Chef's Notes Plus

Group Staycation, Destination: Sicily

Our bodies might still be stuck at home, at least partially, but if you’re like us, your mind is wandering. Remembering past vacations is fun, but mentally planning future journeys (and imagining what we would eat first!) is the sort of optimistic thinking we need. Our travel buckets lists are […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Make a Fruit Crisp Without a Recipe

Sometimes you just need. dessert. NOW. And when that moment strikes, there is one easy solution: Make a fruit crisp! Call it a crisp or a crumble, but the bones are the same. Fresh or frozen fruit baked under a crispy, crumbly, slightly sweet topping made from the most basic baking […]

Chef's Notes Plus

What I’m Cooking: Schnitzel with Tender Green Salad

One of my all-time favorite things is a simple French-style tender greens salad dressed with a simple shallot vinaigrette. I’ll eat it with anything, but I discovered this past winter, while visiting my brother in Los Angeles and cooking a last-minute dinner from his oddly stocked refrigerator, that I love […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Home School: Par-Baking Pie Dough

Many pie and tart shells require partial baking (par baking) or fully prebaking the empty crust prior to filling. This method is termed blind baking. A pie or tart shell can benefit from partially baking before filling if it will be filled with a fruit that produces a significant amount […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Home School: Deep-Frying

Frying is not something most of us do often. Spoiler alert: t’s not the healthiest method of cooking, but also, it’s a little messy, it makes our houses smell like a fast food restaurant, and for some people, it can seem scary! But deep frying does have its place in […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Guide to Herbs

Whether they are the featured flavor or employed to support the theme of a dish, herbs add a generous layer of complexity. Ideally they are used fresh; in many cases, drying will compromise their fresh flavor. This is especially true for tender herbs such as basil, parsley, and chives or […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Barbecuing 101

These early days of summer are not like the ones we’ve known in the past, and the added stress and anxiety, coupled with not being able to have fun with our friends and family, is a lot for anyone to handle. We’re searching for a silver lining, and of course, […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Using Fresh Fava Beans

If you’ve been lucky enough to venture out to the farmers’ market, you may have found fresh fava beans—one of the most underappreciated spring veggie! Though you can buy dried fava beans all year long, if you haven’t enjoyed them fresh, well, you’ve really barely experienced them. Fresh fava beans […]