Caviar is the salted roe of fish, traditionally sturgeon, which is prized for its briny delicate flavor. Due to overfishing, politics, and pollution, the supplies have dwindled and the price has increased, leading to a flood of alternative varieties from many sources. The delicate berries of true caviar come from […]
A Taste of Slovenia, a True Foodie Destination
Any country that is shaped like a running chicken must be a great destination for food enthusiasts. Slovenia, with a rich and complicated past—often in the shadow of powerful empires—along with its dramatically varied geography and climatic patterns, makes it a great study for food historians. My area of research […]
All About Ice Cream
Churned frozen desserts like ice cream, sherbet, and sorbet get their soft, spoonable texture from being stirred with a paddle (known as a dasher) while they are cooled to below the freezing point in an ice-cream maker. The stirring action ensures that the ice crystals remain tiny and introduces enough […]
10 Sweet Ways to Celebrate Dad
Owing to its place in the calendar, Father’s Day has evolved into a major grilling holiday. That means dads all over the country are celebrated with steaks, when maybe some dads really want something a little sweet for their special day. If you have that kind of dad in your […]
Drying Techniques for Preserving Foods
Whether it’s for long-term storage, sweet treats, or prep for a long hike, drying foods is a great way of not just preserving food by extending its shelf life, but also reducing their size and weight for efficient storage or carrying. There are multiple techniques for drying and dehydrating foods. […]
From the Court to the Kitchen: Lessons from a Professional Athlete
Like a lot of my fellow chef instructors here at the CIA, food is my life, but it is not my whole story. Before I was a chef, I was a professional jai alai player both in my home country of France and here in the United States. Jai alai […]
Cooling Cakes
In baking, every step matters—from mixing to baking, but just as importantly, cooling! While we often romanticize baked goods fresh from the oven, most baked items like cakes (and yes, breads!) are best once cooled. Baking is a series of chemical and physical reactions spurred by the heat of the […]
Guide to Radishes (and What To Do With Them)
When I first moved to the United States from Germany, where I grew up and began my career, I was surprised at how little radishes are used in American cuisine. They are, to me, delicious! Not to mention inexpensive, long-lasting, and full of nutrients. Radishes are root vegetables of which […]
Choosing the Right Fuel for Your Grill
You don’t need added fuels for cooking on the stovetop, in the oven, or in a slow cooker, of course, but fuel is necessary for grilling, barbecuing, or for spit-roasting over a flame. Some smokers and barbecue pits supply heat to the chamber using electricity or gas, with the smoke […]
Give Angel Food Cake Another Try (at Home!)
Being a student at The Culinary Institute of America is an opportunity to learn more about food than you ever knew was possible. CIA students study, cook, bake, and taste, taste, taste—always tasting. With all of that tasting, you are bound to be surprised from time to time, and luckily, most […]
Our Favorite Recipes for Spring Asparagus
One of the first sure signs of spring is the appearance of asparagus at the local markets. Tender, with that sweet, vegetal flavor that we all crave after a cold winter, asparagus becomes the star of any dish. And though it shines simply grilled, steamed, or roasted, we have a […]
Flavored Syrups for Cocktail Hour with a Twist
Making your own infused simple syrup is fun and easy. You can get creative with a variety of herbs or botanicals. How thick you want your syrup to be determines your water to sugar ratio. The standard ratio for sugar to water is 1:1 but you can always add more […]