Tip, Trick & a Recipe: Mary had a little (grass-fed) lamb
Lamb meat comes from a sheep that is under a year old, whereas “mutton” is sheep older than 2 years old, and any age in between is referred to as “hogget.” Lamb is definitely sweeter and more tender than those other older meats. If you have a hard time with the idea of eating a […]
If you can’t stand the heat, use your freezer!
If you’re anything like me, sometimes you are just plain fed up with feeding people. Meal planning, grocery shopping, chopping, peeling, roasting, boiling, eating, coercing the children into eating their vegetables, cleaning up the pots and pans only to do the exact same thing again tomorrow. Getting a nourishing meal on the table at the […]
Dinner Diva: Not paper or plastic, please. I’ll take the bamboo!
There’s a relatively new product on the market that you may or may not be familiar with — bamboo dinnerware. These reusable and/or disposable dishes are made from the sheath of the bamboo plant. Bamboo can grow more than a meter per day and the plant matures within 5 years, making it one of the […]
Dinner Diva: How to roast a whole chicken
For many new chefs, roasting a whole chicken can be an intimidating task. But, really, there are few things that are as easy to pull off (or impressive) in the kitchen as a juicy roasted chicken. The most important thing is to start with local organic free-range poultry whenever possible. I always reach for smaller […]
It’s a crab boil! Dinner has never been easier.
It’s soft shell crab season in many parts of the US right now and if you haven’t taken advantage of that yet, I strongly recommend doing so! Sweet, delicate crab meat is so delicious. It’s also an excellent source of nutrients, protein, and those important Omega 3s. Crab is also a low-risk seafood for mercury […]
Dinner Diva: Stock up on vegetable broth!
When you start making your own stock, you’re going to have a hard time buying it from the store ever again. Making stock from scratch is about as satisfying as it gets. Being the one who purchased (or even better, grew!) the vegetables that you’re using to nourish your family means that you know exactly […]
Food For Thought: For meat you will praise, learn how to braise!
If you always seem to end up with stringy, tough meat that you can’t get a knife through (let alone your teeth), you can only blame the animal and/or the cut for so long! I firmly believe that with the right cooking method, you can turn the most humble of cuts into a star. Braising […]
Dinner Diva: Gobble gobble! What to do with all those turkey leftovers
If you’re like me, you have worked hard to get every ounce of goodness out of that Thanksgiving turkey. You lovingly brined it, roasted it, and carved it. You served it to your loved ones, you picked all of the meat off the carcass and you turned that carcass into stock. You might even be […]
Food For Thought: Need a vacation? Take a taste tour of Europe!
What if we could hit London, Amsterdam and Munich in the same day? We may not be able to physically see everything, but we could certainly taste our way through all three fabulous cities, couldn’t we? Here are three tastes from three European favorites, enjoy! My British father (Peter) made these when I was growing […]