No-bake Ritz Cracker cookies

In a shameless attempt to rip-off the venerable Girl Scouts Tagalongs, we came across a deceptively simple technique to make cookies out of Ritz Crackers. We were skeptical, but how bad can a Ritz be with peanut butter and chocolate? After a taste test the verdict is in: these are killer.

How to soften butter quickly

We used to soften butter in the microwave (which is about all the work it ever does), but after reading this tip from Elise Bauer we may never actually use the microwave again. It turns out you can take cold butter and soften it simply by rolling it out between wax paper.

Simple syrup

Simple syrup is our preferred way to sweeten cold drinks (iced tea, lemonaide, cocktails, etc). Sugar doesn't dissolve easily in cold water, but once it's dissolved it doesn't come out of solution. The trick is to dissolve sugar into hot water and then cool it down--that's all there is to it and is also why it's called simple syrup.

This isn't a standalone recipe (unless you're seriously addicted to sweets), so expect delicious drink recipes using simple syrup in short order.

Photo courtesy House of Sims

KitchenAid juicer attachment

Fresh squeezed juice is incomparable--the Feds may be trying to keep us safe with pasteurization but we think most of the flavor dies along with the critters. If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, consider picking up the juicer attachment [$25.95]. It makes quick work out of a bag of citrus. We juiced local organic grapefruit mixed with local tangerines this afternoon with great results. The juice is great as is, mixed into a cocktail or even as a base for salad dressings. It would also make a great base for sorbet, but that's for another day.

Pan-fried flatbread

Pan-fried flatbread is an easy and extremely fast way to use our versatile no-knead bread dough. It's quick enough to serve as a 2am snack and tasty enough to serve to guests at a more traditional hour. Our current favorite use for this recipe is as a delivery mechanism for turkey sandwiches--melted Swiss cheese, pickled peppers, a handful of spinach and a pile of turkey. Hard to beat.

SILPAT non-stick baking mat

Silicone baking mats have caught on big time in the past couple of years and for good reason--you'll never stop finding uses for them. We use ours for almost anything that goes in the oven (cookies, bread, pastries, vegetables, etc), but also more unconventional uses such as as a surface to knead doughs on and under cutting boards to provide a no-slip surface.

There are a few brands out there, but we went with the original SILPAT brand made by DeMarle [$19.99]. It fits nicely into a standard half-sheet pan, but if you have different needs there are many other sizes.

Welcome to It's For Dinner

Welcome to It's For Dinner, a new site dedicated to simple food done well. We feature recipes, equipment reviews, and technique demonstrations. We're not professional chef's, but believe that an average person can create above average meals with just a little know how (and the right tools!).

Questions and comments should be sent to contact AT itsfordinner.com

Caramelized onions

Caramelized onions are one of our all time favorite toppings. Sandwiches, pizza, burgers, salads, crackers... You name it and caramelized onions will probably make it better. The secret is to go low and slow—too much heat and you'll be quickly left with scorched onions entirely unfit for consumption.

We usually take over an hour from start to finish, but the process can be somewhat truncated if you don't mind a drop in quality (they will still however be vastly superior to what is typically passed off as caramelized onions in restaurants).

Refrigerator friendly no-knead bread dough

Homemade bread is one of life's great pleasures. From the smell that it gives your home to the unbeatable taste, it's really hard to beat (even more so once you factor in cost, homemade bread is unbelievably cheap). Alas, like most of life's luxuries, there is a downside: time and effort. That's where our recipe helps out--mix four ingredients until they are just blended, let the mix rest over night and then store your dough in the fridge for up to a week. We make everything from flatbread, to pita to baguettes using dough from the same batch.

OXO POP containers

Storage containers are an important part of any kitchen. At minimum they must safely protect food, but a great container will do much more. OXO's POP containers are exactly that. We recently replaced several glass storage jars with POP equivalents and couldn't be happier.