Pantry, Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Tahini Soy Dressing

Makes about 2/3 cup This dressing is great on salads and as a dipping sauce, but it also tastes exceptionally good on a pasta salad as well. Ingredients 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce 1/4 cup sherry vinegar 2 teaspoons minced ginger 1 shallot, minced 2 teaspoons brown sugar 2 […]

Appetizers, Hors D’oeuvre, and Snacks, Main Dishes

Temaki (Hand Rolls)

Makes 8 servings Without using a bamboo mat, you can produce almost the same sort of sushi by hand rolling. But because hand-rolled sushi is not as firmly or evenly packed as the kind rolled in a mat, the hand-rolled type is eaten as is, without being cut into bite-sized […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

The Basics of Hot Water Canning

Our world sometimes feels much larger than it once did, and at a time when we can buy produce from half a world away whenever we want it, some traditional methods of food preservation, like canning, may seem like old news. But for many of us, there is a sort […]

Chef's Blog

The Mediterranean Diet: The Future of Food

The Mediterranean Diet sounds like something we might hesitate to embrace…after all, it has the word “diet” affixed to it. But it’s actually a wonderful Mediterranean approach to fresh products, healthy and delicious food, local wine, dining rituals, and lifestyle. For thousands of years, the countries in the region have […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Tips for Enjoying Beans

You may, for any number of reasons, be thinking that it’s time to introduce more beans into your routine. And we get it! They are vegetarian and vegan sources of protein, they are gluten-free, they are heart-healthy, and inexpensive. What’s not to love? But unless you grew up eating lots […]

One-Dish Meals

Tofu Red Curry

Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil 1/2 package (8 ounces) extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed to remove moisture and cut into cubes 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced 1/4 cup diced yellow onion 2 garlic cloves, minced Chicken or vegetable broth, as […]

Family Fun

Try New Things: All Aboard the Grain Train!

Are you ready to try new things? The key to being a super-foodie is tasting everything, even if it’s something you are pretty sure you won’t like. Because often you’re wrong, and it turns out you love something that you thought would be disgusto! And while some foods are a […]

Chef's Notes Plus, Family Fun

Try New Things: Gai Lan

We love all veggies (yes, even beets!), but there are some that really suit our fancy. Gai lan is one! Sometimes called Chinese broccoli, gai lan is, well, not particularly extraordinary. It’s relatively neutral in flavor, a lot like regular old broccoli, with a familiar texture (yup, like broccoli!). It […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Turkey Burgers Without a Recipe

Turkey burgers have a reputation as the bland, virtuous cousin of the beef hamburger. And some can be, since ground turkey doesn’t bring much to the flavor table as an ingredient. But a turkey burger doesn’t have to be a boring substitute for something you would rather eat—it can be […]

Appetizers, Hors D’oeuvre, and Snacks, Side Dishes

Vegetable Carpaccio

Makes 6 servings Ingredients Berbere Drizzle 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons safflower oil 1 tablespoon Dry Berbere Spice Blend  Garlic Drizzle 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons water 2 garlic cloves Sea salt, to taste 3 tablespoon safflower or olive oil 1 kohlrabi (see note), peeled 1 watermelon radish, […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Velvety Roasted Eggplant

For some veggies, we use the phrase roasting as a general term for cooking a vegetable whole to get after the tender flesh, like peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. For eggplant, we scoop the velvety cooked flesh from the skin of the eggplant. This can be done in the oven (actual […]