Here’s how I make chocolate curls. I put them on pies, cakes, and ice cream sundaes. They make me feel frilly and fancy. Try them sometime!     Grab some Crisco and some semi-sweet baking chocolate. (Any brand will do, and you can even use semi-sweet chocolate chips if you’d like!)     Place three […]

The only reason I’m going to show you how to dice an onion is that I was an embarrassingly advanced age (relatively speaking) before I finally figured it out myself. And I want to share that with humanity! I don’t want you to be clueless like I was for so many wretched years.   Start […]

Have you ever tasted Hollandaise Sauce, and I’m not talkin’ the stuff in the paper packet? It’s dreamy. It’s a triumph. And it’s made with a lot of butter. Hollandaise sauce begins with a lemon juice and butter base, and is emulsified with the addition of egg yolks. Hollandaise is the chief ingredient in Eggs […]

One of my culinary shortcuts is called compound butter. Well, truthfully, just plain ‘ol butter is my shortcut to a better dish, but I want to show you how easy it is to make some fancy schmancy butter with some spices and fresh herbs. Compound butter is just butter + stuff mixed in. Though calling […]

  I just came back from a week of blissdom at the famous Rancho La Puerta spa in Tecate, Mexico, where they’re known for their invigorating hikes and healthy, low-calorie, mostly vegetarian gourmet meals. It’s a place where you go to recharge, restore and get back in touch with how wonderful nourishing food tastes and […]

  I love my guac! And if a big bowl is in front of me with fresh tortilla chips, I can eat the entire thing in one sitting. Just don’t expect me to share any of it! To make a big bowl of guacamole (I love saying that word), you have to start with lots […]

  Say hello to one of my favorite cuts of beef of all time: The Skirt Steak. Yes, even more than filet mignon (which, in fact, is my least favorite cut of steak because, though buttah-tender, I think it has the least flavor). So now that you know I’m all about the flavor, it’s no […]

  I think everyone should have a magical butter sauce recipe up their sleeves. One that you can pull out of a hat in an instant, without even looking the recipe up. Don’t know what to make for dinner and don’t have time to think? Take any ingredient, sear, steam, broil, grill or even microwave […]