Beyond the Dinner

Chinese black bean sauce has the power to make anything it touches taste meatier and more robust. More importantly, it does this almost instantly, without any long simmering required. This is especially welcome on a busy weeknight, because all I have to do is prep and cook some vegetables and meat, boil some noodles, mix in sauce, and serve.

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What’s the Best Way to Brew Iced Coffee?

or something as simple as cold coffee, you’d think there wouldn’t be much debate about how to make it. Shouldn’t it be as easy as brewing some coffee and then chilling it with ice? For some it really is that simple, yet for those of us who obsess about perfect iced coffee it can feel like a never-ending pursuit. As an iced-coffee lover, I have to admit that much of the iced coffee I buy, and even a lot that I make myself, tastes pretty mediocre. There’s something about chilled coffee that exposes bad flavors even more than when it’s hot.

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