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Brunch: Can you suggest an easy brunch recipe that will please a variety of tastes?
Toni e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink that she was planning a brunch for a friend’s wedding shower and needed an easy main dish that would satisfy both vegetarians and meat lovers. One of my favorite dishes to serve for a company brunch is a strata because it can be assembled the…
Limes: How can I get the most juice from a lime?
Betty e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink that she had some limes that were especially firm and wondered if there was a “secret” to getting the most juice from them. Now there is a question that I get so frequently that I put a sidebar in Sara Moulton Cooks at Home with…
Potatoes: What are the green patches you find on potatoes and are those potatoes safe to eat?
Heather recently asked the Kitchen Shrink if it is safe to eat potatoes that were green in places. If potatoes are exposed to light for a period of time, the toxic alkaloid, solanine, develops just under the skin causing the area to turn green. Not only would this area taste…
Comfort Food
Several years ago I was asked to contribute a recipe and inspirational message to a cookbook, “The Susan G. Komen/Pink Plaid Cookbook” The money from the sale of this book was to go to cancer research. The recipe was easy. I sent in something very homey, “gingerbread pancakes with butterscotch…
Baking: How can I get my cookies to brown evenly?
Sharon e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink that her cookies always get dark on the bottom before the top begins to brown. She wondered what she can do to get them to bake evenly. There are several things that affect the way cookies brown. The best way to get them to brown…
Seafood: Is it better to buy wild or cultivated mussels?
Mary Lou e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink that she was confused by the choice of mussels in her market. She wondered if wild or cultivated mussels are the best choice. Most of the mussels we find in restaurants, fish stores and supermarkets are blue mussels from North Atlantic waters. They probably…
Avocados: Can avocados be frozen?
Becky wrote to the Kitchen Shrink that her brother can send her cases of avocados from Texas but she needs a way to preserve them. She wondered if she could freeze them or freeze her homemade guacamole, and if so, how? According to the California Avocado Commission, avocados can be…
Broccoli: What can you do with broccoli stems?
Sandy e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink that she hated to throw away the stems from fresh broccoli and wondered what she could use them for. Broccoli stems are just as delicious as the tops and can be used in either raw or cooked dishes. You should trim off the bottom 3/4-…
Shrimp: How can I cook shrimp so they will stay tender?
Terri e-mailed the Kitchen Shrink to ask for help in cooking shrimp. She said that no matter how she cooks them, her shrimp seem tough. Whether you deep fry, sauté, stir-fry, steam or boil shrimp, they cook to tender, juicy perfection very, very quickly and then overcook. Shrimp should be cooked just…
On June 7th I will be the Keynote Speaker for “Savor: A Spectacular Evening with Jacques Pépin” at Newport Vineyards.
On Thursday, June 7th, I will join Jacques Pépin for a Fund-Raising Dinner Gala celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Community Kitchen at the RI Food Bank and it’s new collaboration with the Jacques Pépin Foundation. The event will be held at the Newport Vineyards in Middletown, Rhode Island. I…