Reference on Bruce loves to cook

Test kitchen

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Restaurants don’t put a dish on the menu the first time they cook it. It goes through the test kitchen first: cooked, tasted, adjusted, and cooked again, until it holds up night after night. Only then does it make the menu.

Glossary

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Short definitions for terms that come up more than once but don’t need a page of their own. A term with its own page (a technique essay, a principle like [[Win the fridge]]) links straight there instead of to an entry below — this page is only for the ones that don’t.

Win the fridge

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Win the fridge is the practice of using every scrap of food before it goes to waste: working through the fridge, freezer, and pantry regularly instead of letting things quietly expire in the back. It’s a frugal habit and an ethical one at the same time: food waste is avoidable, and being well-fed enough to have a fridge full of choices worth wasting is a privilege, not a given.

Food safety: time and temperature

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Food safety is a combination of temperature and time. The familiar “safe” numbers (74°C for poultry, 71°C for ground meat) are the temperatures where bacteria die almost instantly. Below them, the same kill happens if the meat holds that temperature long enough. This is how sous vide chicken at 63°C is safe, and it’s how you keep lean cuts juicy without gambling.

Food video filming techniques

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A catalog of directorial and editorial methods drawn from Edgar Wright and Wes Anderson, mapped to practical food video production. Each technique includes the cinematic source, food application, a concrete example, and production cost rating.

Base recipes for weeknight cooking

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Many people like to prepare entire meals for the week or month, or to make a large meal on the weekend and use it for leftovers. Preparing foods in bulk can save money and time, but the problem with preparing a single meal for an entire week is that you have to eat a single meal for an entire week. This works for some people, but not for me.

Burger night costing (2022)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ingredient costs and menu pricing from a home burger night, 2022.

Ingredient costs

Ingredient	Package price	Unit	Portion	Cost/portion
Beef	$10.12/kg	kg	120g	$1.21
Buns	$7.34/doz	doz	1	$0.61
Pickles	$15.99/4L	4L	5g	$0.02
Cheese	$99/case	slice	1	$0.15
Onion	$0.016/g	g	5g	$0.08
Ketchup	$0.004/ml	ml	6ml	$0.02
Mustard	$0.003/ml	ml	3.5ml	$0.01
Lettuce	$0.002/g	g	5g	$0.01
Tomato	$0.008/g	g	15g	$0.12
Bacon	$20.50/kg	kg	50g	$1.03
Chicken	$18.49/kg	kg	130g	$2.40
Potato	$0.002/g	g	175g	$0.35
Cheese curds	$0.020/g	g	50g	$0.98
Gravy	$0.001/g	g	50g	$0.06

Menu pricing (single burger)

Item	Food cost	Price at 20% food cost	Actual price	Actual food cost %
Deluxe	$2.08	$10.40	$8	26%
Cheese	$2.23	$11.15	$9	25%
Cheese + Bacon	$3.26	$16.30	$10	33%
Chicken	$3.27	$16.35	$15	22%
Fries	$0.35	$1.75	$5	7%
Poutine	$1.39	$6.95	$10	14%

Chili costing analysis (2022)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cost breakdown for a large batch of [[Canadian chili|chili]]. Total yield: 9.5L, 38 portions at 250ml each.

Ingredient costs

Item	Qty	Unit cost	Total
Beef (stew)	1	$14.48	$14.48
Pork (stew)	1	$9.51	$9.51
Sausage	1	$5.00	$5.00
Kidney beans	1	$4.19	$4.19
Black beans	2	$2.49	$4.98
White beans	1	$2.49	$2.49
Canned corn	2	$1.69	$3.38
Diced tomato	2	$0.99	$1.98
Crushed tomato	1	$0.99	$0.99
Peppers	1	$2.26	$2.26
Jalapeño	1	$1.32	$1.32
Canned/roasted peppers	0.5	$1.44	$0.72
Carrots	0.25	$2.49	$0.62
Lime	1	$0.69	$0.69
Tomato sauce	0.25	$1.99	$0.50
Spices	1	$3.00	$3.00
Food cost total			$56.11

Loaded costs (includes labour and kitchen)

Item	Hours	Rate	Cost
Labour	2.5h	$16/h	$40.00
Kitchen overhead	4h	$20/h	$80.00
Total loaded			$176.11

Per-portion summary

	Cost
Food cost per portion	$1.48
Loaded cost per portion	$4.63

Potential cost reductions

Change	Current	Reduced
Dry beans (vs canned)	$11.66 canned	~$3.00 dry; saves ~$8.66, adds soaking and cooking time
Butcher own meat	—	saves ~$7.24 per hour of butchering; not counted below
Use pressure cooker ($60 one-time)	4 h kitchen time	~1.5 h; saves ~$50 of overhead
Total with dry beans and pressure cooker	$176.11	~$117.45 loaded ($3.09/portion)

The dry bean cost (~$3.00 for the equivalent of four cans) and the 1.5 hours of pressure cooker kitchen time are estimates. The butchering saving depends on how many hours you spend, so it isn’t in the total.

