(Cue Bugs Bunny chomping on a carrot, “what’s up doc?”) If you happen to buy carrots with carrot tops, I urge you to think twice before throwing the carrot tops away! You’ve paid for them, and if they are still fresh and green, you may as well use them, right? Carrots are in the same family (apiaceae) as parsnips, coriander, fennel, and parsley. Not surprisingly the carrot greens taste a lot like parsley!...

Sorry, crust. You used to be my favorite part of quiche, but the rich and cheesy filling in this pie is the star event, and I didn’t even notice you were missing. Yes, you will forget all about the crust when you bite into the soft and ultra-creamy custard made with heavy cream and whole eggs and egg yolks. Grated cheddar, ham, and broccoli folded into the delicate custard add substance that is both pleasing and filling....

The Best Rice for Fried Rice Fried rice is a dish that is meant to repurpose leftover rice from a day or two before. The first time I tried cooking fried rice on my own, I made the mistake of using freshly cooked rice. Because it was still so moist and soft, resulting dish was far too gummy – nothing like what my mother cooked. I don’t even remember if I ate much of that batch of fried rice, but I certainly learned a big lesson!...

Granted, I’m sure it was quick and easy, but I wish she had made this Chicken Noodle Casserole instead. My Chicken Noodle Casserole is super creamy, thanks to a sauce I made from stock thickened with beurre manie (butter and flour) and sour cream. I finished the casserole with a blanket of melted cheddar on top, wide egg noodles underneath, and moist chunks of chicken throughout. It is impossible to stop eating it....

In this version of Chicken Normandy, or “chicken à la normande”, we are braising whole chicken legs in apple cider and brandy, and serving them with a sauce made with cooked apples, onions, and cream. Just the thing for the fall. We’re using whole chicken legs because the flavor is richer, and the dark meat holds up better to long braising. But you could just as easily use chicken breasts....

(And for helping to teach people how to say it correctly—“chee POAT leh”.) I love cooking with chipotles—smoked, dried, red jalapeños—especially those packed in adobo sauce. In this recipe we are making a simple salsa with fire roasted tomatoes, onions, lime juice, and chipotles packed in adobo, coating chicken breasts with the sauce, topping them with melty jack cheese, and baking them in the oven in a casserole dish. So easy!...

On first glance out of the oven, this Citrus Olive Oil Cake looks quite simple. Humble, even. But this is a cake that makes the house smell so sweet and fragrant, a cake you truly can’t stop eating. You’ll want to sneak a slice at the end of a long day with a glass of wine. And then you’ll be tempted to have a slice in the morning with your coffee....

This year I got tasked with bringing an appetizer to our yearly neighborhood party. Knowing that the main courses would likely include rather heavy (but delicious! I’m not complaining) mac-n-cheese casseroles and lasagnas, I thought I would bring something with light and crispy endive. These endive “boats” were a hit! Crisp, tender, just slightly bitter endive leaves form the perfect vehicle for a little curried chicken salad. Think of them as fancy lettuce cups, with an even better shape for appetizer bites....

You don’t need measuring cups, a recipe, or even a specific water-to-rice ratio – fill a pot with water, add the rice, bring it to a boil, then simmer until the rice is tender. Drain the rice, return it to the pot, and let it steam in its own residual heat until you’re ready to serve. Super easy, right? It’s nothing fancy, but I promise that it gets the job done....

You hear it before you see it: the sound of someone’s laugh being drowned out by ice hitting a cold glass. The hot hiss of food hitting the grill, the scrape of a peel taking homemade pizza out of a wood-burning oven. You see long tables stretched out lazily in the sun-spattered yard, pockets of seating areas asking to be filled. Tucked in the corner, you’ll find a small pool, its glassy exterior waiting to be disrupted....

(Just kidding!) Growing up in a family of six kids, we are all rather competitive eaters. Basically, whoever finishes first gets seconds. And you’re going to want to have seconds of these garlic mashed potatoes. How to Make the Best Garlic Mashed Potatoes Use Yukon Gold potatoes, which will make the mashed potatoes extra creamy, beyond what you get from the recipe’s butter and cream. Yukon Golds are simply the best potato for creamy mashed potatoes....

Contemplating a waffle maker of your own? Maybe you have one, but only haul it out a few times a year. Either way, stick around! I’m sharing tips on how to get the most out of your waffle maker: which ones we like, how to make cleanup a snap, and waffle hacks worth knowing. Types of Waffle Makers Why are waffles great? Surface area. The more crevices a waffle has, the more crispy-crunchy pockets to hold maximum syrup – or whipped cream, or sauce, or whatever you dream of drenching it with!...

Whatever glaze you use, you can sprinkle the whole lattice pie top with some sanding or turbinado sugar. It adds sparkle and crunch to the baked pie. How Do You Keep Your Lattice Pie Crust from Burning? You want that beautifully browned pie crust, but the edges of the pie may brown faster than the rest of the pie. You can buy a pie shield, but it’s easy to make your own from aluminum foil....

Why Steaming Hard Boiled Eggs Make Them Easy To Peel Some of the air from the hot steam permeates the egg shell making the egg more easy to peel. Video! How to Steam Hard Boiled Eggs Now I love my tried and true method for cooking hard boiled eggs, mostly because I can space out on the timer and the eggs will still turn out fine, not green and overcooked. But sometimes they’re hard to peel....

Cooking these hard squashes is a snap in a pressure cooker like the Instant Pot. You can have a steaming, creamy bowl of butternut squash soup on the table in about 45 minutes! 3 Easy Steps to Butternut Squash Soup This soup is made in three easy steps: How to Make Thicker Soup Love really thick butternut squash soup?! Add just half of the recommended amount of broth, puree, and then stir in additional broth as needed until you reach the consistency you prefer....

Anything More Than Empty Hands Is Acceptable There are two essential ingredients for a potluck: people and food. These go hand-in-hand since the food is brought and eaten by the guests themselves. It’s a fun communal activity that also takes some weight off the poor host. So can you show up to a potluck empty-handed? Heck no. That’s the whole point! I would never show up at a potluck without something in hand, and I certainly wouldn’t want to open my front door during a potluck and find an empty-handed friend standing there....

What sets a classic Jewish-style brisket apart from other preparations? It’s typically sweeter and incorporates some sort of tomato product. What Makes This Brisket Special? Like any traditional recipe, it’s going to vary from family to family, grandmother to grandmother, and so on. What most Jewish-style briskets share in common is a sweet component in the braising liquid. In this Jewish brisket, I rely on ketchup and brown sugar to add a touch of sweetness, but other recipes might call for white sugar, chili sauce, or even Coca-Cola....