Archive for 2021
Learn about Chinese New Year traditions from this new children’s book.
Friday is the start of the Chinese New Year. My buddy Jeannie Chen, an accomplished food stylist and recipe developer, is also a fine illustrator and has done all the illustrations for this new children’s board book by Michele Wong McSween. It’s the perfect introduction for little humans to learn all about…
“How can I keep chocolate chip cookies from spreading during baking. I love a plump cookie” 🍪 is a question from Karen McCarthy Pratt addressed to my website column, “The Kitchen Shrink.”
My answers are based on the assumption that you used the original Tollhouse cookie recipe. There are several reasons why your cookies might be spreading: The dough is too soft. It might have sat out too long on the counter before you baked the cookies, or you might have let the…
My buddy, Chef Rick Bayless, has started an online video subscription; you should sign up.
I bet you could use a few quick Mexican cooking classes to perk you up. My buddy, Chef Rick Bayless, one of the best teachers on the planet, has started an online video subscription as a way to raise money to pay for his workers. You should sign up! Here are more…
#mymomsdollhouse
Here is a before and after shot of the miniature couch I found in my Mom’s dollhouse which I am renovating – My brother- in- law, John Murphy, just retired from his very intense job as the President of Rhode Island Hospital, is quite the woodworker! (who knew?) When I…
What is the easiest way to Roast Peppers?
There are a number of ways to roast peppers; all are easy. I have used roasted red peppers in all of my books and here are the instructions I’ve included to help readers make them: If you have a gas stove, turn on one burner to a low flame for…
Need an all-purpose salad dressing ready to use in your fridge? Here’s the recipe for my favorite homemade vinaigrette with variations.
I frequently get requests for a good homemade salad dressing and now that we are all cooking more at home it seems like a good time to remind you of my favorite vinaigrette. My refrigerator is never without it. It is good on any basic savory salad and can be…
Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chorizo and Greens
Soup for supper! Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chorizo and Greens — it’s so easy to make. No chorizo around? Any pork product will do: Canadian bacon, pancetta, Italian sausage, regular bacon, kielbasa…heck, even hotdogs. Don’t eat meat? Just leave out the pork and add a generous sprinkling of smoked Spanish paprika. Serve…
Vegetarian Tortilla Pizza
You can make this Vegetarian Tortilla Pizza in 25 minutes with mostly pantry ingredients! I love black beans and the way they play so nicely with other ingredients. In this recipe, those ingredients include garlic, onions, and chipotles. Spread on cumin-and-oregano-scented tortillas, you end up with little Mexican pizzas. When…
Love biscuits but don’t have biscuit mix on hand? Here’s how to make your own.
These days we are all baking a bit more than usual and if you love biscuits, you can get them in the oven a lot faster if you have homemade biscuit mix on hand. You will find a number of recipes on line for a homemade substitute for commercial biscuit…