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The Reluctant Gourmet Website Established 1997
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tomato conversion scene on a white marble kitchen counter

Tomato Conversions — Fresh, Canned, Paste, Cups, and Pounds Explained

A perfectly seared ribeye steak in cast iron skillet

The Truth About Searing Meat and Juiciness

Pan Fried trout Recipe

How to Cook Rainbow Trout Fillets — Pan-Seared, Skin-On, and Done Right

Jersey Steamers Recipe

Steamed Clams With Garlic and White Wine

a rustic wooden kitchen table showing neat side-by-side rows of dry grains transforming into cooked grains

Dry to Cooked Grain Conversions (Because Every Grain Is Different)

Burgundy Sauce Recipe

Classic Burgundy Sauce Recipe — Red Wine, Shallots, and Demi-Glace

A beautifully plated dish of Veal Marsala on a large, elegant white plate

How to Make Veal Marsala the Right Way — Technique, Timing, and the Real Sauce

Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms Recipe

Chicken Marsala Recipe: How to Nail the Sauce Every Single Time

Lamb in Wine Sauce

Port Wine Sauce Recipe for Steak, Pork, and Duck

French bread and Italian bread side by side in baskets

French Bread vs Italian Bread — Similar on the Surface, Different in Every Way That Matters

Classic Spinach Balls Recipe

Spinach Balls Recipe — Crispy, Make-Ahead, and How to Reheat Without Losing the Crunch

Classic French bigarade sauce reducing in a small stainless steel saucepan

Bigarade Sauce Recipe — The Classic Orange Pan Sauce Behind Duck à l’Orange

meals showing how to pair proteins with side dishes

How to Pair Side Dishes With Any Main Dish

What to eat after having a tooth pulled

What to Eat After a Tooth Extraction Without Making It Worse

Braised pork osso buco served over creamy polenta

Pork Osso Buco — Why Pork Shanks Work as Well as Veal and Cost a Fraction of the Price

Golden sea scallops and grilled nectarines plated in a refined summer salad composition

Grilled Scallops and Nectarines with Jersey Corn and Tomato Salad

Juicy grilled lamb burger with feta cheese, cucumber, red onion, yogurt sauce and fresh herbs on lightly toasted pita bread

Mediterranean Grilled Lamb Burgers With Feta and Herbs

Grilled Pork with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe

Grilled Pork with Chimichurri Sauce That Bursts With Flavor

Grilled Lamb Lollipops Recipe

Roman-Style Grilled Lamb Lollipops With Garlic & Herbs

Stop Making These Common Grilling Mistakes

What's the difference between a sweet potato and a yam

Are Sweet Potatoes and Yams the Same Thing?

The Reluctant Gourmet in the Pickleball Kitchen

Pickleball – Get Out of the Kitchen

Four sauces illustrating the world of sauces

Sauces Aren’t as Hard as You Think

A bowl of spaghetti with tomato and capers sauce

Spaghetti with Tomato and Caper Sauce — Why the Briny and Bright Combination Works

Classic French Chasseur sauce spooned over roasted rabbit

Chasseur Sauce Recipe for Chicken, Veal, and Wild Game

A man in grocery isle looking at cookies

Common Sense Ways to Lose Weight Without Going on a Diet

Sous Vide Swordfish

Sous Vide Swordfish — The Time, Temperature, and How to Finish It Properly

Sea Bass cooked with cherry tomatoes in a skillet

Pan-Roasted Sea Bass with Tomatoes and Capers — One Pan, the Sauce Builds Itself

a table with fresh herbs and their dried herb counterparts

Fresh Herb to Dried Herb Conversion Chart — Ratios for Every Common Herb

Parmesan cheese wedge on rustic wooden board

Parmesan Cheese — Real vs Imitation, How to Use Each, and What to Substitute

Bananas Foster over vanilla ice cream in a shallow bowl

Classic Bananas Foster Recipe — Butter, Rum, and Whether You Really Need the Flambé

Guanciale slab on rustic wooden board

How to Cook with Guanciale (and When It Beats Bacon)

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About

I’ve been cooking seriously since the mid-1980s — self-taught, a lot of trial and error, and genuinely interested in why things work in the kitchen. I started this site in 1997 because I couldn’t find cooking writing that explained the reasoning. Still at it.

G. Stephen Jones at a food hall Full story →

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