Aaaaah, sweet, bubbly soda. How I drank thee all throughout college with no idea what you were doing to my health. Like your high-fructose corn syrup, caramel color and chemical preservatives. Don’t consume these imposters. Put them down. PRONTO. And read on for how to make homemade soda instead. Your waistline and health will thank you! How to make homemade…
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“Just make regular, plain cheesecake!” Okay, Husband, calm down. I’ll bake a plain cheesecake. It’s not what I set out to do. But love makes you do crazy things. And since I was in line to eat cheesecake regardless of flavor and toppings, I conceded. Sort of. I baked up a delightful plain cheesecake, alright. But not with run of…
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Oh butter. You savory, melt-in-my-mouth little delight. To be honest, I can’t think of a situation in the kitchen when I don’t reach for it. Okay, maybe one. The green salad. And when it comes to compound butter – or butter combined with added flavors – the options are endless. Personally, I revel for the times when I’m at a…
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It’s my birthday. And I’ll blog if I want to. But only to brag about my awesome mother and her ability to transform an ordinary table into an ode to birthday extravaganza. While she possesses a special talent for decorating, there are five inexpensive items you can buy to deck out a table for the birthday boy or girl (or…
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To saber – or slice off the top of a Champagne bottle with a knife – dates back hundreds of years to war in France. Upon winning a battle, soldiers would immediately begin drinking Champagne. And would simply hack off the top of the bottle with their swords to begin gulping the bubbly as quickly as possible. No careful twisting…
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So around many a college campus in, there’s this thing Thirsty Thursdays. It’s probably the reason half the collegiate population is useless on Fridays. And while my nickname while at the CIA was “yes, Mom”, I am not to be counted out for a good time, or a great white sangria recipe. If I do say so myself, my sangria…
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Recipes are okay. I don’t love them. Which is why I often convey a method or technique, instead of littering the internet with a gaggle of measurements and steps that mean ten different things to ten different cooks. But ratios – yes, cooking ratios – really light my fire. And are the only surefire way to success in any kitchen adventure….
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Mr. Lavender knows how to make a stiff drink. And the frozen banana kind happens to be just one of his many specialties. Daiquiris are perfect for daydreaming of tropical vacations and slurping fruity island concoctions. So if you are stuck somewhere cold or continental, here’s how you can celebrate island life with an easy banana daiquiri recipe. To mix…
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At the Culinary Institute, students (like yours truly at one time) have to pass one final cooking practical to graduate. And of course a temperamental sauce like hollandaise is on the menu. So I thought I’d share the finer points of how to make hollandaise sauce, for those special occasions that warrant crafting it at home. Because I rarely order…
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How to make espresso at home with the chef+mom at Edible Times.
When I wrote originally about March macaron madness, I was not kidding. I baked hundreds of macarons. Including the strawberry macaron recipe here. I’m sharing it because it disappeared the quickest when placed in front of my fellow students at the CIA. So I figure among such a discerning audience, it’s worth passing on. So here I go again. And let’s…
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Popeye knew what he was about with all that spinach. Because he definitely didn’t get those biceps by inhaling pizza. And truly the bitter green is downright great for you as long as you don’t have a health condition, like kidney stones, that calls for a low oxalate diet (we’ll nerd out on that a little farther down the page)….
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If you love French toast loaded with cinnamon, you’re not alone. And while thousands of recipes exist for what the French call pain perdu, you actually don’t need a recipe at all. Even for a perfectly sweet, cinnamon-spiked stack of YUM. Understanding the true origins of pain perdu, and its American roots, is the key to arriving at a French…
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Sheldon’s downfall If you watch The Big Bang Theory on CBS, then you know what happened when Sheldon tried and failed to make Thursday his “cruciferous vegetable night”. For everyone else, the short (and less comical) version is he ate Brussels sprouts. And let’s just say he paid for it. So let me offer Sheldon a little friendly advice from…
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There are no more virgin oceans. We humans have reached our filthy fingers into every available body of water in search of fish. The mantra of “eat less meat and more fish” is working. Climate change and commercial fishing are depleting the number of available fish species. The problem with overfishing Overfishing has depleted the populations of cod, tuna and salmon…
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Just for a moment, think back to the good old days of kids on swing sets (not the computer), soda pop in a glass bottle, television we actually watched as it aired. And orange creamsicles. Now you understand the inspiration for these creamy, delectable orange French macarons. Seriously though, mmmmmm. Creamy, tangy goodness all wrapped up in an ice cream…
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I don’t buy into the whole superfood idea. There is no one magic food (or even a few) to eat for optimum health. It takes a village, as they say. However, I found this book while studying at the CIA (chefs, not spies). And couldn’t resist because the title was yelling at me in BIG, BOLD, LETTERS. Sweet potatoes are considered…
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Don’t knock it until you try it! One experience with sparkling wine and Cheetos (or perhaps a better version like Barbara’s), and you’ll be hooked. Wait, WHAT?! Did you write champagne and Cheetos? I understand I have some splainin’ to do. So here it is: Any student who attends the CIA (culinary institute not central intelligence) takes a three-week intensive…
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