Flour protein content comparison

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Protein content affects gluten development and final texture. Bread flour (typically 14 g/100 g; Canadian bread flours run 13–14.5%) is the reference point for most yeasted bread recipes. Higher-protein flours build more structure; lower-protein flours produce more tender results.

Greek dressing research

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a survey of techniques and sample recipes, not a recipe; it’s what led to [[Greek Islands’ creamy Greek dressing]]. The samples are kept as found, so their ratios don’t all agree.

Growing sprouts

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I love sprouts in sandwiches, in soups, and stir-fry. I usually buy them, but in the summer I’ll occasionally grow them myself.

General

There are many types of sprouts
I mostly grow sandwich sprouts
Follow the instructions that come with your seeds and your grower

Using a mason jar

Tips

You can find growing kits for mason jars that tilt the jar (and add a fine mesh lid) to help water drain. Place the device on a plate with a lip.

Germinating and watering are similar to the Biosta grower. Key is to hydrate the …

Nicola 2018 food planning

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Four-day meal plan for a trip to Nicola (2018).

Meal schedule

	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Breakfast		Granola/yogurt, cereal, fruit	Breakfast snack, see Friday	Leftovers, fruit, French toast, boiled eggs
Lunch		Sandwiches, veggies, chips	Brunch wraps, fruit
Dinner	Boston Pizza	Pierogies, farmer sausage, corn	Cheese ravioli, pesto/marinara, roasted veg
Snacks	Chips	Banana boats, s’mores	Banana splits (or fruit + ice cream)

Grocery list

Dairy:

Sodium citrate ratios

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Sodium citrate lets almost any cheese melt smoothly without splitting, from a firm sliceable cheese to a thin soup. The texture comes down to one ratio: liquid as a percentage of the cheese’s weight. Adapted from a Reddit r/AskCulinary thread.

Soft sandwich bun (research notes)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Recipe research notes for a soft sandwich bun. Adapted from Serious Eats (Cemita rolls) and Food Wishes (hamburger buns). See also [[Chef John’s hamburger buns]].

Dough

Ingredient	Imperial	Metric	Notes
All-purpose flour	12.5 oz	354 g
Heavy cream	8 oz	227 g	Or milk + 50ml softened butter
Eggs	3		Divided (2 in dough, 1 for wash)
Instant yeast	1½ tsp	4.5 g	Slightly increased from original
Kosher salt	2 tsp	6 g (Diamond Crystal) or 10 g (Morton)	More salt than original
Sugar	3 tbsp	38 g	A bit more would be good

Toppings

The third egg, beaten with water, for egg wash (too much egg wash is a problem, so dilute it well)
½ cup sesame seeds
1 tbsp coarse sea salt (better mixed into the egg wash than sprinkled on top)

Method

Combine the flour, cream, 2 eggs, yeast, salt, and sugar, and knead by hand or with a dough hook into a smooth, slightly sticky dough, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl, cover, and rise at room temperature until 1½× original size, about 4 hours. Alternatively: proof overnight in a bucket in the fridge for better flavour and texture.
Flour dough, transfer to floured work surface. Form into a ball, divide into 6 even pieces with a bench scraper. Form each into a ball, flatten, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet seam-side down.
Rest uncovered at room temperature for 1 hour (uncovered gives a better crust than covered in plastic wrap).
Preheat to 230°C (450°F) with convection. A small ramekin of water in the oven helps develop a thicker crust. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle sesame seeds. Bake until deep golden brown, ~17 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Total active time: ~35 min. Total time with rise: ~4.5 hours (or overnight + 1.5 hours).

The Aldersons’ epic 12 days of pizza

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Twelve pizzas, one theme each night, all built around a Christmas carol pun. A family tradition that got out of hand.

The lineup

We Three Cheeses All Melty and Gooey
Merry Margarita
Frankincense and Myrrh (smoked tofu, paprika, mushrooms, cheesus)
Gifts from Afar (buttered paneer, butter chicken sauce)
Oh Christmas Tree (basil, pine nuts, cheese chunks)
A Winter Wonderland (Alfredo, mushroom)
Mario, Toad & Luigi (mushroom and spinach)
Feliz Navidad (taco pizza)
We Three Kings (treatsa pizza, with fruit)
A Shepherd’s Story (shepherd’s pie pizza)
Noel, noel (poutine pizza)
I’m dreaming of a white mac & cheese Christmas

Remember that time when we tried to make 12 days of pizza around Christmas? Pepperidge Farm remembers!