Good morning. The section below is a neat technique we learned from The Food Lab, a book we recommend to every home cook.

• For more cook books and essential gear recommendations, check out our shop page.

COOKING PROTOCOL 🍳

Squeeze bottle condiment recipes

In the past we’ve covered different salad dressing ratios. Today’s protocol lets you repeat your favorite dressing/condiments without having to remember any numbers or reference a recipe.

How do you do it?

Measure out the ingredients of a condiment/salad dressing (one by one) into a squeeze bottle or vessel of choice. Use a Sharpie to mark the level of each ingredient.

• Next time you make it, all you have to do is fill up the bottle one ingredient at a time, then shake it all up. The ratios are pre-measured for you on the bottle — no scale or measuring spoons necessary!

Why does this matter?

This is a great way to visualize dressings by their component parts. Over time, you’ll better learn ingredient ratios.

More importantly, this system helps you make food for yourself at home more often. It reduces friction to quickly make a dressing or sauce, which can lead to a whole meal.

RECIPE RECOMMENDATIONS ✅

Beyond salad dressings

While we’re on the topic of salad dressing, check out some of our other condiment recipes on Cook Well. You could do the same Sharpie squeeze bottle technique on a deli container for some of these recipes too:

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Can meatloaf become cool again?

Or is it an outdated recipe?

People can have negative associations with meatloaf: they had it in the school cafeteria growing up, or their mom made a really bad version of it. For others, 90’s TV dinners cemented its reputation for being flavorless.

Why isn’t it a crowdpleaser?

1. Its texture: Meatloaf’s soft uniformity bite after bite makes it a struggle for people to enjoy.

2. Its color: We eat with out eyes.The brown mass can be more off-putting than enticing.

3. Its name & shape: Marketing matters. Despite being savory and sharing many of the flavors we love in steak, burgers, and bbq, people can’t get past the form factor. Or the idea of working through a loaf of, well, meat, weirds them out.

Recently, some chefs and restaurants have tried to make meatloaf cool again by solving some of these problems:

• Sandwich shops across LA have rescued the texture by reinventing the dish into a meatloaf sandwich.

• Tastemaker Molly Baz featured an upscale meatloaf recipe in her new cookbook, proving it’s not jus a dish for your grandparents.

• ‘Mary me’ meatloaf went viral this past year, a version made with a mushroom gravy instead of the traditional ketchup glaze for an umami-forward flavor.

Meatloaf could have a comeback if people keep innovating and make it appealing to all the elements of flavor. We predict it’s going to ride the current obsession with high-protein recipes back into kitchens everywhere.

READER Q&A 🧠

Stir-frying

Answer: On weaker home stoves, sometimes cooking in smaller batches and letting ingredients sit and sear on the bottom of the wok gets you better browning.

That said, tossing does have a purpose in stir frying. As food is propelled into the air, a few things happen:

• Moisture can evaporate off the food more easily, which helps the pan stay hot.

• You’re less likely to burn ingredients touching the bottom of a wok, while undercooking those on the sides. Thus, ingredients are less likely to stick.

• Finally, it ensures even mixing. Sauces will coat everything equally and incorporate much easier into the dish, especially with noodle or fried rice dishes.

If you don’t have a wok, it can be tricky to toss while stir-frying. A sloped, wide sauce pan or a deep saucier will get you close.

• Otherwise, you can just use a spatula, just mix well and cook it in batches in order to get an even browning.

Have a culinary question? Reply to send it in for a chance to be featured and get your question answered.

WINNING READER SUBMISSION 🏆

Japanese curry

Today’s dinner winner is Ben P. who made a Japanese chicken curry with green peas. Love the plating!

Reply with a picture of the best meal you made this week for a chance to be featured in a future email.

EXTRA HELPINGS 🍽️

A read: What to Know About Non-Alcoholic Beverages

In a minute or less: Banana Date Smoothie

What we’re watching: Clare Saffitz Makes Kouign-Amann

Food science: The Fundamentals of Deep Frying

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