News
Peppercorns: All about peppercorns
When I am freshly grinding pepper during a demo I often get questions about the different types of peppercorns and their origins. Real peppercorns are the berries that grow in grapelike clusters on the Piper nigrum plant, a climbing vine native to India and Indonesia. They are processed differently to…
Fried Green Tomato Sandwich with Goat Cheese
Makes 4 servings Hands-on time: about 30 minutes Total preparation time: 30 minutes 3 large green tomatoes (10 to 12 ounces each) Kosher salt Quick Herb Sauce (recipe follows) 1/2 large sweet onion 8 ounces soft goat cheese Freshly milled black pepper 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal 2 tablespoons extra virgin…
Tom's Apple Macaroon
Tom Mackie, a family friend, sent me this recipe during the summer and I saved it to share just as local apple season is reaching it’s peak. Here is the note he sent with it: “I’m sure you have a recipe for something like this already, but for your amusement…
Kielbasa and Celery Root Salad
When I came up with the idea for this salad I was focusing on the celery root part of it. Celery root, also known as celery knob or celeriac, is the thickened aromatic root of a variety of celery plant with a dense crunchy texture. In France, it is often…
Egg Foo Yung
When I was growing up, egg foo yung was a very popular item on Chinese take-out menus and in most Chinese Restaurants. In recent years, however, it seemed to disappear. Reading a recipe for egg foo yung in an old cookbook not long ago, I was struck by its adaptability.…
Cookware: Caring for Cast Iron
I recently got an e-mail from Terry asking why I often recommend cast iron skillets. She said she finds hers hard to take care of. I am such a fan of cast iron that I devoted a whole page in Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Mealsto it. Here’s an abbreviated version…
Brie, Bacon, and Spaghetti Frittata
Here’s how to turn your leftover pasta into a new meal in the form of an Italian omelet. You can bulk it up with just about anything kicking around in the fridge—including leftover vegetables, meat, and poultry. If you have one of those great old cast-iron skillets, use it for…
Eggs: What do eggs do in baking?
Karen e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink to ask, “What do eggs do in baking?” In addition to their nutritional value, eggs can provide structure, leavening, richness, color, and flavor to baked products. The height and texture of baked goods is determined by the balance between eggs and flour which provide strength,…
Provençal Tomatoes
Nothing beats fresh tomatoes in season. Usually I just slice them, salt them, drain them, and eat them straight up with avocado and basil and a drizzle of olive oil. (My sister-in-law Janis introduced me to this perfect lunch one summer vacation.) But even perfection gets boring after a while,…
Baked Orzo and Cheese
I can’t tell you how hard I tried when the kids were little to come up with a homemade macaroni and cheese that they would choose to eat over that stuff in the box. They just weren’t interested. But now that they are older and have traveled a little bit,…