You’ve seen them in Mexican restaurants. Made of volcanic rock, this Mexican version of a mortar and pestle can be used for grinding all sorts of ingredients but is most often used for preparing and serving guacamole. Available in many gourmet kitchen equipment shops, they are available by mail from…
With the arrival of harvest time, I have started getting e-mails about the clever little containers I use for freezing measured amounts of stock and other leftover foods. They are perfect for freezing measured amounts of fruits and vegetables from your garden or the farmers’ market. While you can put…
This hearty sandwich from Sara’s Secrets for Weeknight Meals (page 94) will make a memorable meal any time of the year. It is featured on Episode 102 of my public television show, Sara’s Weeknight Meals. Go to Weeknight Meals to find preparation, equipment, and ingredient tips. I just love fried…
I get a lot of questions about being left handed and how it affects the way I do things. Actually, it doesn’t affect me at all. There are several inconveniences I have to suffer of course because this is a right handed world. Every time I have to sign one…
Several years ago I was in West Palm Beach Florida for a Gourmet magazine sales meeting staying at the Four Seasons Hotel. I just happened to know the chef, Hubert des Marais, from several projects we had worked on together and the first moment I had a break I sought…
Sandwiches are a perfect choice for weeknight meals and this generously-topped burger is one of my all-time favorites. My first official cooking job was in the mid-seventies at a bar in Ann Arbor, Michigan (where I went to college), called the Del Rio. They featured live jazz on weekends. It…
The balsamic vinegar in this recipe and you can use the regular old affordable supermarket variety provides a sweet and sour base and great depth of flavor to this very quick sauce. This sauce would go nicely on sautéed pork chops or a flavorful fish such as salmon or bluefish…
From The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pépin (Houghton Mifflin, 2003) When we were kids, eggs were a staple on our table. Meat or poultry showed up there once a week at the most, and more often than not, our “meat” dinners consisted of a delicious ragout…
It’s summertime, the sun is blazing, and, if you’re lucky, you’re sitting on the beach or by the pool. But wherever you are, city or country, there’s one thing you want more than anything else: an ice-cold drink. This one fits the bill, especially if you take the trouble to…
This trio of summertime beverages can offer a time out from the latest heat wave. Try my Fresh Lemonade plain, with fresh berries, or crushed fresh mint. Special ice cubes intensify the flavor of my Watermelon Screwdriver and Frozen Café au Lait. The Fresh Lemonade recipe follows; you’ll find the…