News
Pine Nuts: Do pine nuts really come from pine trees?
Betty recently e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink to ask, “Do pine nuts really come from pine trees?” Yes, pine nuts (pignoli, piñon) are found inside the scales on pine tree cones. They vary in size and only the seeds of several pine varieties are large enough to process for the market.…
Cauliflower Soup with Caraway and Rye Croutons
What I love about vegetable soups like this one is that they boast the soul satisfying consistency of cream without actually containing any. Cooked and pureed, most vegetables are amazingly creamy all by themselves. (OK, some of them need to be pureed with potato to create the desired effect, but…
Safety: Hand Washing Tips
I recently received a post on Facebook saying that I don’t wash my hands enough when handling raw protein foods. I answered that hand washing is a problem when shooting a show because even if the sink is working (not just a set), you run into the problem of touching…
Is There a Return to Actual Expertise in Food?
On March 14 from 4 to 6 pm, I will take part in a panel discussion at The New York University Fales Library entitled YELP? HELP! Is There a Return to Actual Expertise in Food? Other panelists include, Eric Asimov, Chief Wine Critic & Former Temporary Restaurant Critic for The New York Times;…
11th Hour Substitutions
I have gotten lots of requests for the 11th hour substitutions that I demonstrated on the Rachael Ray Show. I am delighted that so many viewers enjoyed the show. Here are all my tips! Oil Substitutes in a dressing: Chicken broth version: Whisk together 1 tablespoon vinegar, pinch salt, little…
Spanish-style White Bean, Kale, and Chorizo Soup
In the early nineties, I went on a weeklong press trip to Spain. Other than learning everything there is to know about olive oil—the stated purpose of our trip—all we did for a week was eat ourselves silly and drink many bottles of beautiful Spanish wine. Not surprisingly, I fell…
Look for me on Rachael Ray today, February 21!
I am going to be on the Rachael Ray show today, February 21, talking about 11th hour substitutions. Hope you will tune in for lots of useful tips.
Syrup: How can I prevent homemade syrup from crystallizing?
Sheila recently e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink to ask, “in making pancake syrup, how do I keep sugar from settling on the bottom in hard form?” If your syrup crystallizes in the bottom of the bottle either the proportion of sugar to water is too high or the mixture wasn’t heated long…
Gingery Chicken Broth with Wonton Ravioli
This soup combines two of my favorite recipes—Eileen Yin Fei Lo’s gingery Chinese chicken broth and Jacques Pépin’s chicken breast stuffing—with one of my favorite techniques, wonton as ravioli. Eileen introduced me to Chinese-style chicken broth when she appeared on my show to make recipes from her book The Chinese Way.…
Oven-baked Chowder
I was born and bred in New York, but my roots are in New England, so you might say that chowder is in my blood. My family has always made New England-style chowder by starting with whole cod or haddock on the bone, because the bones are the key to…