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Helping busy home cooks cook beyond the basics.

10/29/2026

How to fillet a whole fish without wasting meat 🐟

The bones are your guide. Keeping the blade close to them and working in shallow, controlled strokes helps you get more fish off the frame.

I’m using a whole red snapper here. A few details worth paying attention to:

• Gently lift the fillet as it releases so you can see where your knife is going.
• Follow the curve of the rib cage rather than forcing the knife straight through.
• Take your time on the second side. The fish is less stable once the first fillet is removed.

After filleting, run your fingertips along the flesh to check for remaining bones. Fish tweezers help pull out individual pin bones. I used kitchen scissors to remove the bones in this video.

I also save the fish frame for stock. It adds wonderful flavor to seafood soups, risotto and sauces.

Save this to refer back to when you try it. In my next video, I’ll show you a simple, delicious way to cook these fillets.

10/25/2026

FRENCH CLASSICS, MADE AT HOME | EP. 1 STEAK AU POIVRE

In steak au poivre, the pepper crust matters, but the real character of this French bistro classic comes from the sauce built in the same pan.

For the steak, I’m using flank steak. Steak au poivre can also be made with tender cuts such as filet mignon/tenderloin, strip steak, or sirloin. Whatever cut you choose, cook it to the doneness you prefer and let it rest before slicing.

Start by freshly crushing the black peppercorns. You want them coarse, not finely ground, so they create texture and a real pepper crust on the steak. A mortar and pestle works well, but a zip-top bag and rolling pin works too.

Season the steak with salt, then press the crushed peppercorns onto both sides.

Sear it in a very hot pan with a little oil. Just before flipping, add cold butter and let it run underneath the steak, then cook the second side in that butter.

Once the steak is resting, keep everything left in the pan. Add the shallot, then deglaze with cognac or Armagnac. You can flambé it if you’re comfortable, but it’s completely optional. Letting the cognac simmer briefly works too.

Add veal stock, reduce it by half, then add the cream and reduce again until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Spoon the sauce onto the plate, slice the rested steak, and serve it right over the sauce.

The pepper doesn’t just season the steak. It carries through that rich, savory pan sauce with every bite.

Save this for your next steak night.

10/22/2026

COOKING WITH FIRE | NEAPOLITAN PIZZA, EP. 1
Neapolitan Pizza Dough for a High-Heat Pizza Oven

This dough is based on the method I learned in a Neapolitan pizza masterclass led by Vittorio and Riccardo Figurato, the Neapolitan brothers behind in Madrid.

What I love about this dough is how simple the ingredient list is. The technique and fermentation are what create the light, airy cornicione, blistered exterior and tender chew once it hits a very hot oven.

Dough
• 1,000 g Pizzeria 00 flour
• 600 g water
• 25 g salt
• 2 g fresh brewer’s yeast or ~0.7 g active dry yeast

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add part of the flour, mix, then add the rest. Keep the full mixing process under about 10 minutes so the dough doesn’t overheat, adding the salt during the final 2 minutes.

Cover and rest at room temperature for 1 hour. Use a French closing technique, lifting and tucking the dough underneath itself to create a smooth, closed ball.

Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours for the cold bulk fermentation.

Divide into 250–280 g portions (I use 280 g for a 12-inch pizza), shape into tight balls, and proof at room temperature for about 4–6 hours. Look for the dough balls to roughly double in volume and reach 18–20°C / 64–68°F internally before stretching. EN-Recipe-Book-Neapolitan-Pizza.pdf

One important distinction: this is a direct-method Neapolitan dough, but the cold-fermentation schedule differs from strict AVPN, Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, standards, which use room-temperature or controlled fermentation rather than a long refrigerated bulk ferment.

I’ll break down the traditional AVPN method separately because there’s a lot worth explaining.

Next in Cooking With Fire: Pizza Margherita. It’s simple, but simple doesn’t mean random. I’ll show you which details actually matter.

Pizza oven: Karu 2 Pro
Pizza dough proofing container from

10/20/2026

What changes when you move from baking pizza in a home oven to a high-heat pizza oven?

I spent a lot of time perfecting Neapolitan-style pizza in my home oven on a baking steel at around 500°F, and you really can make a great pizza that way.

But there are limits to what a home oven can do.

Now I’m using the Karu 2 Pro, a multi-fuel oven that can run on wood or charcoal, or with the optional gas burner when I want the convenience of gas. It can reach up to 950°F, which gives me the kind of intense heat needed for a very fast Neapolitan pizza bake.

At those temperatures, the dough gets much faster oven spring, which gives you that lighter, airier cornicione. The surface blisters and chars quickly, building deeper toasted flavor, while the crust stays tender inside because the bake happens so fast.

And pizza is only the beginning. I’ll also be using this oven for meat, fish, vegetables, bread, and more.

This marks the start of my new series, Cooking With Fire. Follow along as I put this oven to work and explore everything you can cook with this kind of heat.

In the first two episodes, I’ll start with traditional Neapolitan pizza dough, then Pizza Margherita, one of the most iconic pizzas of Naples and a cornerstone of Neapolitan pizza tradition.

10/19/2026

How to clean mussels before cooking, including which ones you shouldn’t cook at all.

Mussels are pretty simple to prep, but I always inspect them before they go anywhere near the pan.

Start by checking the shells. Discard any that are cracked or broken.

If a mussel is open, give it a tap. A live mussel should begin to close. If it stays open, I don’t use it.

Then rinse the mussels under cold water and scrub away any dirt or debris from the shells. Remove the beard by gripping it firmly and pulling toward the hinge of the mussel.

One important distinction: most farm-raised mussels sold today don’t need the same salt-water purging process you would use for clams. A good rinse, scrub, inspection, and debearding is usually what they need before cooking.

