For Father’s Day, take a tip from Dad and grill

June 16, 2011

My dad is a master of the grill.

When I say that you might picture a funny-pages version of dad-as-griller, an only-on-weekends, back yard cook who humorously and consistently builds an unnecessarily huge fire, grills only the simplest of steaks, chops, and burgers, and serves them all just this side of incinerated. My dad, that is not.

Spring project: Clean out your spice drawer!

May 25, 2011

Why? Because just like the rest of us, dried herbs and spices get old and tired. After about six months, or a year at the most, they don’t have the same vim and vigor that newer, fresher spices have. And so they need to be replaced.

How to make soup out of pretty much any vegetable, quickly and easily

February 19, 2011

One of the dishes I made for a recent winemakers dinner was from my book – a silky, sexy Mushroom Sherry Soup. As I demonstrated cooking it for the group, I explained that they could use the same basic method to make soup out of pretty much any vegetable. They were so delighted to learn how quick and easy it is to make homemade soup that I thought I’d share it with you, in the hopes of delighting you, too.

Winter project: Braise something

January 31, 2011

Let’s talking about cooking methods, shall we? Generally speaking, they can be categorized as fast or slow and wet or dry.

How to make perfect pasta in 9 easy steps

January 20, 2011

I know, I know. Cooking pasta is, literally, as simple as boiling water.

But the truth is that a lot of people have a lot of questions and a lot of misconceptions about it. So, in the interest of perfect pasta, let’s take it one step at a time.

All about olive oil, part two

December 7, 2010

In the last post, in honor of Hanukkah and in celebration of all things olive oily, we talked about the differences between virgin, extra virgin, and non-virgin, or pomace, olive oils. We also talked about why some extra virgins cost $8 and others cost $20, the International Olive Oil Council, how it’s perfectly okay to cook with inexpensive olive oil, and how you shouldn’t cook with $20 olive oil.

All about olive oil, part one

December 2, 2010

In all the time I’ve been teaching cooking classes, the things that students ask about most often are salt and olive oil. I think this is because a) they’re common in every kitchen, and b) the choices for each are multiplying quickly. So we’re intimately familiar with, and yet increasingly confused by, both.

Video: The hows and whys of brining, turkey or otherwise

November 22, 2010

As I explain in this video that I made a couple of years ago at now-defunct Copia, brining is so simple – and it makes such difference.

It’s basically soaking protein in a saltwater solution to enhance both flavor and texture. The solution can be enhanced with sugar, herbs and spices, and aromatics like onion and garlic, but it’s not necessary. Just salt will do the trick.

Fall project: Homemade mozzarella

November 5, 2010

This week I had the opportunity to practice what I preach – that is, just because something doesn’t turn out the first time doesn’t mean you should give up and never try that again.

What’s an heirloom tomato anyway?

September 15, 2010

It’s getting towards the end of tomato season, but farmer’s markets, supermarkets, and back yards are still brimming with “heirloom” varieties. So you might be wondering, what the heck is an heirloom tomato anyway?