How do I joint a whole chicken?
Eight pieces and a carcass from one bird, following the joints rather than cutting through bone.
intermediate20 min2 min read
Preparation
Knife work, prep order and getting ahead.
57 guides in Food & Cooking
How do I cook safely for someone with coeliac disease?
What gluten contamination actually looks like in a home kitchen, which equipment must be separate, and where gluten hides on a UK label.
intermediate20 min5 min readHow do I hold a knife properly?
The pinch grip and the claw — two hand positions that make cutting faster, more accurate and considerably safer.
beginner10 min3 min readHow do I chop an onion properly?
The standard method for dicing an onion evenly and quickly, and what actually reduces the crying.
beginner10 min2 min readHow do I crush and prepare garlic quickly?
Crush to peel, and why how finely you cut it changes how strongly it tastes.
beginner5 min2 min readHow do I make a kitchen safe for a severe nut allergy?
The six routes an allergen takes into food it should not be in, how to close each one, and what to do about shared spaces and visitors.
intermediate30 min5 min readHow do I prep vegetables faster on a weeknight?
Order of operations, one board, and the things worth doing at the weekend instead.
beginner15 min2 min readWhich foods should be avoided in pregnancy?
The categories to avoid and the reason behind each — listeria, toxoplasma, salmonella, mercury and vitamin A — plus what this means for home preserving and fermenting.
beginner10 min5 min readHow do I read allergen labelling on UK food?
The 14 allergens, how they must be shown, what Natasha's Law changed, and the limits of what a label can tell you.
beginner10 min4 min readHow do I chop faster and more safely?
The grip, the claw and the rocking cut — the three things that make chopping quicker and much safer, plus how to set up a stable board.
beginner30 min2 min readHow do I peel ginger and other awkward things?
Ginger with a spoon, squash without a fight, and the general rule that makes every awkward ingredient easier.
beginner10 min2 min readHow do I stop a chopping board sliding?
The damp cloth trick and the other fixes for a board that moves, plus what to do when the board itself is the problem.
beginner2 min2 min readHow do I avoid cross-contamination when cooking?
The separation, sequence and cleaning habits that prevent raw ingredients contaminating everything else.
beginner15 min2 min readHow do I cook safely for someone with a food allergy?
Asking the right questions, reading labels properly, and preventing the cross-contamination that causes most accidental reactions.
beginner45 min2 min readHow do I prepare a squash or pumpkin safely?
Making it stable before cutting, and the microwave trick that makes a butternut squash trivial.
beginner15 min2 min readWhat does 'may contain' actually mean on food packaging?
Why the phrase exists, whether it is meaningful or defensive, and how to decide what to do about a product that carries it.
beginner5 min3 min readHow do I chop vegetables faster?
The grip, the claw and the flat-side rule that make chopping faster and considerably safer.
beginner20 min2 min readHow do I prepare and cook a whole fish?
Scaling, gutting and slashing — plus why whole fish is easier to cook well than fillets.
intermediate30 min2 min readShould I wash chicken before cooking it?
Why the FSA advises against it, how far droplets actually travel, and what to do instead if you want the surface clean.
beginner5 min3 min readWhat is the difference between a milk allergy and lactose intolerance?
What each condition actually is, how strictly each must be avoided, and why lactose-free milk is not safe for someone with a milk allergy.
beginner8 min4 min readHow do I chill drinks quickly?
Ice water with salt beats the freezer by a wide margin, and it is not close. Why water conducts so much better than air, and the fastest practical methods.
beginner10 min6 min readHow do I make food easier and safer to swallow?
How to prepare food at a consistent, safe texture, the foods that are high risk whatever you do, and why the level must come from a therapist.
intermediate25 min5 min readHow do I stop onions making me cry?
What actually reduces onion tears, ranked by how well it works, and why a sharp knife matters most.
beginner5 min2 min readHow do I trim and tie a joint of meat?
Why tying matters more than trimming, how much fat to leave, and a knot that holds.
intermediate20 min2 min read
Going deeper: PizzaHQ
Dough hydration and fermentation schedules, flour selection, oven types and bake profiles.