Keep them cold and cook them soon after cleaning.

And after cooking, I discard any mussels that remain tightly closed.

Save this for the next time you cook mussels at home.

10/16/2026

A few small details can completely change how a simple shrimp pasta feels.

For this one, I focus on three things: building the sauce in the same pan as the shrimp, using bronze-cut spaghetti so the rougher surface holds onto the sauce better, and taking an extra minute to plate it intentionally.

For the shrimp
• Shrimp
• Olive oil
• Sea salt + pepper blend from
• Chili Lover pepper blend from

For the pasta
• Bronze-cut spaghetti
• Butter
• Olive oil
• Plenty of sliced garlic
• Calabrian pepper paste
• Pasta water
• Fresh lemon
• Fresh parsley

Season the shrimp before it hits the pan and sear until nicely browned, then remove.

In the same pan, add butter and olive oil, then sauté the sliced garlic and Calabrian pepper paste. Add pasta water to help emulsify everything into a glossy sauce.

Add the spaghetti, lemon and parsley, return the shrimp, and toss until everything is coated.

For plating, I use a pastry ring to give the pasta a little height, spoon the garlicky sauce over the top, and finish with one shrimp.

I cooked this in my pan. My affiliate link is in my bio and in this video, and code INTHEKITCHENWITHKRIS gives 15% off. (I may earn a commission from purchases made through my link.)

Save this one for your next pasta night.

10/15/2026

How to infuse fresh pasta dough with porcini mushrooms.

The easiest way is to grind dried porcini into a very fine powder and mix it directly into the flour before adding the eggs.

I use about 10% mushroom powder based on the flour weight, so for 200 g flour, I use 20 g dried porcini.

PORCINI-INFUSED PASTA DOUGH
• 200 g 00 flour
• 20 g dried porcini mushrooms, finely ground
• 2 large eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 1–2 tsp water, only if needed

How to make it:

1. Grind the dried porcini until they become a very fine powder.
2. Mix the mushroom powder thoroughly with the flour so the flavor is evenly distributed through the dough.
3. Form a well, add the eggs and salt, then gradually bring the flour into the center.
4. Knead for about 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and firm. If it feels too dry to come together, add water just 1 teaspoon at a time.
5. Wrap and rest the dough for 30 minutes.
6. Roll it into thin sheets and cut into tagliatelle, pappardelle, or whatever shape you prefer.
7. Cook in well-salted boiling water for about 2–3 minutes.

Because the porcini flavor is already built into the pasta itself, I like keeping the sauce simple. Butter, shallot, cream, Parmesan, black pepper, and a little pasta water are more than enough.

The bigger idea here is that fresh pasta dough can carry flavor, so you’re not limited to plain egg pasta.

Save this for the next time you make fresh pasta.
Porcini is just one way to flavor the dough. Want me to share more?

10/13/2026

This garlic shrimp spaghetti comes together quickly, but the little details make a difference. I used bronze-cut spaghetti because the surface is slightly rougher than standard pasta, which gives the sauce more to cling to and helps every strand stay nicely coated.

For the shrimp

* Shrimp
* Olive oil
* Sea salt + pepper blend
* Chili Lover pepper blend. Provided rich, spicy heat, I love the pepper blend in this.

For the pasta

* Bronze-cut spaghetti
* Butter
* Olive oil
* Plenty of sliced garlic
* Calabrian peppers paste
* Pasta water
* Fresh lemon
* Fresh parsley

Season the shrimp and sear them in a hot pan until just cooked, then remove.

Add a little butter and olive oil to the same pan, followed by the sliced garlic and pepper paste. Let that cook briefly, then add pasta water to loosen everything into a glossy sauce. Add a touch of fresh lemon juice.

Add the spaghetti, return the shrimp, and toss everything together with fresh parsley.

I cooked this in my pan, linked in my bio & in this video. Code INTHEKITCHENWITHKRIS gives 15% off (I may earn a commission from purchases made through my link.)

Save this recipe for your next pasta dinner or lunch. 😉

10/06/2026

Part 1: How to clean mussels before cooking.

Mussels are one of those ingredients that can feel a little intimidating until you know what to look for.

Before cooking:

• Discard any mussels with cracked or broken shells.
• If a mussel is slightly open, tap or gently squeeze it. If it doesn’t close, discard it.
• Rinse the mussels well under cold running water, scrubbing the shells to remove any grit, debris, or buildup.
• Remove the “beard” by gripping the fibers and pulling firmly toward the hinge.
• Give them one final rinse before cooking. Unlike clams, farmed mussels generally don’t need a saltwater purge.

And after cooking, discard any mussels that remain closed.

In Part 2, I’ll share my favorite way to cook them: Mussels Dijonnaise with fennel, white w**e and Dijon.

Save this for the next time you cook mussels.

10/03/2026

Steak crostini with burrata, creamy mushrooms, and deeply seared steak.

What makes this one so good is the contrast in every bite: crisp toasted baguette, creamy burrata, rich mushrooms with thyme and garlic, and thinly sliced steak on top.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup heavy cream
1 top sirloin filet steak, or hanger steak, flat iron, tenderloin, or New York strip
2 tbsp butter
1 ball burrata
1 baguette, sliced and toasted
Salt + freshly cracked black pepper

GARNISH OPTIONS
Fennel fronds
Cilantro leaves
Chives
Fresh basil
Fresh oregano

Cook the mushrooms with olive oil, butter, and thyme until nicely browned. Add the garlic, season, then stir in the cream and cook until slightly thickened.

Sear the steak to your preferred doneness, let it rest for at least 10 minutes, then slice thinly.

To assemble: toasted baguette → burrata → creamy mushrooms → sliced steak → fresh herbs.

Rich, savory, creamy, and perfect for entertaining.

Save this for your next gathering. 🥂

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