Episodes

The Appetizer Strategy For Weeknight Meals Appetizer or Hors d’oeuvres? The appetizer strategy for weeknight meals. Today the words appetizer and hors d’oeuvres are used interchangeably. But traditionally, they’re different. Appetizers are considered a part of the meal while hors, d’oeuvres, a French word which when translated means, “outside of the work”, are served separately from the meal. Acclaimed French Chef, Auguste Escoffier, states in his cookbook that in a long ago age in Russia i...

Dips Are For Dunking Whipped feta dip. What do you think of when you hear the word “appetizer”? Chips and flavorless store-bought dips? Oh, they are so much more! In his very first cookbook, culinarian and teacher James Beard wrote, “I think it is delightful to have large bowls of cheese mixtures which are of a consistency that permits dunking.” Should we be having this conversation in the 1940s and 1950s when dips truly became a thing, the dipping sauce was called a “dunk”, and the “dip” ...

Feta Cheese The Origin is Greek, The Name Is Italian Feta cheese. It’s all Greek to me! No, really it is! I’m talking about feta, one of the most famous of Greek cheeses. In fact, 70 percent of the cheese eaten in Greece is feta. Greeks are fiercely protective of their beloved feta which dates back to the 8th century B.C. and is written about in Homer’s The Odyssey. While its origin is Greek, the name actually comes from the Italian word “fetta,” meaning “slice”. This is a reference to how...

Sandwich Making Tips Sandwich making tips. The sandwich is an easy meal for a life that’s lived on the run. And run we do! On any given day, one-half of Americans will consume a sandwich. Nearly half are eaten at lunch and one-third at dinner. The rest are consumed at breakfast or as a snack. History of The Sandwich: The Fast Life In fact, historians tell us that the fast life gave birth to the sandwich in Britain in 1762. John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, spent hours playing cards. ...

Smoked Paprika Cream Cheese Spread Smoked paprika cream cheese spread. Gobble, gobble. It’s turkey day. Wait. What? It’s not Thanksgiving! Turkey Isn’t Just For Thanksgiving Correct! But any day could be a good day for turkey! If you need to add variety into your meal rotation think turkey. The United States is the largest producer of turkeys in the world producing as much as the rest of the world combined. So there’s plenty of turkey to go around! For those of you on a mission to eat h...

Smoked Paprika: It’s Wispy Smoke and Embers Taking Flight Paprika: More Than Just A Pretty Spice Smoked Paprika: It’s wispy fire and embers taking flight. Some like it hot! But some do not! It has its own identity, but people confuse it with other reds. It sounds like the beginnings of a Dr. Seuss story, doesn’t it, but I’m actually talking about a spice – paprika! For many it’s no more than a garnish that adds color with a hint of flavor. Americans typically fancy up deviled eggs with a ...

How To Cook Chicken Chickens Are Smart, But Are We When It Comes To Cooking Them? How to cook chicken. Did you know that chickens are smart? While we tend to hear just a cluck-cluck here and a cluck-cluck there, all those clucks actually mean something. Chickens have their own language! Researchers have catalogued more than 30 chicken calls and alarms, such as calling their chicks, where to find food, and to warn about a predator. And the language seems to be universal across chicken breeds...

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Have you ever wondered where that phrase came from? The legend is that back in the day a chicken dinner costs maybe a couple of dollars. And if you happened to be a gambler and won a bet worth two dollars, the dealer would call out “Winner, winner, chicken dinner!” to note that you had been paid. Whether you have won your chicken dinner, or are purchasing some chicken to prepare your own dinner, it’s important to know the chicken ...

Baked Chicken Say hello to dining outdoors! April 23 is the National Picnic Day! Picnics are a wonderful way to celebrate the beauty of nature and time together free from distractions. The picnic dates back to mid-18th century France where outdoors dining simply included a bottle of wine, a loaf of bread, cheese and fruit. The French word is “piquenique” which sounds very much like the American word picnic. We also use the word “al fresco” to describe outdoor dining. This phrase has an Itali...

Jump From The Merry-Go-Round Into The Kitchen Jump from the merry-go-round into the kitchen. As a child my favorite piece of playground equipment was the merry-go-round. I would grab on, run as fast as I could, jump on, and then hang on for dear life. Especially if the merry-go-round had the momentum of several kids giving it a go. With every dizzying rotation it was a battle: Gavity vs me. Sometimes gravity won; sometimes I triumphed and stood proudly. I don’t think much as changed about ad...

Turmeric Egg Salad Not Your Grandmother’s Egg Salad A long held tradition is that the number of pleats in a traditional chef’s tocque, that tall, pleated white hat that chefs wear represents the number of ways that a chef can cook an egg which is 100. Eggs are delicious and I love them! The simplest way to prepare an egg is boiled. In my previous post, I shared how to perfectly boil an egg, and as promised today’s topic is what to do with that beautifully boiled egg besides peel and eat with ...

How To Perfectly Boil An Egg How to perfectly boil an egg. One of the best food advertising campaigns in recent history has to be the American Egg Board with their “Incredible, Edible Egg” campaign. Every time I eat an egg those words roll through my mind. Eggs Are A Powerhouse of Nutrition That’s because eggs are a powerhouse of nutrition. Although vilified for years, science is now coming back to where we started – recognizing the marvelous health benefits packed in the shell of a chicken...

