Once upon a time, I was a professional chef. I still cook, though now my efforts are confined to our Seattle condo, better known as the Ward Street Bistro. [More]
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Grilling season is upon us in the Pacific Northwest--so it's time to dust off the potato salad recipes! I have a number of favorite potato salads, including this simple, brightly-flavored version. As its title indicates, it features lemon (finely grated zest) and pepper (in the form of pepper-crusted bacon). Fantastic with grilled beef, lamb, pork, or chicken.
You can go directly to the printable recipe or I'll show you how to make it step-by-step...
This is a favorite, comforting pasta dish--every bite of it takes me back to Italy. And though I'm hesitant to emphasize this, it's quite healthy, too. The secret is in finely chopped cauliflower, tomato, and a touch of saffron. Top it all with homemade toasted breadcrumbs for the completely authentic experience.
You can go directly to the printable recipe, or I'll show you how to make it step-by-step...
Why talk about how to cook pasta? Well, I think the art of cooking pasta is somewhat overlooked. Much effort goes into the sauce; maybe not so much on the foundation of the dish--the pasta itself. Not that a whole lot of effort is required: just the right technique.
So I think it's worth spending a few moments to consider the elements of successful pasta-cooking: water, heat, salt, motion, and time (among a few other things)...
Soon the Pacific Northwest will be resplendent with beautiful local fruits and berries. For me, this means pie-making season. But before that all begins, I wanted to review some "foolpoof" pie crust recipes and demonstrate one of them (an all-butter crust).
All these recipes aim to achieve what can be a tricky proposition: a dough that's easy to handle and that consistently produces a tender, flaky crust. To accomplish this, most rely on an ingredient that inhibits gluten development (which can make a crust tough): vinegar, yogurt or sour cream, alcohol, or cake flour...
