My earliest experience with browned butter (beurre noisette in french culinary terms) was as a kid when we would visit The Old Spaghetti Factory. My absolute favorite item on their menu was (and still is to this day) their spaghetti with browned butter and Mizithra cheese. The saltiness of the dry Greek Mizithra cheese was perfectly paired with the nutty … Read More
Mmm…mmm…TOASTIE!
Recipes will often call for nuts or coconut to be toasted. Even if they don’t, flavor and texture is usually improved if they are toasted. Why You Should Toast Your Nuts: Why?: Toasting helps to concentrate natural oils to improve flavor as well as drive off excess moisture that would otherwise dilute the flavor. It also improves the textural aspects … Read More
Reviving Wilted Vegetables, Greens & Herbs
If you’re having problems keeping greens plump and crisp, or have wilted herbs, you can revive them by simply soaking in cold water.
Making the Most of Farmers Markets
If you’re lucky enough to have a farmers market in your area I hope you’re taking full advantage of it. Not because it is the “trendy” thing to do…but because you can often find unique items not commonly found in the big chain stores, will find that the produce typically tastes better because it has been picked when ripe and … Read More
Vegetable Spray –What do you Say……Yeah or Nay?
Peggi, a former guest of mine recently wrote me and asked about my thoughts on the use of non-stick vegetable oil sprays. “Did I like it and would I recommend that people use it?” she asked. Most definitely! Vegetable sprays (i.e. PAM and other such brands) are great for multiple reasons. My most common use is for spraying baking … Read More
Tomato Shortage
I just read a story on one of AOL’s blogs about how the cold temperatures in January have caused problems for chain restaurants sourcing tomatoes. It specifically cited Burger King and Subway. As stated in the story: “The chain has been running short on tomatoes for about week, leaving some disappointed customers without red ripe tomatoes on their Whoppers.” I … Read More
Flour Power
Are you one of those people who prefer cooking to baking? Even as professional chefs go, very few openly embrace both aspects…just watch some of the cooking competition shows on TV and you’ll very likely see the “headlights in the eyes of a deer” look from more than one contestant. “Baking is too exact…it’s a science and cooking is an … Read More