more about fast and efficient induction stoves in the full post

Blue Apron vs Plated: Home Meal Delivery Review & Comparison

Home meal delivery services… are they worth it? And which food delivery company is best?

Thanks to quick, inexpensive mail delivery, by now you know someone who’s used a home subscription service for groceries, clothes, shaving supplies, makeup, dog toys, or movies (remember when everyone got Netflix DVDs mailed to them?).

In the last year or two, home meal delivery subscriptions have picked up steam (pun intended). Services like Blue Apron and Plated promise high quality, easily-to-prepare dishes with recipies designed by chefs… all from the comfort of your own home.

Click to find out if Blue Apron or Plated is better!

Counter 3.Five.VII – Outstanding High End Prix Fixe in Austin, Texas

Fancy silverware holder at Three.5.VII

Counter 3.Five.VII Review – Austin, Texas

It’s not every day that you get to be one of the first customers at a new restaurant in town. Last week we celebrated a special birthday at the newly opened Counter 3.Five.VII, a very small, high end fixed menu restaurant where you literally sit at a bar inches away from all of the chefs doing their thing.

As the name of the restaurant implies, you can choose from prix fixe menus that either have 3, 5, or 7 courses.

Find out what we thought of this new restaurant in Austin!

Peruvian Food in Austin – An Introduction

Peruvian Food in Austin - La Chapparita

What is Peruvian food?

That’s the first question most people have when they are introduced to this South American cuisine. Let’s start with what it is not.

Peruvian food is NOT Mexican food or Tex-Mex! You will not find any tortillas, enchiladas, or tacos in Peruvian cuisine. You will find a lot grilled meat dishes accompanied with veggies / garnishes, seafood, corn, potatoes, yucca, and rice, usually served with delicious sauces. You will even find Chinese influence in the cuisine (I know, I was surprised too).

While I’m no expert, I have a feeling that most in Austin are not familiar with Peruvian food. This post is a quick intro to Peruvian cuisine in ATX, written by someone who has recently learned about the cuisine and has been introduced to these delicious new flavors by a couple of Peruvian friends.

Click here to learn more about Peruvian food in Austin!

The Best Korean Restaurants Austin – Discover Asian Food in ATX

Korean Food in Austin TX

Looking for some delicious Korean food in Austin? Maybe a place to get Korean BBQ? Rest easy, you’re in the right place.

While Austin isn’t known as a destination for outstanding Korean restaurants, we have some hidden gems serving delicious food that you need to know about. And if you aren’t that familiar with Korean cuisine, don’t worry. I realize that Korean food isn’t always accessible as other Asian cuisines like Chinese, Japanese and Thai… so in this guide I’m going to introduce 5 great Korean dishes at 5 Korean restaurants in Austin.

Click here to read about the Best Korean Dishes in Austin

Discovering food together with friends, one delicious bite at a time