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Escarole Soup with Meatballs
I was working at the Harvest Restaurant in Harvard Square in the late seventies when Peter Vezan, one of the managers, steered me to a little trattoria in Boston’s North End. It wasn’t much more than a hole in the wall, but it boasted some of the best down-home Italian…
Crispy Broccoli with Capellini in Broth
Once you have your pasta water at a boil and your broccoli cut into florets, this dish—a perfect weekday quick comfort meal—takes no time at all to prepare. The star here is the crispy broccoli. You create that crispness by allowing your pan and oil to get a lot hotter than…
Meet me in Cleveland, November 9th and 10th!
I hope you will join me at the Fabulous Food Show in Cleveland on November 9th and 10th. I will be doing three demonstrations and a variety of other events. Call 877-772-5425 or go to FFS for more information and to reserve your tickets. My schedule is: November 9th Main Kitchen Theatre…
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…
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,…