Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Kitchen Vocab: Nappe

Nappe is a French term describing the consistency of a sauce that will coat the back of a spoon. Ice cream base that is cooped is cooked to this stage before cooling and then freezing.  Cooking it to this stage indicates that the proteins have been fully cooked and the […]

Main Dishes

Lasagna With Eggplant, Tomato & Mozzarella

Serves 6 Fried Eggplant Ingredients 2 lb eggplant Kosher salt, as needed Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed for frying Tomato-Basil Sauce Ingredients 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 qt canned whole San Marzano tomatoes with their juices Kosher salt, as needed […]

Main Dishes

Linguine with Tuna and Anchovies

Serves 4 to 6 Look for high-quality anchovies and canned tuna imported from Italy, Spain, and Portugal (they really know their tinned fish!). You can make the sauce for this dish ahead of time, through Step 2, if you like. Reheat it before moving on to Step 3 the night […]

Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Manchamantel Mole

Makes 2 cups Manchamantel translates to English as “tablecloth stainer.” This sauce has a sweet, tart, and spicy flavor. The tomatoes really round out the flavor and add richness to the sauce. This would be great with any grilled meat or vegetable. Ingredients 1 dried ancho chile 1/2 dried guajillo […]

Desserts, Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Mixed Berry Sauce

Makes about 4 cups Ingredients 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen sliced strawberries 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh Directions Combine 1 cup of the raspberries, 1 cup of the strawberries, 3/4 cup of the […]

Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Pistou

Makes about 3/4 cup Pistou is the subtly different French version of pesto, the fragrant Italian herb paste. While pesto typically includes nuts, pistou may or may not. The key ingredients for both are basil, olive oil, garlic, and cheese. In fact, the first version of pistou was essentially a […]

Main Dishes

Ragù Bolognese

Makes 6 servings Bolognese is essentially a meat stew with a small amount of tomato added— although Americans often confuse it for a tomato sauce with some meat added. The sauce is cooked slowly to develop a deep, rich flavor. In Italy it is traditionally served with tagliatelle pasta and […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Recipes Between the Lines: Make a Slurry

Slurries are an essential tool for creating perfectly smooth and velvety soups and sauces. But.. what is a slurry? A slurry is a thickener consisting of a pure starch mixed with a cold liquid to form a thin paste or “slurry.” Cornstarch is used most often, but others such as […]