Breakfast and Brunch

Crêpes

Makes 24 crêpes Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 cups milk 3 large eggs 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup butter or vegetable oil to coat pan, or as needed Directions Sift the flour, sugar, and salt together into […]

Main Dishes

Farro with Chicken and Chanterelle Ragu

Makes 6 to 8 servings Ingredients 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 4 small chicken legs (8 to 10 oz each) Kosher salt, as needed Freshly ground black pepper, as needed 1 small yellow onion, chopped 1 small carrot, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary 2 teaspoons chopped […]

Cakes

Flourless Chocolate Soufflé Cake

Makes one 8-inch cake Ingredients 5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter plus extra for greasing 10 large eggs (divided use) 2/3 cup sugar (divided use) 1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional) Directions Preheat the oven to 375°F. […]

Main Dishes

Gnocchi with Duck Ragoût

Makes 4 to 6 servings This recipe is a favorite of our students in our Cuisines of the Mediterranean class at The Culinary Institute of America. The main ingredient in the dish is the gnocchi, served with a perfectly made duck ragoût to accent those fluffy little pillows.

Grilling

Grilled Oysters With Scallion Butter

Makes 5 servings Ingredients 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/4 cup minced scallions 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce 1 clove garlic, finely minced 3/4 tablespoon lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 36 oysters, washed and scrubbed Directions Knead the butter by […]

Desserts

Grilled Pound Cake with Coffee Ganache

Makes 8 servings Ingredients 1 Pound Cake, cut into 1-inch-thick slices 1 cup Coffee Ganache 1 cup whipped cream or vanilla ice cream 1 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts Directions Preheat a gas grill to medium-high. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Happy 75th Birthday, CIA!

This weekend, we are celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the founding of The Culinary Institute of America. This great celebration is not ours alone, and we hope as a friend of the CIA, you’ll help us mark the occasion by channeling your inner foodie and eating something worthy of 75 […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Home School: Risotto (yes, it’s easy!)

Risotto is a dish we most often eat at restaurants, reinforcing the illusion that it’s difficult to prepare. Sorry to spill the beans, restaurant chefs of the world, but despite being creamy and decadent, risotto is actually really easy to make and not nearly as time consuming as you might […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Homemade Pasta for Two on Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is less about being in love and more about sharing love, whether that’s with a partner, a family member, or your very best friends. We may be biased, but here at The CIA, we don’t think there’s a much better way to show someone you care than to […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

How to Prepare a Bisque

A good bisque reflects the flavor of the main ingredient. If you have added cream to round out and mellow the soup, it should not mask the main flavor. All bisques are slightly coarse or grainy, with a consistency similar to heavy cream. A crustacean bisque is pale pink or […]

One-Dish Meals

Lobster Ravioli with Corn Sauce

Makes 5 or 6 servings Striping the pasta is really fun, but also takes some time. You may want to batch it out and save some of the dough for later. When you make this, you may want to prepare extra ravioli and freeze them. The sauce will also freeze […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Making Chocolate Curls to Dress Up Dessert

Chocolate shavings and curls are the simplest way to finish a show-stopping cake or other special occasion dessert. To create chocolate shavings and curls, you need a good-sized block of chocolate at room temperature. You can use dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate for your curls. Look for larger […]