with Greg Patent, Award Winning Cookbook Author
I have often said that a recipe is a guide. It’s a road map to success just so long as you follow the described path. When baking, sticking to amounts and methods, especially if it’s the first time you’re making a recipe, is essential. But…
When I haven’t made up my mind what to cook for dinner, I usually let the vegetables in the market guide me. Recently, asparagus won me over. To me, it’s the queen of vegetables, and I felt that the queen deserved to be celebrated in…
I am completely smitten with a smashing new cookbook on Russian cooking, “T-Bone Whacks and Caviar Snacks” (2018, University of North Texas Press), written by Sharon Hudgins, a Russian scholar and former University of Maryland professor. Sharon and I have known each other for many…
A couple of months ago my wife asked me what I’d like for my birthday dinner. I thought for a moment and said that it had been years since we’ve enjoyed real Maine lobster. Rather than spend a lot of money dining out why not…
In the summer, I cook up all sorts of greens and freeze them to use in the winter. After a quick cleaning, I plunge the greens into a large pot of boiling water for a few minutes to set their color and to cook them. …
It’s the air incorporated between the layers of dough during the repeated rolling and folding that gives these pastries their flakiness and crispness. The yeast comes into play, too, adding just a touch of lift during baking.
This became a ritual when our kids lived at home or came home during college break. I’d whip up the batter the night before, refrigerate it, and bake the next morning. On Christmas, we’d open stocking gifts while the popovers baked and delicious aromas wafted their way to us in the living room.