Beverages and Cocktails

Masala Chai

Chai is a popular Indian beverage made from black tea, milk, a sweetener, and spices. Mixtures known as chai masala may include cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and peppercorns to give the drink its heady aroma. Some sugar or honey is essential to bring out all the flavors. Makes 8 servings

Desserts

Milk Chocolate Cinnamon Sticks

Makes about 15 pieces These adorable pieces of chocolate decor are perfect for topping your fall and winter treats, like cupcakes, cakes, and tarts. Choose the flattest baking sheet you have for smooth rolling. Ingredients 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil 8 oz milk chocolate, melted Ground cinnamon, as needed to coat […]

Main Dishes

Mushroom Tortelli with Parsley Sauce

Makes 6 to 8 servings Use whichever mushrooms you prefer for this dish. Experiment with different varieties to see how they change the flavor profile of the dish. Ingredients Mushroom Stuffing 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove 1 shallot, minced 2 lb mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned and cut […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Opt for Cider this Presidents’ Day

The CIA loves beer so much, we have an outpost of the Brooklyn Brewery right on our campus in Hyde Park, New York! For beer enthusiasts, there is an adventure in every bottle as we search for the qualities that make each beer unique: malt, hops, technique, inclusions of fruit […]

Breakfast and Brunch, Cakes, Desserts

Pear Cake

Makes 10 to 12 servings This is a simple cake that is good for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Bosc pears are a good choice because of their lower water content. Make sure they are perfectly ripe. Consider swapping out the cinnamon for ground cardamom for a variation. Ingredients 1 […]

Cakes

Pear Skillet Cake

Makes 12 servings Ingredients 2 cups cake flour 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground mace 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 2 Bartlett pears, peeled and cored 2 egg […]

Main Dishes

Peppery Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

Makes 6 to 8 servings This flavorful beef stew comes from Tuscany, where it’s ideal with the region’s famed red wines. Guanciale is cured pork jowl, which you can find in some Italian specialty markets. Pancetta makes an acceptable substitute. Ingredients 4 oz guanciale or pancetta 8 oz cipollini or […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Picking Apples for Baking

Over 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States, and of those, only about 100 are grown commercially. This means that the best apple for baking in your region might be different than the best apple halfway across the country. But there are some basic guidelines you can […]

Desserts, Free Recipes

Poached Fuyu Persimmons with Vanilla Ice Cream

Makes 8 servings Persimmons are sweet and mild in flavor with a plump texture that pairs beautifully with ice cream and a crisp topping. If you like, crumble gingersnaps in place of the baked crisp topping. If you can’t find ripe persimmons, you can substitute apple, pear, quince, or virtually […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Poaching Pears

Apples get an unfair amount of attention during the fall, but pears want to be covered in caramel, too! Pears are kind of the dark-horse of the fall produce scene. Some people don’t like their mealy texture, and we’ve probably all bitten into way more bad pears than bad apples. […]