Among the best known home-made candies, pralines have become a symbol of hospitality in much of the southern United States, particularly New Orleans. Throughout most of the South, the name is pronounced PRAY-leen, but in New Orleans, the common pronunciation is PRAH-leen. Traditional pralines are made using two much beloved […]
Cleaning Octopus Octopus is typically sold already cleaned. However, you may need to occasionally remove the viscera, eyes, and beak (sometimes know as the eye). If the octopus you purchase has already been cleaned, simply cut the head away from the legs, and cut into the appropriate size. Baby octopus […]
Gianduja (jhan-DOO-ya) is a delicious mixture of chocolate and finely ground nuts. It is most likely Italian in origin and is traditionally made with dark chocolate and hazelnuts. While it is possible to toast and grind nuts and add the resulting paste to chocolate, it is simpler to make and […]
Dipping centers in chocolate not only gives them a beautiful appearance and a crisp shell, it protects the centers from humidity and helps to maintain quality. Hand dipping chocolates is a technique that requires some precision and much practice to master. But, like all candy making, learning is much of […]
You know what sweet means, most likely, right? Cookies are sweet, candy is sweet, pineapple is sweet. But do you know what savory means? Savory is harder to describe, but we often associate it with foods that are deep in flavor, like mushrooms or cooked beef stew. In more general […]
You may be familiar with pot stickers — dumplings cooked in a skillet until the bottom is brown and crisp and the filling is cooked and juicy. The pot sticker cooking method is simple. You sear the bottom of the dumpling in a bit of oil. Then you add a […]
Soft shelled crab is a summertime delicacy with a short season and limited availability, so when the time comes, you have to be ready! Soft shelled crabs are typical “hard shell” crabs that are caught and prepared during their molting phase. In preparation for shedding, the crab develops a thin, […]
Restaurants take food safety very seriously, with clear and exacting guidelines for receiving, holding, preparing, and serving food. And while a lot of our habits and routines at home are probably less stringent than those followed in restaurants, knowing how the professionals keep us safe and happy in their kitchens […]
Making jam can feel like an overwhelming project, mostly because of the labor-intensive canning process. But making jam doesn’t requirecanning and can actually be a really quick way to preserve fruits at their peak season! Depending on where you live, you are either knee-deep in strawberries or waiting expectantly for […]
Planting and tending a garden can be hard work, and even if you do everything right, the results aren’t always perfect. You can grow the world’s most beautiful tomatoes one year, and the next, all that grow are empty vines. Nature is a powerful force! But if there is one […]
If we had to pick our favorite category of food, it would probably be snacks. And here’s why! Snacks can be sweet or savory (or both at the same time!). They can be taken on the go and enjoyed during your favorite activity, like taking a hike, hanging out with […]
While there are tapas-style restaurants in most major metro areas, you may not have as much experience with these small, bite-sized Spanish dishes as you’d like. Of course, going out for tapas is the best way to learn more about the traditional flavors, dishes, and customs, but here’s a little […]