Along with knives, a good cutting board is one of the most essential and well-used pieces of equipment in your kitchen. While it may seem straight-forward, there is a lot that goes into the making of a quality cutting board. Since you will be using your board so much, take the time to research and invest…
Continue Reading »
Every day in January I am sharing some of my best Tips for Better Baking. These are tips that have made my kitchen life easier and helped me become a better baker. Follow along on Facebook or check back here each Sunday for a roundup of the week’s tips. Tips for Better Baking #1 – Use…
Continue Reading »
I like the idea of freshly baked sticky buns on a cold, snowy weekend morning. But, I like the idea much more than the actual work and preparation of making the dough the night before, then waking up early to proof, assemble and bake the sticky pans. That’s a lot of work for a weekend.…
Continue Reading »
My first day of culinary school started out pretty boring. My classmates and I nodded along as we talked about the uniform code, went over page after page of rules and learned how to tie our neckerchiefs, but things finally got exciting when we were given our knife kits. There was a definite nervous energy…
Continue Reading »
We don’t have a tradition for breakfast on Christmas. Some years we have a make ahead casserole, others we have some pastries and fruit, and last year I made biscuits and gravy. While our breakfast always changes, our lunch does not. As soon as we’re done opening presents, these baked ham and swiss sandwiches…
Continue Reading »
Cookbooks are my go-to gift and you can’t go wrong giving books for the holidays. Before giving one away, I love to personalize it and write a little note in the front cover with the date. 2014 was an incredible year for new cookbooks and I’ve made a list of my favorites that are sure to make great…
Continue Reading »
It’s surprisingly easy to bake great bread at home, you just need to have the right tools. I like using Jim Lehey’s no-work, no-knead technique which only requires about 5 minutes of time before letting the slow-rise fermentation do the rest of the work. Mix together the ingredients, let the dough rise overnight, then bake in…
Continue Reading »
It can be tough to find great baking cookbooks. Too often, pastry books have beautiful ideas but do not include the professional knowledge and exact methods needed to execute them. On the other hand, sometimes baking books are too technical and the recipes are boring and stale. But, the worst offense is recipes that are…
Continue Reading »
This week’s Quick & Easy Travel Tip is one of my favorites. Have you ever returned from a long trip and had absolutely no recollection of where you parked your car? Well here’s a simple solution. Before leaving the parking garage, snap a photo of your parking spot on your phone. Be sure to include…
Continue Reading »
This week’s Quick & Easy Travel Tip deals with credit cards. There’s nothing worse than going abroad and not having access to your money. In an effort to prevent fraud, credit card issuers often put temporary holds on cards that show suspicious charges, such as those made in foreign countries. To prevent this, call your…
Continue Reading »