Side Dishes

Creamy Pinto Beans

Makes 6 to 8 servings Ingredients 1 lb dried pinto beans 5 1/2 cups water 2 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions 3 ancho chiles, seeds and membranes removed 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano 2/3 cup milk 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 garlic […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Creamy Recipes, Made even Better!

Some of the most decadent and delicious dishes we all love are milk-based. Scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, ice cream! All are flavored or fortified with a heavy pour of milk, cream, and/or butter. And while a creamy sauce is sort of perfect already, the most fool-proof way […]

Desserts

Crème Brûlée

Makes 5 servings We can all thank legendary CIA pastry chef instructor, Dieter Schorner, for reinvigorating the United States’ collective love of crème brûlée as pastry chef of New York City’s famed Le Cirque in the 1980s. Enjoy our classic version, but don’t be afraid to add spices or other […]

Desserts

Crème Caramel

Makes 6 servings Crème caramel is a dessert that produces its own sauce, as long as you are patient with it. After the custard bakes, it needs to cool long enough for two things to happen: the custard must become firm enough to unmold, and the caramel underneath the custard […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Culinary School: How to Make Béchamel Sauce

Béchamel is classical white sauce that is made with milk thickened with a roux. Blond roux is traditionally used, and the amount of roux will determine the sauce’s consistency.  Vegetables or aromatics are sometimes added to strengthen the flavor, but they are normally strained out after cooking to preserve the […]

Desserts, Free Recipes

Eggnog Bundt Cake

Makes one 9-inch loaf cake This recipe makes enough batter for one large bundt cake or one 9-inch loaf pan. If your bundt pan or loaf pans are on the smaller side, fill the pan about 2/3 of the way full. You can transfer any remaining batter to another cake […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Flavoring Homemade Ice Cream

As the summer settles in, there is no greater joy than a scoop of ice cream on a hot day. No matter your favorite flavor, from simple vanilla to the rockiest rocky road, an ice cream cone is the ultimate way to treat yourself. Near our San Antonio campus, where […]

Breakfast and Brunch, Side Dishes

Garlic Cheese Grits

Makes 8 servings These grits get a great garlic flavor from just a little bit of garlic and they are jam-packed with cheese and butter, just the way they should be. The Tabasco and the cayenne give them a little kick. You may opt to leave out the eggs and […]