You probably already know the benefits of cooking at home. It can help you save money, you can learn a new skill, and it can always be healthier than eating out. Whether you enjoy being in the kitchen or don’t know where to start, we at Engadget know that advice is easier said than done. After working all day, taking care of kids, pets, and the like, finding a new recipe to make for dinner can seem like an overwhelming task. But now there are so many online resources for home cooks that you can find something to suit every need—whether it’s a busy weeknight when you have a few minutes to prepare a meal, or an evening when you’re feeling down. is adventurous and wants to try something new. Here, we’ve rounded up our favorite websites, YouTube channels, and more that can help you on your culinary journey.
Recipe sites
Serious food
If you’re a self-proclaimed nerd and you also cook, you probably already know this Serious food. The site became popular a few years ago under the direction of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, who often takes a decidedly scientific approach to cooking. Lopez-Alt has since moved on to an advisory role at Serious Eats (she own vlog, which is also worth watching), but the site remains strong under new management. It offers advice on basics like food preparation and storage, as well as a range of how-to and step-by-step instructions for everything from shredding a chicken to kneading your own bread.
Try this: Quick and Easy Pressed Black Beans with Chorizo
NYT Cooking
This is the only paid recommendation on this list — $1.25 a week or $40 a year – but I personally think it’s worth it. The site and accompanying apps (for iOS and Android) are well-organized and easy to use, with bright and colorful photos and an ever-changing selection of recipe recommendations and suggestions. I especially like the search function, where you can not only enter the ingredients you have on hand, but also filter by the type of meal you want to make for breakfast. A snack? Or dinner?) along with any dietary restrictions. If you don’t want to pay for a subscription, the NYT’s YouTube channel is also a great resource.
Try this: Spiced chickpea stew with coconut and turmeric (YouTube)
Kitchen
Kitchen is a daily food magazine that’s been around since the mid-2000s, and it often features not only recipes, but fun features like celebrity recipe showcases (compare this magazine. frying recipes Alton Brown, Ina Garten, Taste of Home and the Pioneer Woman). Of course, The Kitchn also publishes plenty of tips and tricks to help readers become better cooks.
Try this: Maple Corn Cakes
YouTube channels
Food Desires
“Hi, I’m Chef John from Food Wishes dot com” is the familiar line you’ll hear at the beginning of each one. Food Desires video and never fails to warm my heart. His tone is so welcoming and cheerful that it makes me happy every time I hear it. A YouTube favorite (he has over four million subscribers), he’s also a favorite among several Engadget staffers, and for good reason. Not only is it goofy and adorable, but its recipes are almost always aimed at novice cooks with clear and concise instructions. It also encourages viewers to experiment, engage their senses, play with food and consider cooking as much art as science.
Try this: No Knead Village Bread
Walks around with Babish
Walks around with Babish is a popular YouTube channel (over 9.6 million subscribers) that focuses mainly on recreating food from TV shows and movies. Some popular examples are included Krabby Patty From Spongebob Squarepants and ratatouille From Ratatouille. But host Andrew Rea can also cook ‘normal’ meals, and his channel’s popularity has led him to host a spin-off series for beginners called Basics with Babish.
Try this: pea
Food 52
The Food 52 the website can be considered a one-stop shop for foodies as it has an online store along with recipes and a community board. But that’s the real point for me YouTube channelSweet Heat by Rick Martinez (ex Bon Appetit editor showcases recipes with both sweet and spicy elements), Big Little Recipes (focusing on short-ingredient recipes), and Genius Recipes, which showcases “genius” recipes created by prominent chefs.
Try this: How to Make the Easiest Meatloaf Mac Rice Cakes
Candy man
Do you have a sweet tooth? Then look no further Claire Saffitz’s YouTube channel, she bakes everything from apple pies to oatmeal pecan cookies. Her personality is a combination of grumpy and cute that I adore, but most importantly her recipes are great. She gives very detailed instructions and the results are almost always delicious. It also makes many delicious baked goods, such as sourdough bread and quiche.
Try this: The best oatmeal cookies
Maangchi
Cited by Maagchi The New York Times Like Julia Child and the description of Korean cuisine could not be more apt. Not only does she have a friendly and bubbly personality, she does a wonderful job of demystifying Korean cuisine and making it accessible to both beginners and advanced cooks. Like Korean classics kimchi jjigae and bibimbap like sweet food Korean donutsit shows that everything is within reach.
Try this: Korean Street Toast (Gilgeori-Toast)
Dietary concerns or special diets
101 cookbooks
For a site devoted entirely to vegetarian cooking, I recommend Heidi Swanson’s 101 Babies, an online favorite for decades. I’m a big fan of her simple, straightforward recipes that can turn a carnivore like me into a plant-based foodie (my personal favorite is cauliflower soup).
Try this: Chickpea and Rice Soup with Garlic Chili Butter
Nom Nom Paleo
You don’t have to be on the paleo diet to fall in love with Nom Nom Paleo, a mini-empire that includes a food blog, two award-winning cookbooks and a podcast, among other things. The New York Times the site’s creator, Michelle Tam, called her the Martha Stewart of Paleo for how accessible she makes it. After browsing her site and trying her recipes, you won’t find the paleo diet restrictive anymore; instead, you may find yourself eating more than usual. Tam has also adapted some of her recipes for Whole30 or keto diets.
Try this: Stir in Breaded Cabbage
Clean and Tasty
If you’re not strictly vegetarian or paleo but still want a healthy diet, check out the following. Clean and Tasty Food blog by Dani Spies. A health and weight loss coach, Spies believes in a balanced diet and “clean eating,” but doesn’t cut out the foods you love. For example, there is a recipe lemon sticks on its website, but it’s made with whole wheat flour and contains no dairy or refined sugar. All the recipes on her site reflect this philosophy; they’re either gluten-free, paleo, vegan, or vegetarian, and they’re also often low-carb, keto, dairy, or nut-free. I like him too Instagram and YouTube channelwhere she also shares tips on mindful eating and healthy living.
Try this: Healthy Banana Bread Muffins (YouTube)
Employee referrals
There are too many food sites on the web to list them all, but here are a few more recommended by our staff that you may find helpful.
Chinese cuisine
This is one of the best YouTube channels To learn all the intricacies of authentic Chinese cuisine from people living in China. It is very detailed, well prepared and has great tips for recreating these dishes in a Western kitchen. I love that it teaches techniques in addition to just recipes. I still come back to this video to this day how to mix any vegetable.
Minimalist Baker
Blog Minimalist Baker It features recipes that use 10 ingredients or less and take just 30 minutes to prepare. The site has many vegetarian recipes for such an experience cauliflower lentil soup with caviar.
Budget Bytes
Budget Bytes is a great resource for those watching the wallet, as each recipe gives you a breakdown of the estimated costs for each ingredient. It’s also a great resource for budding home cooks.
A rainbow of plant life
If you are looking for vegan recipes, A rainbow of plant life there are a ton of them. Nisha, the founder of the site, has a vegetarian friendship Instant Pot recipes to try as well.
Take limes
It’s another staple for affordable vegan recipes Take limes. The The healthiest Granola the recipe is a staff favorite and we appreciate that the Pick Up Limes website makes it easy filter recipes type of ingredients, preparation time, allergens, etc.
White Bread Masterclass by Richard Bertinet
Richard Bertinet’s video on white bread highly recommended for its simplicity. This proves that only flour, yeast and salt are needed to make bread.
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