News
Pantry: What should you have in a well-stocked pantry?
I frequently get e-mails asking which items are essential when stocking your pantry. Here is my list. I am loosely defining the pantry as things you should keep on hand–not only in your cupboard (the literal pantry), but also in the fridge, the freezer, the dry vegetable bin and the…
Meringue: How to make a hard meringue pie crust.
Jane e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink for help making a hard meringue crust for her chocolate pie. She said, “As much as I whip it up, it shrinks while baking. What can I do to keep it from shrinking? If it is a dry day and you have headed all the…
Two Beard Foundation Broadcast Awards nominations!
Nominations for the Annual James Beard Foundation Awards were just announced and I am a finalist in two categories. Sara’s Weeknight Meals was nominated for Best TV Program in Studio or a Fixed Location and I was nominated for Outstanding Personality/Host. The winners will be announced on May 3 at the…
Wedding reception: How can you plan a special yet affordable wedding reception menu?
Last week I received an e-mail from the mother of a bride asking for help planning the menu for her daughter’s wedding reception. She wanted the meal to be one that everyone would enjoy but needed it to stay within a moderate budget. My suggestion is to create a theme…
Hope you tuned in to see me on Rachael Ray!
I was on the Rachael Ray Show on March 19th talking about how to save money by making the most of your freezer. Here is a link to the video.
Grilled Polenta with Mushroom Ragout
It seems to me that mushrooms must mean to vegetarians what steak means to carnivores. They are both stick-to-your-ribs, center-of-the-plate comfort foods. These days our supermarkets always boast a huge selection of mushrooms, many of which were terribly exotic a generation ago. My advice for this hearty vegetarian entree is…
I travel to Turkey for Episode 310.
Every country has its own weeknight food. For Episode 310, “Turkish Home Cooking,” I take a special journey to Turkey to discover how home cooks use its abundant natural resources to cook delicious everyday meals. We’ll travel to remote farms to cook from the land – kebabs, meatballs, pumpkin fritters and…
Hope you caught me on Rachael Ray on March 7th!
On March 7, I appeared on the Rachael Ray Show for a chat about how to make your food last longer. Here is the video.
March 22 and 23, you'll find me in Palm Desert!
I’m returning to Palm Desert, California on March 22 and 23 for the annual Food & Wine Festival Palm Desert. The event is uniquely educational and benefits the Friends of the James Beard Foundation, The Culinary Institute of America’s Endowed Scholarship Fund, and Les Dames d’Escoffier Scholarships. On Friday the 22nd, for…
In Episode 309, I raid the pantry to make three quick dinners.
Though some of us imagine that the pantry went out with the hoop skirt, most of us keep a steady supply of dry goods somewhere in the kitchen. When I talk about a pantry I mean not only the dried goods in your cupboard, but the vegetables you keep in…