In the past, I justified buying a dozen croissants for myself because it was only $5.99—that’s 50 cents per croissant—and I could split a pack with a friend or give them away. But the completionist in me has found the perfect way to use up all 12 croissants within one week—including freezing, which I know is slightly cheating. You can definitely go through the entire box without freezing if you’re feeding a family of two or more people....
There was a time when I would’ve said, “Never use pre-chopped garlic.” That time was before I made 3 meals a day, 7 days a week for a family of four, for more than a decade and counting. And also pre-Covid when my dad came by for dinner 4 times a week, and lunch, I would cook for him too. (Dad’s fine by the way, just social distancing.) Fresh garlic, like any whole, raw ingredient in the kitchen, is less expensive than prepared counterparts, more environmentally friendly (no containers, no processing), and provides more opportunities in the kitchen....
I love the free-form nature of this bread. Since you shape it in the hot pan (move quickly and make sure to not burn your fingers!), it develops a wonderfully irregular texture on the outside, charred in some places and soft in others, making it perfect for mopping up stews and long-cooked vegetables. It’s also delicious straight out of the pan drizzled with a little honey or spiced ghee. Ways to Adapt this Recipe Once you master the basic recipe, you can add a few pinches or warm spices to the dough....
She also gifts us with boxes of them, and so—with some practice—I’ve learned both how to correctly break one down, and how to get creative with recipes. And while mango chutney, and dried mangoes are some of my favorites, what I love best is adding mango to my margaritas. Big batches of frozen mango margaritas, to be exact! Batched drinks when you’re putting drinks out for a crowd, or even just two people, means that you can break out your big glass measuring cups and just pour directly into them....
Mom made a delicious chicken soup today with just chicken broth and vegetables, no chicken meat. It was so good, I just had to get the instructions down before I forgot. The most important thing of course is the chicken stock. If it all possible use chicken stock you’ve made from bones or backs (see chicken stock recipe.) If you are looking for a more robust chicken soup, check out our Chicken Noodle Soup made with stock from a whole chicken....
There’s the time factor—lasagna is hands-off once it’s in the oven, but it typically takes an extended time to bake, which means it makes your kitchen hotter than maybe you want it to be. Or maybe you’d rather be outside doing outside summer things than cooking a big lasagna. And there’s all that cheese. I love cheese, but too much of it in the summertime when it’s already hot, weighs me down (I’d much rather take my dairy in ice-cold form—are you with me?...
The dough is dreamy and the Japanese tangzhong method of cooking milk and flour together is the secret to its softness. I confess I almost like it more than brioche! In addition to the tender, delicate dough, these rolls have a robust dose of cinnamon, sugar, and butter spiraled throughout. For the finishing touch, I slather them with buttery vanilla cream cheese icing. Make them once and these rolls will become part of your weekend repertoire too!...
What I love about this way of preparing salmon is that the panko topping seems to hold in the salmon’s moisture while roasting, so the salmon doesn’t get dried out at all. Some honey mustard spread over the top of the fillets provides the “glue” that holds the seasoned panko on to the fillets. The result? Salmon that is perfectly tender, flakey, and seasoned. And it takes less than 30 minutes to make!...
Peaches, nectarines, and all manner of stone fruit are glorious in summer. Here is a simple and delicious peach cobbler recipe slightly adapted from Sunset Magazine that we’ve used for several years. Feel free to experiment with the ratios and the fruit in this peach cobbler recipe. You can easily add in some blueberries or nectarines. Video: How to Make Peach Cobbler The Best Peaches for Cobbler Use ripe, sweet, flavorful, firm yellow peaches....
I also love how the salty flavors of the prosciutto complement the subtly sweet flavor of roasted asparagus. For this dish, look for asparagus spears that are pretty thick (about 16 to 18 spears per pound). Thin asparagus spears are more difficult to wrap with the prosciutto and tend to dry out too easily in the oven. To prepare the asparagus, snap off the rough, woody ends at the bottom of the spears....
My mom doesn’t really like pumpkin, so the only encounters that I had with it before adulthood were in the form of store-bought pumpkin pies in those crinkly aluminum tins topped with a dollop of partially frozen cool whip. Not exactly the tastiest introduction! A Favorite Pumpkin Treat Maybe it was fate, but I discovered my love of baking around the same time that a certain coffee chain debuted pumpkin spice to the masses....
You know what “hangry” is, right? It’s irritation or anger brought on by intense hunger. Been there? We have, too. So our team is always putting our heads together to come up with great snack ideas that the whole family will love come game or movie night. Enter: Queso Blanco. Video: How to Make Queso Blanco What Is Queso Blanco? Queso Blanco is essentially a gussied up version of a white cheese dip....
My father loves radishes. Whereas some parents put out cookies and chips for their kids for snacks, my dad put out radishes for us, and still does. Crunchy and cool, they’re a great snack! Cut up and tossed with some lemon, oil, mint, and pistachios, they make a great little salad too, or a lovely side for steak, Mexican pulled pork, or tacos. We tossed the radishes with toasted pistachios; I’ve also made with with toasted sunflower seeds, equally good....
Of course, I ordered it, thinking I could use a good German sausage in a bun. (You have my permission to pound your head on the wall now.) I mean, who in America didn’t grow up with those fast food joints with the giant hot dogs on the top of them? That was schnitzel, right? When the order came, I was stunned by how far off it was from what I was expecting; even my gracious hosts had a hard time believing me when I told them that in America, a wiener schnitzel was a hot dog (at least where I was from in suburban California)....
Let’s enjoy the early autumn colors and celebrate the change of seasons. The meals I remember most are those shared with friends. I often meet new acquaintances this time of year through school activities and kids sporting events. What better way to make new friends than to welcome them to the table? Not only do these meals taste great but you can also double them with little extra effort. This week’s meals offer a variety of flavors that will be a sure hit for friends and family....
Here’s a shrimp and asparagus skillet recipe that scores high on all points. It only takes half an hour start to finish, and only uses one pan. And the taste? Wow! I was really surprised by this one. First you sauté onions and garlic, then add diced new potatoes with a little water, cover and let cook for a few minutes until the potatoes are almost cooked through. Then you add asparagus, cook a minute more, then shrimp with some lemon juice and zest....
There’s also room for maneuvering; add more or less wine or cream to taste; leave out the pine nuts if you can’t be bothered; add some asparagus or cream cheese if you want; use smoked trout or sturgeon instead of the salmon. The essentials are smoked fish, lemon, garlic, and pasta with some olive oil, wine, and or cream binding them together. Once the pasta is done, and before draining the pasta, scoop out one cup of the pasta cooking liquid and reserve....
I took the extra step of cooking some broccoli along with the chicken to round out the meal. It cooks in a separate bag but at the same temperature. New to Sous Vide? Start Here I think sous vide is something that all home cooks can – and should! – learn to do because it takes a lot of the stress and guesswork out of cooking. You can prep your food in advance in the bags and then cook it when you have time....
There is one cooking technique that I’ve been turning to frequently in my kitchen this summer, and that’s sous vide! With this technique, I can sous vide steaks, burgers, or chicken so they’re perfectly cooked (literally, perfectly), and then finish them on the grill to sear the outside and give them some char-grilled flavor. Video: Sous Vide Korean BBQ Chicken What Is Sous Vide Cooking? For those of you who may be wondering, sous vide means “under vacuum” and it just means sealing your food, getting out as much air as possible, and then cooking it in a water bath at a very specific temperature....
