Essential Kitchen Tools
Here are seven that deserve to be permanent residents of every home cook's tool drawer.

The Feed

DESSERTS DESSERTS
Pies for Your Thanksgiving Feasts

I tend to give thanks for dessert 365 days of the year. But on Thanksgiving, I reserve my thanks for a particular genre of sweets: pie. Only on the fourth Thursday of November is it plausible to have not one, but three, sensational pies grace the holiday table: pumpkin, pecan, and apple. Continue...

Pies for Your Thanksgiving Feasts Photo: sweet fine day
Source: Saveur
INGREDIENT INGREDIENT
The Changing Face of Onions

Onions are schizophrenic. When raw, they are biting and harsh. In the company of fat, gentle heat, and time, they become sweet and yielding. Continue...

caramelized onions allison fishman ingredient Photo: Tea & Cookies
Source: Saveur
TOOLS AND GADGETS TOOLS AND GADGETS
The Best Rice Cookers
Zojirushi rice cooker Photo: Zojirushi

Who’s willing to admit when her mother-in-law is right about some things? Well, mine was right on about Zojirushi rice cookers. She’s Korean, and she knows about rice: the 10-cup induction-heating Zojirushi she gave us a few years ago makes wonderful white, brown, or sushi rice. Continue...

Source: Saveur
THE BUTCHER THE BUTCHER
It's Nothing But Good
Good Magazine Photo: Good Magazine

Good magazine's website and videos are more than just plain good. Filled with lively discussions and intelligent articles, this collective site (which also covers art, politics, and the environment) is where you can read a great range of food-related stories. Continue...

Source: Saveur
Rabbit En Civet Photo: Andre Baranowski
THE CHEF COOKS AT HOME
Rabbit En Civet

Perfect for a crisp autumn night, this traditional French preparation for rabbit is hearty, infused with rich flavor, and beautifully simple. I use one of my favorite techniques—braising—which creates a dark, earthy sauce. Continue...

Source: Saveur
DESSERTS DESSERTS
Spice of the Season: Cinnamon

If autumn could be a spice, it'd be cinnamon. Earthy and subtle, cinnamon yields a beguiling warmth that pairs beautifully with crisp breezes, pumpkin patches, and burnished trees. Continue...

Spice of the Season: Cinnamon Photo: Eran Finkle/Flickr
Source: Saveur
No-Grease Bake Pans Photo: King Arthur Flour
TOOLS AND GADGETS TOOLS AND GADGETS
No-Grease Bake Pans

I’m not usually a fan of nonstick baking pans, but I recently bought an 8-inch square version from USA Pans’ eco-friendly American Pan line, sold at King Arthur Flour's website. I was reeled in by some of the site’s brilliant copy: "We thought it wouldn’t work as suggested—it did!" Continue...

Source: Saveur
INGREDIENT INGREDIENT
5 Alternatives to Chicken Breasts

During this ever-growing rush towards the holidays, it seems that we have less and less time to make quick (and delicious) meals at night—we've got Halloween to dress up for, Thanksgiving to look forward to, and holiday parties to plan. No excuse, though, for resorting to the easiest item to cook in the supermarket when you need to feed yourself: I'm talking about boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Continue...

5 Alternatives to Chicken Breasts Photo: Proud Italian Cook
Source: Saveur
THE BUTCHER THE BUTCHER
Free-Range Information

Ever wonder what “free-range” or “natural” really means on an egg carton? Well, the Animal Welfare Approved folks are here to tell you. Check out their website for clear and concise descriptions of what you are getting when you buy organic pork or cage-free eggs. Continue...

Free-Range Information Photo: woodleywonderworks/Flickr
Source: Saveur
THE ART OF THE TABLE THE ART OF THE TABLE
Golden Silverware
flatware forks knives spoons dinnerware table Photo: MoMA Store

Like alchemists, two Italian architects turn silverware into gold—or, at least, into gold-colored beauties. Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas's Colombina flatware, manufactured by Alessi, includes stainless steel forks and knives that have a golden hue, but not through gold-plating. Continue...

Source: Saveur