"aolfood" news and stories

I always have a big jar of kosher salt next to my stove. However, I don't just use it to season the food I cook. Every time I use my big cast iron skillet, I grab a handful of kosher salt and use it to scour the inside of the pan. This way I protect the seasoning of the pan from the harshness of soap and still get all the charred bits of food off the bottom of the pan.

There are lots of foods that can do double-duty like my jar of kosher salt. Our friends over at AOL Food have put together a photo gallery with 23 Weird Household Uses for Food. They've got foods that can help with to clean drains, keep bugs and pests at bay or clear a clogged drain. Their salt tip? Work a good amount of salt into a grease stain on an item of clothing before washing to help remove the stain.

If you have a food tip to share, please leave a comment!

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Wednesday is the Fourth of July, and we continue to bring you some recipes that you might want to try if you're having a cookout or party that day. AOL Food has a recipe from Steven Raichlen for Hamburgers with Herb Butter. There are a couple of more steps than you're probably used to when cooking burgers.The pancetta and white cheddar cheese sound like really nice touches.

I don't know who this "Herb Butter" guy is, but this sounds great. Full recipe after the jump.

We've talked a lot about guilty pleasures here at Slashfood, and our friends at AOL Food have a whole category devoted to it. And one of those guilty pleasures (and also a comfort food) is Macaroni and Cheese.

Here's a recipe for Mom's Mac 'n' Cheese. Now, it's not my mom's mac 'n' cheese, but it's the type of dish someone's mom might make. My mom didn't put tomatoes in hers, but that's a nice touch. Full recipe after the jump.

Summer doesn't officially begin for another month, but we all know it's here already. The days are getting warmer (if not hotter, like today in the Boston area) and it's Memorial Day weekend, which is the real start of summer for most people.

So how about some lemonade? Like Kat Kinsman, most of the people I knew growing up used packaged mixes when making lemonade, but she gives a good recipe for real lemonade over at AOL Food. The full recipe after the jump.

I was surfing around the new and improved AOL Food today, and I came across this A to Z Guide To Diets. It doesn't have every single diet, of course (how could they when there's a new diet book out every week?), but it has the one that you're probably on or are thinking of trying, including The 3 Hour Diet, The Abs Diet, Atkins, Blood Type Diet, Bob Greene, Cabbage Soup, Dr. Phil's Diet, Fat Flush, Fat Smash, Grapefruit Diet, L.A. Weight Loss Diet, NutriSystem, Sonoma, Ultimate New York Diet, Ultrametabolism, Weight Watchers, and The Zone.

The only plan I've tried is The Abs Diet, because it's not only sensible and realistic, it promotes a lot of exercise and not starving yourself or cutting out a ton of foods you like to eat. But I cringe at the word "diet." It just screams "temporary fix," and keeping the weight off and your body healthy is a life-long plan.