Browned Butter

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

Asian Slaw

I love cooking for a number of reasons.  First, you never know it all…there’s always something to learn (which I’m sure can be said of every field).  However with cooking it’s simple enough to learn from taking cues from the world around you.  Second, I love the fact that unlike architecture, rocket science, and any other number of technical fields, … Read More

Food Network: “Chefs vs. City” Mix it Up at 700 Kitchen Cooking School

Note:  This was originally posted on May 3, 2010.  Due to the website going down with technical issues the April/May posts were deleted from the database.  In the interest of maintaining the original content of the site I’m now re-posting.   Left to right:  Sean Rossi, Kate Blair, Jamie Deen, Bobby Deen, Jonathan Preston, Darin Sehnert, Aaron Sanchez, Chris Cosentino, Danette McGeeney … Read More

Oprah Winfrey Video Audition: Chef Darin Needs YOU to VOTE!

By now many of you may know that Oprah Winfrey is launching her own network in January 2011.  To be called the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) it is currently in the development stages of programming.  Oprah Winfrey & Mark Burnett (Producer of Survivor and The Apprentice) are putting together a competition show that will ultimately have one lucky member winning … Read More

Safety is No Accident!

Note:  This was originally posted on April 29, 2010.  Due to the website going down with technical issues the April/May posts were deleted from the database.  In the interest of maintaining the original content of the site I’m now re-posting. As a chef it’s always embarrassing to be wearing an adhesive bandage…especially when you’re the one teaching knife skills!  People usually assume … Read More

“S“Chefs vs. City” Savannah All-Stars This Sunday!

  Note:  This was originally posted on April 27, 2010.  Due to the website going down with technical issues the April/May posts were deleted from the database.  In the interest of maintaining the original content of the site I’m now re-posting.  The date has finally arrived….This Sunday May 2nd at 9pm EST/PST.  If you’ve been reading previous posts or following along you … Read More

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