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It’s actually one of the reasons I’ve always refused to buy a fryer—moderation and fried foods aren’t words that tend to go together in my own life so I’ve always avoided buying a fryer. I can’t be trusted. Since we don’t often fry foods in our house, I’ve gotten creative over the years with baking foods you’d traditionally fry. Some experiments don’t work, while others, such as these taquitos, are almost as crispy and golden brown as their fried counterpart....

The most well-known schnitzel is the Wiener schnitzel, arguably Austria’s national dish. It’s made with thinly pounded veal, breaded with a distinctive undulating crust, and is, at the very least, the size of a dinner plate. All it needs is a spritz of lemon juice to finish it off. Inspired by the flavors, textures, and techniques used to make Wiener schnitzel, I’m focusing my sights on chicken. Chicken schnitzel is made by pounding chicken breasts until 1/8- to 1/4-inch thin, breading them in fine breadcrumbs, and frying them until golden brown and crispy....

It was such a hit, movie stars started requesting “Cobb’s salad”, and soon its popularity spread. The original Brown Derby restaurant on Wilshire Blvd. was eventually torn down in the 80s, like so many downtown LA landmarks—Perinos, the Ambassador Hotel—leaving a swath of strip malls in their place. I fondly remember the Brown Derby. It was in the shape of huge brown hat (you couldn’t miss it) and within a few blocks of where we lived when I was a kid....

Peach Galette When peaches are in season (and even when they’re not!) I am always looking for every way to use them. This Peach Galette is one of my favorites. It is really easy to make, and it tastes delicious. The sweet stone fruit mixture combined with a butter pie crust is much easier to make than a peach pie and tastes just as yummy. I also just love the rustic look of it!...

Mushrooms and onions are browned, then cooked in wine reduction, then cooked in a reduction of stock and Bourbon, and then cream. Basil is added at the very end. Oo la la. This recipe is from my father’s recipe collection (cut out from magazines - can’t tell which one this is from). We’ve made it several times. The one thing you might have trouble with is getting the sauce to thicken....

That’s right. Raw. (The stalks, not the leaves which are poisonous.) What Does Rhubarb Taste Like? Have you ever tried biting into a piece of raw rhubarb stalk? I dare you. It’s like a hundred times more sour than a lemon (OK maybe a little exaggeration here). It’s screaming tart. It’s “what was I thinking?” tart. Anyway, rhubarb is not safe around this house. The refrigerator half-life for rhubarb is a couple hours at best....

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Tools Needed to Cook Steak on the Stovetop The main thing you need is a heavy-bottomed skillet made out of stainless steel or cast iron so it can withstand the heat. As you can see, I used a cast-iron skillet to cook this steak and take the photos for this post, but a high-quality stainless steel skillet will work just as well. Other than that, all you need are paper towels to dry the steak and tongs to move the steak around (or whatever tool you think is easiest for this)....

This salted caramel pie is the perfect combination of everything sweet, savory, and oh, so good! Simple ingredients for a simple pie! This pie is perfect because it isn’t fluffy, or cream-filled, or fruity. Just rich, chocolate, caramel goodness.The bottom layer is an Oreo pie crust filled with caramel and topped with a chocolate ganache then sprinkled with a little sea salt. You are going to love the ganache layer, I have a cheat that makes this layer so incredibly easy to make....

Guacamole: A Classic Mexican Dish The word “guacamole” and the dip, are both originally from Mexico, where avocados have been cultivated for thousands of years. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words—ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). Ingredients for Easy Guacamole All you really need to make guacamole is ripe avocados and salt. After that, a little lime or lemon juice—a splash of acidity—will help balance the richness of the avocado....

The sauce includes an entire bottle of bold red zinfandel wine. The vegetables in the sauce are cooked until every ounce of flavor is extracted from them, and then the sauce is pressed through a sieve and reduced even further. The beef, braised for hours is fork tender. Enjoy! Salt the roast well and set aside at room temperature while you prepare all the other vegetables. When the pancetta is crispy and brown, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside....

It’s chicken cooked with prunes and olives. It’s amazing how the sweet prunes just melt into the chicken drippings. Prunes are an underutilized ingredient in my opinion. They’ve gotten such a bad rap that for years they’ve been marketed as dried plums, which is, in fact, what they are. Just dried plums. Like big fat raisins. Used in cooking, plums can bring a deeply sweetly rich note to anything, especially meats....

This morning it was quiche, specifically an onion quiche. To my dear father who turned up his nose at this masterpiece, mumbling something about real men, I say, “phooey.” Kudos to my brother Ed, who almost made up for dad’s transgression by saying just “damn good” after inhaling a piece at dinner. Baking Pans for Quiche A tart pan is tradition for quiche, but you can use a variety of baking pans for this savory delight:...

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What Is Smoked Paprika? Like chipotle, smoked paprika can add a delightful smoky dimension to food. It’s make from peppers that have been dried, smoked over a wood fire, and ground into a powder. It’s not spicy, but adds a smoky depth to any recipe in which its used. Smoked paprika is perfect with this rich and creamy pumpkin soup. This spice has gained popularity in recent years, so you should be able to find it in the spice aisle of most grocery stores or online....

These fish tacos are assembled at the table and eaten with your hands. They can turn any gathering of respectable people into a group of unruly friends with riotous laughter. There’s no pretense here. Just kick off your shoes, grab yourself a drink, and have a good time! Why Make Crispy Fish Tacos I mean, really, what’s not to love about fish tacos? A crispy breading, loaded with chili powder and citrus, encasing tender, flaky white fish?...

This year I got tasked with bringing an appetizer to our yearly neighborhood party. Knowing that the main courses would likely include rather heavy (but delicious! I’m not complaining) mac-n-cheese casseroles and lasagnas, I thought I would bring something with light and crispy endive. These endive “boats” were a hit! Crisp, tender, just slightly bitter endive leaves form the perfect vehicle for a little curried chicken salad. Think of them as fancy lettuce cups, with an even better shape for appetizer bites....

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Lemon Blueberry Scones I always read about people having tea and scones in books. However, I have never tried a scone…until this week! Naturally, I decided to see what all the hype was about. Now I can honestly say they live up to the hype! They are soft and fluffy on the inside with a little bit of crispness on the outside. Plus, I loved the juicy bites of blueberry and the tangy lemon glaze....

Why Make Chili in an Instant Pot? Chili in the Instant Pot has the taste of chili that has been simmering all day, yet takes less than an hour. It really couldn’t be easier! You can do it all in one pot which means less cleanup too. The better question may be “Why NOT make chili on an Instant Pot?” Instant Pot Chili Ingredients Beef: You can also use ground turkey or stew meat....