Every year in preparation for “Turkey 911,” On Good Morning America I read up on the latest turkey roasting methods and generally try out a few. This year I tried two new things (at least they were new to me): dry brining and cooking a turkey in an oven bag.…
My Black Thumb Whenever I teach a cooking class I always tell my students to read the whole recipe through from start to finish, before they begin to cook. That way they can avoid that unfortunate moment when the guests are seated and waiting at the dining room table and…
When I was on book tour in the spring a young woman showed up on my doorstep holding a flowerpot filled with popcorn, made completely out of chocolate. I was blown away. Her name was Beth Jackson Klosterboer and she told me she had worked as a chocolatier and event…
Last week I received this email from Kemp Minifie who was the director of the food department at Gourmet for many years before it shut down. And prior to becoming the director she worked in the test kitchen. I felt bad for myself when the magazine shut down because I…
I never thought I could have too many tomatoes in my house. And I mean the summer time- grown at a local farmer’s market -or in your back yard -kind of tomato. But that is the state I find myself in right now. We are on vacation at my parent’s…
Two weekends ago I went to my first ever county fair. I really did not know that this kind of old fashioned America still existed (I’m too much of a city kid!) and I have to say I was delighted. There was a big ferris wheel towering over the whole…
I did two food demos at the Taste of Dallas a couple of weeks ago and found the crowd quite lively despite the humid hot weather. It appeared that everyone in the crowd came from Texas and at least half from Dallas itself (unlike my audience in Atlanta where not…
My Vitamix Blender: For years I have wondered about the vitamix blender and whether it was really as fantastic as advertised. It appeared from the all the hype that the machine was so tough, so virile, you could throw a moose in there with a few ice cubes and make…
For many years I have gone to the Lake Austin Spa Resort, right outside of Austin Texas, to conduct cooking demos. In exchange, they give me room and board and treat me well. At first I just did it for a lark. I thought, what the heck, take the husband…
My last book tour has taken me all around the country, to smaller independent cookware stores in smaller cities that I normally don’t get to, like Des Moines, Madison, Savannah, and Anchorage. Everywhere I go I am working for my book sales. I have learned from past experience that unless…