Posts

Yes we do break into song occasionally around here. It’s good for you and it warms the soul. What better song to sing than Home on the Range when enjoying an all (North) American buffalo burger? And yes, this is more accurately called a bison burger. For the record we are talking about an American buffalo (bison), and not an Asian buffalo. There used to be just a few American buffalo still alive, but now they are no longer endangered, and enterprising ranchers are raising bison as a leaner alternative to beef....

How to Make Blueberry Pancakes Fluffy Do you know the secret to making these blueberry pancakes thick and fluffy? Just resist the urge to over mix the batter. Let there be lumps. While we don’t want lumps in our mashed potatoes or cake frosting, if you let your pancake batter be a little lumpy, your pancakes will be light, tender, fluffy, and thick. Now, if you prefer your pancakes to be thin and firm (some people do), just beat the heck out of that batter, until smooth as porcelain....

Cheesy garlic bread is a classic favorite side dish that pairs perfectly with any Italian pasta dish. It is super simple to make, and everyone’s favorite. Simply add butter and seasoning over top and then bake! We love to serve this with lasagna and soup, then add a salad for a complete meal! Out of all the garlic bread recipes, this one is by far the best! It is cheesy, full of flavor, and delicious to dip in marinara sauce or have by itself....

Do you ever wonder how bakeries get that smooth, perfect icing on cookies? They are gorgeous and can look really complicated. But here’s a secret: they aren’t complicated at all. In fact, this smooth royal icing and flood icing recipe is simple to make and easy to use. It’s perfect for decorating cut out cookies. Royal Icing Royal icing is a mixture of powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water. The trick is getting the consistency just right....

In the case of chicken or beef stock, the stock comes from cooking bones in water on low heat, for several hours. With vegetable stock, there are no bones to cook, so the richness of the stock comes from the variety of vegetables you use. A big thanks to Hank Shaw who shared his method for making veggie stock with me, after tiring of hearing me complain about a boxed version I had used....

Related Video

For some reason, it doesn’t feel like a popular or go-to green, even though it has all the qualities and traits one could want in a vegetable. It’s mild in taste, easy to prep, and offers two different textures and components in one. Plus, the colorful stalks are so beautiful that you only need to sauté them to have a gorgeous side dish that’ll brighten up your table! Chard is simply a great green to add to your weeknight rotation....

Related Video

“This cookbook is a love letter to my Italian American upbringing,” says Rago. “I grew up with Nonna in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, which was a microcosm of the village my parents came from in southern Italy. I had no idea I lived in America until I was five and went to school.” Rago pays homage to her Nonna and the dishes the family gathered around each Sunday, both traditional and recreated, using what was available in America....

Roasting the squash in the oven and then adding it to the skillet gives it those roasty, toasty virtues I love. Quinoa, an earthy, tiny red, black or white seed is packed with protein and serves as the palette for the squash, beans, tomatoes, and spinach. When it all comes together with chili powder, cumin, and oregano in the skillet, I’m (virtually) jumping up and down with glee. My prep is done in record time, and I’m not skimping on taste!...

And then take a shower in grated Parmesan, lemon zest, and chopped parsley. I’d like to say this is quick and easy, but it’s not quick. It’s long and easy, the sort of thing you can just put on the stove and give a stir every once in a while, as you cook the rest of the meal. The onions and fennel are only lightly caramelized. You could cook them longer if you wanted, or sprinkle some sugar on them to bring out more of the caramelization....

My mother and I planted a lime tree several years ago and it has finally decided to produce limes. Mom has so many she can’t give them away. Our orange trees are adorned and heavy with ripe fruit. And cabbages! Festive red and green cabbages, my favorite winter vegetable because they’re inexpensive, last for weeks (if not months) in the fridge, and they’re so versatile—in a soup, blanched, braised, with pork, stuffed, or in salads like this one....

At first, I drank it in small mugs poured by my husband. Ultimately, I began to brew it on my own. A natural next step has been to combine my newfound appreciation for coffee with my longtime love for smoothies. Both tend to be morning endeavors anyway, so why not a mocha coffee smoothie? Coffee Smoothie in a Snapshot Creamy, mildly mocha blendMade with nourishing ingredientsProtein and healthy fats to help fill you upCan be made with decaf coffee...

Related Video

Corned beef is essentially beef cured in a salt brine, with some pickling spices for added flavor. It gets its name “corn” from an old English word for grain, or small pieces of hard things the size of grain, such as salt. How Is Corned Beef Made? Over the years, many of my friends have encouraged me to cure my own corned beef, insisting that it wasn’t hard to do, and well worth the effort....

The Best Places to Store Spices The very best place to store dried herbs and spices is in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place, such as a pantry, drawer, or cabinet. Air, light, moisture, and heat are the four elements that cause spices to lose their aroma and flavor quickly. If you keep these elements away from your spices as much as possible, you’ll preserve their freshness and give them a longer lifespan....

Instant Pot Pulled Pork I love pulled pork, but I don’t always think ahead enough to leave it in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours. Is it possible to get the same tenderness and flavor without cooking it all day? YES. This is where the instant pot comes in! After cooking for ONE hour you’ve got melt in your mouth, flavor packed pork. This is why I am obsessed with my instant pot: through the process of pressure cooking the meat so tender in such a short time....

Related Video

My mother’s hidden sorcery lies in wielding those spices with craft and care. Time and time again, I watch her cleverly transform a simple weeknight dinner into something quite magical. On a whim, she creates enchanting combinations, tossing freshly grated carrots with lime juice, mustard seeds, and shredded coconut; drizzling creamy yogurt with fragrant curry leaf oil; and stir-frying steamed squash with chili powder and cumin seeds. In the late ’80s, my parents immigrated to the United States from India....

One of my favorite dishes in the whole world is Mexican octopus salad, or “ensalada de pulpo”, with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, and chiles. It’s fabulous as a side or topped over tacos or tostadas. Ensalada de pulpo is often made like a ceviche, the octopus “cooked” in an acidic marinade, without heat. For this recipe we are taking a different approach using a technique taught to me by Hank Shaw, who cooks and eats a lot of octopi....