This post is less about a recipe than it is about a concept of a meal. I whipped up this steak salad a few days back from a great variety of goodies in the fridge, it was the perfect meal for a warm spring evening. Once I had everything arranged on the platter I drizzled a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette... Continue reading

As promised, here is a recipe for all of you industrious types that went about making homemade ricotta after reading last week's post. I made a double batch of the batter that yielded 2 loaves, and tossed one in the freezer for consuming later. It'll be a great thing to pull out for last minute company. You may be tempted... Continue reading

Man......if I had only known how simple making my own homemade ricotta was, I would have tried it YEARS ago. The only special pieces of equipment you need are some swaths of cheesecloth and an instant-read thermometer. With these tools on-hand and about an hours worth of time, I'm here to tell you that if you can stir a spoon,... Continue reading

I'm baaaack..... Hey gang, I'm sorry it's been a while since I've posted, but its taken me a few weeks to get my schedule organized after starting my new job to where I've been able to put some time aside for Oui, Chef. It turns out that I started at America's Test Kitchen at the very busiest time of year,... Continue reading

Just a quick post today as I have such a busy weekend what with the Easter holiday AND a family birthday to shop-plan-cook for, but it's been a while since I posted and I'm anxious to check in with you all. First, I had a GREAT week working my new gig at America's Test Kitchen. Everyone I've met, and especially... Continue reading

Those of you who have been with us for a while have heard me talk about the work I do with the Share Our Strength organization as a Chef Instructor in their "Cooking Matters" cooking classes. The classes, which teach basic cooking skills to folks struggling with food insecurity and providing meals for their families on a very tight budget,... Continue reading

These are a slight twist on some cookies I made a couple of years back that I pitched as a perfect breakfast treat. I know, cookies for breakfast....what could be better, huh? Especially if you've got kids. I mean can you imagine the love that will be flowing your way when you tell them you've made them cookies for breakfast?... Continue reading

Paleolithic eating, or "Paleo" for short is all the rage these days. In a nutshell, the paleo diet consists of foods that only our most ancient ancestors would have eaten, like lean meats, fruits, nuts, and vegetables (this all prior to the advent of agrarian living). Conspicuously absent from a paleo diet are more "modern" foods such as dairy products,... Continue reading

This salad was inspired by one I ate a few times while living in Paris. While there, we occasionally grabbed lunch at a trendy little joint called L'Avenue on avenue Montaigne in the city's chic 8th arrondissement. There was hardly anything better than sitting on the restaurant's terrace on a spring day, washing down a chilled haricot vert salad with... Continue reading

Every time I make twice baked potatoes I curse myself for not making them more often. They are hardly more work than a traditional baked potato, and while the ingredients aren't really different (I usually put butter, sour cream and chives on my baked spuds) something magical seems to happen when you fully mix the topping into the flesh of... Continue reading

The kitchen gods were good to me this week. Just as I was noodling on what to do with an almost full container of ricotta cheese in my fridge (leftover from making these seafood ravioli), this gorgeous recipe for a ricotta based cake arrived at my doorstep courtesy of my friends at Bon Appétit Magazine. This one comes together quickly,... Continue reading

How many of you have ever made your own pasta? I know it can seem a bit daunting, and with high-quality dried and fresh pastas available everywhere these days, many of us can't be bothered with making it from scratch. But can I tell you something? Once you experience the ritual of making your own and then taste how clearly... Continue reading

The latest issue of Bon Appétit Magazine had a feature on how to make all sorts of different energy bars from scratch, and of the half-dozen or so that they shared, this one struck me as the one to give a try. I think it mostly had to do with the binder made from tart cherries, rice syrup and salt... Continue reading

I love potatoes! Whether they be white, sweet, or purple; smashed, whipped, or fried....you name it and if its made with a spud I'm a fan. That said, I do recognize their nutritional challenges (especially white varieties), and often lament the fact that the creamy dollop of mashed potatoes smiling back at me from the center of my plate, offer... Continue reading

I've had a lot of time to catch up on food magazine reading over the past few weeks as the Northeast has been pounded with FOUR significant snowstorms that have kept us all locked up and out of harm's way. As luck would have it I had all of the ingredients for this special treat on-hand during the first of... Continue reading

Beans, beans the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you….. I don’t need to complete the rest of that limerick for you now, do I? I didn’t think so. The fact is, that little ditty is burned into the minds of most kids by the time they’re ten years old, and may go a long way toward explaining... Continue reading