Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

6 Recipes Ideas for Back-to-School Meal Prep

If you’re looking for lunch idea that are kid-friendly, nutrient dense, and easy to pack, we’ve got you covered. These ten recipe ideas may not all be kid-food at first-glance, but we’ve got some suggestions for easy tweaks to perfect these make-ahead lunches to streamline your mornings. Each recipe can […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Fish-Buying Cheat Sheet

Before you can even think about cooking fish, you have to buy it (well, or catch it, if that’s your thing!), and buying fish can be challenging. Is it fresh? Is it the right kind of fish for what you want to make? Where does it come from, and does […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

5 Recipes for Late-Summer Dinners

In August, we start to see the end of summer produce. But those last fruits and veggies to ripen in the summer sun just happen to be some of our favorites to cook! Whether you’re swimming in tomatoes, eggplant, or peaches, let these recipes inspire you for the last of […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Oven-Roasting Tomatoes

Roasting tomatoes concentrates the bright sweetness of the ripe fruit. You can use roasted tomatoes in place of fresh tomatoes in nearly any recipe for added richness, or in recipes that call for canned “fire-roasted” tomatoes. Choose ripe, flavorful tomatoes for oven roasting. Plum tomatoes are a great choice since they […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Nikkei: Japanese + Peruvian Cuisine

“Nikkei” refers to a culinary style that combines elements of Japanese and Peruvian cooking traditions. Borrowing from the term used to describe people of the Japanese diaspora and their descendants who settled in other countries, Nikkei cuisine celebrates the new dishes and traditions formed when Japanese immigrants to Peru adapted […]

Chef's Blog

Beyond Chèvre: All About Goat Cheese

Cheese is a huge topic, and a deep dive into the subject can yield overwhelming results. It is probably for this reason that despite eating and cooking with cheese nearly every day, many people know very little about where their cheese comes from, how it is made, and the incredible […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Salt—An Essential Element

If you’re ever in Italy driving towards Rome from the north, you might well be traveling on the Via Salaria, or salt highway. Scholars theorize that the location of this ancient city was governed by its proximity to the salt marshes of Ostia, a town at the mouth of the […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

4 Recipes to Showcase Sweet Summer Peaches

There are few things more delicious than a juicy peach, and since their season is short, we like to squeeze them in to as many meals as we can. Besides the perfect breakfast treat of peaches + yogurt with something crunchy, or its cocktail hour cousin, goat cheese + peaches […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Blanching Greens

You can use this basic blanching technique to prepare spinach, kale, chard, escarole, arugula, and other greens. Once the greens are blanched and squeezed dry, you can simply sauté them with olive oil and garlic for a delicious side dish. Trim the stems, and remove any split or bruised portions. […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Free-Style with Your Slow Cooker

Slow cooker-users are a devoted bunch, and if you count yourself among them, you’re in good company! They’re a perfect and easy way to create a warm and comforting meal as you escape the frigid temperatures outside. You may have a set of recipes that you rely on, but many […]