I got into the culinary industry for one reason, and one reason only. I love to eat. Mostly chocolate cake. Okay, I’ll eat anything I’m not allergic to, but the fact my first job in the biz was at a bakery was very much on purpose. Through quick glances from the service counter of SusieCakes, I observed the professional way…
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For better or for worse (and I think we’d all agree worse), America runs on pizza. So in the spirit good health, I’d like to present how to make pizza at home that isn’t loaded with terribly processed fake cheese, and good-for-nothing white flour crust. Pizza can be amazingly divine with a crispy, thin whole grain (or grain-free) crust topped…
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Apparently, baking up a nice fruit tart is high-stakes drama. At least according to Fox’s ‘Masterchef’, a competition of home cooks out to prove themselves before over-the-top chef Gordon Ramsay (word in the industry is he’s actually a nice guy). In one episode the show’s producers portrayed a tart as an intense, risky, highly sensitive baking venture. I laughed all…
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Are there ever times when you dine at a restaurant and you just want cookies for dessert? You don’t want chocolate to kill you. Or cheesecake to cost you another 1,000 calories. Perhaps a sweet little shortbread nibble is your ticket to a happy end? I feel that way often (especially after too many bites of steak and frites). And…
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It was absolutely exhilarating. I’ve never done such a thing before. And may never get the chance to do so again. A rope in one hand to let the bacon graze the bottom of the ocean, and a net in the other. It’s by far the most interesting way I’ve procured dinner to date. Meet Big Blue, my first and…
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I ate this lovely appetizer for the first time at a restaurant in Rhinebeck, New York called Liberty Public House. The restaurant occupies a historic space in an even more historic town, in New York’s Hudson Valley. And back in my culinary school days, the new restaurant served dates… stuffed with blue cheese… wrapped in bacon. The dish on ‘devils…
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You know I can’t post too many nutritious recipes in a row. Sometimes just one is enough. So here’s a spin on a classic dessert that will dazzle even the pickiest of guests. Because honestly, who can resist a lemon-spiked, super-moist, not-too-sweet slice of pound cake? Obviously, I can’t, by the photos below. And I haven’t meant anyone else yet…
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I can’t help myself. I see poppy seeds and I hear “Poppies, poppies will put them to sleep”. Occupational hazard, I suppose. But it’s true. This crisp slaw salad and poppy seed dressing is AWESOME, and the opposite of sleep-inducing. I feel comfortable writing this because I stole the concept for this slaw just like Dorothy stole those slippers. Salad,…
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The French have a way of making everything sound fancy. Like tartine. At first read it sounds tart-esque, with a sweet, crunchy crust and glistening berries on top. But a tartine is so much simpler – and really a nosh that America loves and knows very well. And a delicious way to take boring tuna salad to the next level. …
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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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