On normal days I meet with my students in classrooms or gardens. I’m a Professor in Applied Food Studies at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and my students are interested in sustainability and culture as well as cooking. We recreate historical recipes like Aztec amaranth cookies, […]
Adventures in Home Winemaking
Or, How Grapes From a World-Famous Vineyard Ended Up In My Garage When I tell people my husband and I are garage winemakers, the first thing they say is, “So you have a vineyard?” Well, no. We do live in Napa, but our backyard is tiny. There wasn’t even room […]
Stocking Your Home Bar for Entertaining
For many, a well-stocked bar means a lot of space— and money. Rather, a well-stocked bar is not a matter of quantity, but instead has meaningful selections available for those who are using it. Think about the last banquet you attended, even for hundreds of people. The bar had one […]
Design Your Own Gingerbread House
Nothing says “Christmas!” like an old-fashioned gingerbread house, and this year, we’re going all out! These cookies are the ideal canvas for all sorts of decorative touches. The dough can be made and baked off in advance and stored in an airtight container until ready to decorate or finish. Use […]
Plant-Forward Main Courses for Holiday Entertaining
Thanksgiving is just the start of a very food-focused holiday season. And with the star of the show generally being a turkey, followed by seasonal roasts in every shape and size, if you are not a meat eater, you may feel like these dinners just aren’t for you. But we […]
Our Best Knife Skills Video Line-Up to Gear Up For Holiday Prep
As the holidays draw close, we’re revisiting our knife skills to make sure we’re ready to take on the carrots, potatoes, and all of those fresh green herbs. Here are a few of our must-see videos to ready you for any Thanksgiving recipe! At the end, you’ll find a printable […]
The Easy Rules for Cooking Game
For generations raised on more conventional meats, seafood, and poultry, the hearty, robust taste of venison, quail, rabbit, and other game meats provides welcome new flavor experiences that remind us, almost subliminally, of the cuisines of our ancestors. Many home cooks think of game as exotic, yet it has always […]
Supremely Spooky Pizzas for Halloween
Small foodies may have candy on the brain, but before they start their whirlwind foraging expedition, little ghosts, cowgirls—and hopefully a tiny chef or two!?—need some food-fuel. Since it is Halloween, dinner needs to be fun and maybe a little spooky! For your sake, it should also be easy. We […]
Brush Up on Your Bar Lingo in Time for Entertaining Season
Ready or not, holiday season is almost here! Whether you love to host or are a professional guest, knowing your way around the bar is key. Use this guide to brush up on your bar vocab so you can order the perfect dirty martini every time. Apéritif: A dry alcoholic […]
Sensational Soups, No Recipe Required
Soup season has arrived, and this month, we’re going to shake things up a bit, with a formula that will help you create sensational soups all season long—without a recipe. Keep these three flavor components in mind, and you’ll be able turn any collection of ingredients into a restaurant-worthy soup. […]
The Perfect Cup of Tea
We may be a coffee-drinking society, but you can’t underestimate the impact of the millennia-old tradition of drinking tea. And just like coffee, tea can be enjoyed in hundreds (if not thousands!) of ways—yes, even as a latte! All tea comes from the same plant, the Cameliasinensis. The way the […]
Cardamom—Fall’s Forgotten Flavor
No longer content to follow the cycles of the moon and the stars, we now identify the changing of seasons with the emergence of the pumpkin spice latte. In thousands of years, they’ll find the recipe carved on a rock in New Hampshire. Made from a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, […]