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Cheese: What causes cheese sauce to have a gritty texture?
Pam recently e-mailed the Kitchenshrink to ask, “When I make a cheese sauce starting with a roux of flour and butter then adding milk and cheese it sometimes gets a gritty texture. What causes this?” I thought perhaps it was caused by overheating but wasn’t sure so I asked my friend Jean…
Jean Anderson’s “Crisps, Cobblers, Custards & Creams.”
Jean Anderson describes her latest book, “Crisps, Cobblers, Custards & Creams,” as “a global collection of the puddings I like best, all-time family favorites retrieved from dusty attics plus dozens of unusual recipes that caught my fancy while traveling at home and abroad.” Chances are you’ll find your favorite desserts…
My buddy, Chef Rick Bayless, has started an online video subscription; you should sign up.
I bet you could use a few quick Mexican cooking classes to perk you up. My buddy, Chef Rick Bayless, one of the best teachers on the planet, has started an online video subscription as a way to raise money to pay for his workers. You should sign up! Here are more…
Potatoes: What is the best way to store potatoes?
I am often asked, “what is the best way to store potatoes?” “Should I store them at room temperature, refrigerate them, put them in an open bowl, or a tight plastic bag?” Potatoes keep best when placed in a well-ventilated container and stored in a dry location, away from sunlight,…
Shallots and Onions: Can they be interchanged?
There are many varieties of both shallots and onions within the species Allium cepa. They vary in appearance in that shallots grow in clusters attached at the bottom and each onion is an individual. But there doesn’t seem to be a consensus as to which is stronger in flavor. Perhaps…
#mymomsdollhouse
Here is a before and after shot of the miniature couch I found in my Mom’s dollhouse which I am renovating – My brother- in- law, John Murphy, just retired from his very intense job as the President of Rhode Island Hospital, is quite the woodworker! (who knew?) When I…
Biscuit Sticky Buns
This is a great recipe based on cream biscuits. Normally, sticky buns are made with yeast dough, which scares off lots of folks. These are blessedly yeast-free. But you don’t have to tell your brunch guests. Let them assume that you got up at the crack of dawn to give…
What is the easiest way to Roast Peppers?
There are a number of ways to roast peppers; all are easy. I have used roasted red peppers in all of my books and here are the instructions I’ve included to help readers make them: If you have a gas stove, turn on one burner to a low flame for…
Need an all-purpose salad dressing ready to use in your fridge? Here’s the recipe for my favorite homemade vinaigrette with variations.
I frequently get requests for a good homemade salad dressing and now that we are all cooking more at home it seems like a good time to remind you of my favorite vinaigrette. My refrigerator is never without it. It is good on any basic savory salad and can be…
Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chorizo and Greens
Soup for supper! Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Chorizo and Greens — it’s so easy to make. No chorizo around? Any pork product will do: Canadian bacon, pancetta, Italian sausage, regular bacon, kielbasa…heck, even hotdogs. Don’t eat meat? Just leave out the pork and add a generous sprinkling of smoked Spanish paprika. Serve…