How To Flavor Food Flavor Is King How to flavor food. There is a small counter space in my kitchen reserved for books that I like to have within spatula’s reach. Several books rotate in and out depending on my focus, but one always stays. The Flavor Bible First published in 2008, The Flavor Bible is an alphabetical listing of modern-day compatible flavors. Got a carrot soup in the works? Want to know which ingredient will add a pop of flavor? With a quick flip of a few pages, you’ll see th...

Take Your Tastebuds Oceanside With A Weeknight Meal of Crab Cakes There’s something about eating seafood that transports me oceanside with the sand between my toes, waves crashing, and the screech of seagulls. And crab is one of my favorites. While crab can be one of the more expensive items when dining out, it can actually be more affordable when you prepare it at home. It’s going to be more costly per person than hamburger meat, but who doesn’t need a special treat every now and then? Food...

Roasted Asparagus Screams Spring Is Here! Spring has sprung! Warmer weather is quickly replacing the gray of winter, giving us a colorful landscape of flowering trees, green grass, and budding rose bushes. And we can see it in the grocery store. One vegetable that screams spring is here is asparagus. From the farmer’s markets to the produce sections of the big box grocery stores, this lovely vegetable is waiting to be enjoyed on your dinner table. Cultivation of asparagus dates back 2,000 ye...

How To Make Sharing The Table A Priority It’s Never Too Early or Too Late How to make sharing the table a priority. It’s never too early or too late to develop good cooking and eating habits in your children. Teach Your Children The Value of Cooking and Sharing The Table When we make cooking a priority, we speak volumes to our children about the value of choosing healthy, nutritious food. When we share that scrumptious food at the table, we proclaim the value of family. Yet many of us str...

Soba Noodle Stir Fry Take A Staycation On A Weeknight Today I’m taking your tastebuds on a trip to the East with a soba noodle stir fry. If that doesn’t give you enough to talk about around the dinner table, the flavor combinations of this dish certainly will. When you take that perfect first bite, allow yourself a slow moment to savor the combination of the sweet and spicy sauce, the hearty noodles, and fresh vegetables. The origin of this healthy and economical meal is a cross of Chinese a...

Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette Capture The Brightness and Energy of Spring Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette. Spring is here and new life is blossoming, awakening us to happier moods, increased energy, and a desire to eat more fresh meals with vibrant-colored fruits and vegetables. My mission is to help you answer the most important question of the day, “What’s for dinner?”. One way to to do this is to take advantage of the beautiful berries we’re beginning to see in the grocery store. Capture the br...

Mise En Place for Weeknight Cooking Organization In The Kitchen Means More Time For Creativity Mise en place for weeknight cooking. A Successful Line Cook Excels At Execution Being a successful fine dining restaurant cook is all about execution. All orders for one table must come off the line at the same time for plating and presentation. The sheer effort it takes to do this well is compounded by the fact that several cooks are responsible for the food on a single plate, a cook for the stea...

Maple-Bourbon Ham Glaze Delight Your Guests At The Table With A New Take On An Old Dish Maple-bourbon ham glaze. Easter is just around the corner, and for many that means ham will take center stage on the dinner table. Ham is the high part of a leg cut from a hog. It dates back to 100s B.C. when people were known to salt hams for preservation and flavor. The Chinese also take credit for curing ham around 4900 B.C. after which its popularity spread in ancient Eurpoe and with the Romans throug...

Breakfast Casserole It’s Everything That Makes Breakfast Delicious! Breakfast casserole. If you’re like me, when the alarm clock rings every morning, life is a race. While this daily pace helps bring home the “bacon”, it’s not a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. It’s important to jump off the track and gather back together at the table for good food and conversation in the evening. But what about feeding yourself and your family in the morning? Today I’m sharing one of my favorite morning rec...

Top 10 Kitchen Tools | Part 2 Refresh Your Tools To Put Dinner On The Table In A Flash Posts Top 10 Kitchen Tools | Part 2. Julia Child once said, “In department stores, so much kitchen equipment is bought indiscrimately by people who just come in for men’s underwear.” Be A Discriminating Buyer of Kitchen Equipment Last week I started my list of Top 10 Kitchen Tools For Weeknight Cooking. Here’s a quick review: Number 10. Fish spatula. Number 9. Box grater. Number 8. Silicon spatula. N...

Homemade Tacos Forget Taco Tuesday! Everyday can taco day with homemade tacos. There is something simple and satisfying about eating a taco whether it’s a crunchy or soft taco. Chef Sandra’s taco seasoning works well with any variation of protein your heart desires, ground beef, chicken, steak, shrimp, fish, tofu, or tempeh. Then the fun begins; load up your homemade tacos with the toppings you prefer, cheese, sour cream, salsa, jalapeno, beans, slaw, and the list goes on. We Can’t Get Enoug...

Chipotle Pinto Bean Salsa A Delicous Makeover For a Familiar Bean Chipotle pinto bean salsa. Beans, beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat… No need to continue, you’ve heard the rest. Eat More Beans To Reduce Unpleasant Side Effects While eating beans can cause certain digestive challenges, the irony is this: The more you eat beans, the less likely you are to experience bean-induced side effects. Beans are naturally high in fiber, a primary source for plant protein, and other health b...