Latest Stories

What’s the Deal With: White Balsamic Vinegar?
With the exception of perhaps oil, few pantry staples come in as many varieties as vinegar. I regularly keep on hand no fewer than seven different vinegars: red wine, white wine, champagne, sherry, rice, apple cidar and balsamic. Later on, I discovered white balsamic vinegar, a blend of white grape must and white wine vinegar. Recently, while scanning through the ingredients list of a recipe I was making, I came across a vinegar I was unfamiliar with – White balsamic vinegar.
Sep 28, 2022
What’s the Deal With San Marzano Tomatoes?
Perhaps you’ve read a recipe that calls specifically for canned San Marzano tomatoes. But what’s so great about these particular tomatoes anyway? San Marzano tomatoes are the most famous plum tomato to come out of Italy. They are grown in the rich volcanic soil at the base of Mount Vesuvius, which gives them a sweet flavor and low acidity and they are coveted for their firm pulp, deep red color, easy to remove skin and low seed count.
Nov 13, 2020
Recipe: Salmon and Caper Fishcakes
It’s highly likely that in the next several weeks you might find yourself with an abundance of leftovers.Certain leftovers obviously work really well as, say, a sandwich. But what about mashed potatoes? Sure you could microwave them and serve them alongside the sandwich, but why not use them as the base of a whole new dish with flavors that are the complete opposite of Thanksgiving? After all that heavy food, wouldn’t it be nice to have a nice light meal?
Feb 3, 2020
Recipe: Garlic Confit Vinaigrette
Thomas Keller writes in his cookbook Bouchon that at his restaurant garlic confit is used in so many preparations that they consider it to be a pantry staple. Indeed if you’ve ever had it, it’s tempting to figure out a way to use it in virtually everything. Much like roasted garlic, as garlic confit cooks, submerged in a green pool of olive oil, it softens, turns golden brown and the flavor mellows to the point of an almost smokey sweetness.
Jan 29, 2020
Recipe: Crushed White Bean Spread with White Truffle Oil
I love making various dips and spreads to keep on hand for whenever I want a snack. Humus is simple to whip up but lately I’ve been into beans. This spread, which comes from famed chef Alfred Portale of the Gotham Bar and Grill, is a unique take on a classic white bean dip. The white truffle oil really elevates the humble beans to a whole new level.
Jan 29, 2020
Recipe: Sautéed Zucchini and Squash with Thyme and Feta
Zucchini seems to get a bit of a bad rap, which I think is a little unfortunate. People write it off as flavorless and boring, but I happen to quite like it. Zucchini is sort of like the boneless, skinless chicken breast of the vegetable world — there’s not a whole lot to it, but it’s a great vehicle for flavor. In this dish I combine it with sweet red onion, woodsy thyme, and finish it off with the salty punch of feta cheese.
Jan 28, 2020
Recipe: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Chocolate Chips
I love the idea of Christmas cookies but I have to admit I find many of them, cut out in different shapes, slathered with colored icing, well they can taste a bit cloying. Sure, they’re pretty, but I tend to prefer good old-fashioned oatmeal cookies. Of course I do dress them up a little for the holidays, studding the dough with raisins, chocolate chips and walnuts. The edges get nice and crisp, while the middle stays soft and chewy.
Jan 21, 2020
Good Question: What’s a Butter Bean?
Dear Kitchen,I came across a recipe recently that called for “butter beans.” I’m not exactly familiar with butter beans. In the photograph that accompanied the recipe, the butter bean looked pretty much exactly like a lima bean, but was beige instead of green. Are these two beans related? I don’t really care for lima beans so I sort of hope they aren’t.
Jun 4, 2019
Good Question: Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes
Dear Kitchen,I’ve got a Thanksgiving related question. Every year my Aunt Gayle brings her famous candied yams, which I’m really looking forward to. I was always under the impression that yams and sweet potatoes are the same thing, but someone told me recently that they aren’t. Now I’m a little confused and I’m not exactly clear on what the difference between them is. Any help with be greatly appreciated.
Jun 4, 2019
Good Question: What’s the deal with Shallots?
Dear Kitchen,I was making a recipe recently and it called for 5 thinly sliced shallots. As I started to cut and peel my shallots I realized that each one was made of two smaller shallots and then I got confused as to what the “five shallots” actually refers to. Is it like garlic where you count each individual clove or do you count the entire bulb or head or whatever you call it?Thanks a lot,Lauren (To All Good Questions)Dear Lauren-Shallots are interesting little vegetables.
Jun 4, 2019
Good Question: What Turns Pesto Brown?
Dear Kitchen,What makes pesto turn brown? This weekend I bought a ton of basil from the greenmarket and made a nice green pesto, but within a minute of being exposed to the air it turned a deep unappetizing shade of brown. What did I do wrong? I used basil, olive oil, walnuts & pine nuts, and garlic. (I left out the parma). This happens when I make guacamole as well. Is something wrong with my water?Thanks,M (To All Good Questions)Dear M,There is nothing wrong with your water.
Jun 4, 2019
Recipe: Sweet Potato Rosti
I’m always looking for interesting side dishes. It’s sort of old-fashioned but I quite like a meal comprised of a protein, a green vegetable of some sort of a starch. I discovered this recipe in Donna Hay’s book, New Food Fast.The nice thing about this dish is that it cooks pretty quickly and is completely hands off. The sweet potato ends up tender in the middle and crisp at the edge. I like to use it as a base for chicken breasts or pork chops. It’s also quite versatile.
May 3, 2019
In Season West Coast: Cauliflower
Like so many vegetables, cauliflower is one of those that is available year round but few realize that there is indeed a season for it. Cauliflower season runs from October through April but it’s at its best starting in December. Look for compact, dense heads without any discolorization. To store, place in a plastic bag and put in the refrigerator, where it should keep for about a week.
Dec 1, 2006
Recipe: Puréed Parsnips
With Thanksgiving coming up soon, I’m sure a lot of us are on the search for interesting recipes for side dishes to accompany our birds.A mash of some sort is a natural to partner for a thick slice of roasted turkey.
Nov 8, 2006
What’s the Deal With: Persimmons
Chances are you’ve seen them at the farmers’ market lately. Like pomegranates, pumpkins, apples and pears, fall is the season for this somewhat perplexing fruit known as a persimmon. Usually some shade of orange and resembling a tomato with a sort of brown flower bud in leiu of a stem, persimmons are likely conjur a jumble of questions to swirl though the heads of those unfamilar with them. Are they a fruit? Are they a vegetable?
Oct 31, 2006