Like many cooks, I’ve heard about cooking sous vide (under vacuum), but not tried it because the necessary equipment is a bit expensive for experimenting. Fortunately for me, I’m the Culinary Expert at my local Williams-Sonoma, and I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with the Sous Vide Professional (TM) from PolyScience and [...]

Categories: seafood, technique
Tagged: Like m, seafood, sous vide, technique

Honestly, the third day of cooking was probably unnecessary. I could have just eaten these short ribs on the second day, but I wanted fresh noodles rather than mashed potatoes and I just didn’t have the time to make noodles, so they got an extra day of cooking. Day1. I dredged some beef short ribs [...]

Categories: beef, braising, entrée, pasta, technique
Tagged: beef, braising, entrée, pasta, technique

Over the past year I’ve seen a lot of posts about macarons filled with spectacular and stylish photographs and gushy praise for the cookies. I assumed that any cookie with stores dedicated to it and books written about it must be at least as special as the chocolate chip cookie, so I decided I, too, would take [...]

Categories: baking, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, rant, technique, vegetarian
Tagged: baking, cookies, dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, mother recipe, rant, technique, vegetarian

One of the more interesting Chinese cuisines is medicinal foods, foods that are designed specifically to aid in the correction of health problems while providing a nutritious and tasty meal. If you’d like an excellent introduction, I suggest Henry C. Lu, Chinese System Of Food Cures: Prevention & Remedies. Unlike the dietary “cures” often touted [...]

Categories: dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, infusing, technique, vegan, vegetarian
Tagged: dairy-free, dessert, gluten-free, technique, vegan, vegetarian

There’s a first time for everything, and this time was my first making focaccia. I’ve made various other breads, but never once had I made a flatbread of any sort. Somehow I’m not surprised that it’s easy. The process takes about 5½ hours, so have something else to do if you want to make this [...]

Categories: baking, bread, mother recipe, technique
Tagged: baking, bread, mother recipe, technique

Usually I avoid a complicated combination of multiple recipes in one post, but everything except the rub I put on the sirloin was made from scratch in class last Sunday so it certainly can be done in one post. Besides, the people attending the class insisted that I post it. First, the rub. I created [...]

Categories: Lunch, beef, condiments, entertaining, entrée, salad, searing, supper, technique
Tagged: condiments, entertaining, entrée, Lunch, main course, salad, supper, technique

Turn that plate with polenta around and you’ll find pollo alla cacciatora, or chicken cacciatore. It’s really a simple dish to make. The essential ingredients include carrots, onions, and celery, to make a soffritto; tomatoes, either canned or fresh, and some tomato paste; some wine; some cheese; a few fresh or dried herbs; mushrooms if you [...]

Categories: Lunch, braising, chicken, child friendly, entertaining, entrée, gluten-free, poultry, sauce, supper, technique, vegan, vegetarian
Tagged: chicken, entertaining, gluten-free, main course, supper, vegan, vegetarian

A good pâté is one my favorite things–humble ingredients transformed into a culinary delight. I particularly enjoy a nice mushroom pâté with fresh bread and sweet pickles for breakfast. Another thing I particularly like about pâté when cooked en terrine is that it isn’t particularly fussy–a few more minutes in the oven won’t make a [...]

Categories: baking, charcuterie, entertaining, gluten-free, mushroom, side dish, technique, vegetarian
Tagged: baking, charcuterie, entertaining, gluten-free, mushroom, side dish, technique, vegetarian

I was watching Top Chef: Las Vegas and saw one of the contestants struggling with sauce velouté. Really? You can’t make a blonde roux and mix it with white stock? So, for future contestants, here’s what you need to know, and I’ll even teach you how to make it into a soup. First, make a [...]

Categories: Soup, mother recipe, sauce, stock, technique
Tagged: mother recipe, sauce, Soup, stock, technique

I was out at Bob’s Red Mill yesterday to visit their store and do a bit of browsing for more flours. Somehow I managed to leave without the spelt and kamut flours that intrigued me, but I did get some interesting flours. I’m not gluten intolerant like some people, but I like producing excellent foods [...]

Categories: baking, bread, gluten-free, mother recipe, technique
Tagged: baking, bread, gluten-free, mother recipe, technique