How to prep baby artichokes

May 17, 2013

If you’ve never cooked baby ‘chokes, don’t be daunted. They take a little work up front, but because they’re small, they cook more quickly than their standard-size brethren. And there’s less work at the table—because with cooked baby artichokes, you can eat the whole thing.

And I do.

By the bowlful.

Let’s do brunch

May 9, 2013

I might think twice about hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas. But with Mother’s Day, there’s no hesitation.

Is it because I so enjoy the opportunity to celebrate the mothers in my life? Absolutely.

But there’s another, secret reason: Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to brunch. And I like to brunch.

Raves for Riesling

May 1, 2013

The first time that the food and wine pairing light bulb went off in my head, when I had a combination that really underscored how good a good combination can be, it was thanks to a bottle of Riesling.

My husband and I were at a restaurant in San Francisco and it was one of those perfect evenings. But what sticks in my mind is taking a bite of the smoked sea bass, then a sip of the Riesling, and thinking, “Oh. My. God.”

How to make a pan sauce

April 22, 2013

I think it’d be safe to say that over the last generation or so, we’ve all learned to cook more simply, quickly, healthily. Somewhere in the translation, though, we lost the ability to make a sauce. By that I don’t mean a heavy, gloppy concoction that gets slathered all over the plate. I mean a spoonful or two of something flavorful and wet to enhance our simply prepared foods.

The end, perhaps, of store bought bread

April 11, 2013

It all started back in January, when I resolved to cook more often and make homemade versions of some of the processed foods I buy—things like bread, cheese, pasta, and yogurt.

First, I made a few batches of rye. The next thing you know, it was bread-pallooza.

My very own photo studio

April 5, 2013

I’ve been working on a project for a few months now. It’s not a new cookbook—but I’m as excited as if it was.

It’s a remodeled office with my very own photo studio.

The magic of homemade mayonnaise

March 29, 2013

Store bought mayonnaise is a texture. It’s thick, slick, and, well, fatty. More than adding any discernible taste, it adds body and mouthfeel to foods.

Homemade mayonnaise, however, is an entirely different animal. More than a mere condiment, it’s a versatile sauce—one with all the thick, creamy attributes of the jarred stuff, but with real flavor, a delicious balance of sweetness and piquancy.

And takes about five minutes.

Spring chicken

March 21, 2013

It’s spring. Officially. Finally. And that makes me think of chicken.

Hasta la vista, baby

March 4, 2013

I’m currently at Rancho La Puerta, in Tecate, Mexico, being their visiting culinary instructor for the week. To get a sense of what an incredibly awesome honor it is to get to say that sentence, check out these posts from my previous visits, here, here, and here.

I’ll tell you all about it when I get back. But meanwhile, enjoy this recipe for Mexican Chocolate Brownies, which we’ll be making in class.

Magnificent Meyer lemons

February 25, 2013

I had almost forgotten them.

When I worked at Copia, Napa’s now-defunct center for food, wine, and the arts, we had them in the garden and used them constantly.

But that was over four years ago and I’ve hardly seen a Meyer lemon since.