Thickening Sauces The Modernist Way
Recently I switched from using a roux (50/50 mixture of flour and butter) as a thickener to using xanthan gum. I love a good rich hearty sauce - no thin watery sauces for me. I recently made my version of…
Low-Carb Diets and Cooking with Wine
A low-carb diet does not have to be boring! A few years ago, Sweet Lady Wife was enrolled in a well-known weight-loss program. The program was similar to the Atkins diet - no sugar and very low carbohydrates. One of…
If You Like Steak then Sous-Vide Should Be Your Friend
Sous-Vide-and-then-seared has become my favorite was to cook steak. Why? Because it comes out perfectly cooked every time. It doesn't matter how thick or thin the steak is. It doesn't matter if I am cooking several steaks of varying thicknesses.…
How to Cook Fish Like a Pro
"Oh dear God, not fish again" How many times have you thought that when staring at a plate of fish? We know fish is good for us. Almost without exception, we should be eating more fish. The American Heart Association…
Sugar – Superfine, Ultrafine, Granulated, Confectioners
Almost all pastry recipes use sugar in one form or another. Superfine / Ultrafine Superfine or Ultrafine sugar (also called Baker's Sugar) is granulated sugar that has been ground into smaller/finer crystals than granulated table sugar. Confectioner's Sugar / Powdered…
Calibrating Your Oven
I recently enrolled in a 3-month evening course in pastry-making at a local culinary school and because I'll be using my oven a lot I decided it was time to check the temperature and recalibrate the oven if necessary. I…
What Does ‘Coat the Back of a Spoon’ Mean?
Many recipes contain the instruction thicken until it coats the back of a spoon Place a spoon - wood, metal, plastic, it doesn't matter - in the mixture. Remove it and and run your finger across the back of the…
Clarified Butter vs Ghee
I love clarified butter and it's simple to make. It's a necessary ingredient for Hollandaise sauce. Drizzle some over hashbrowns while they are frying to give them a flavor boost. It has a higher smoke point than plain butter and…
Zero to Fresh Homemade Pasta in 11 Minutes
In this video I show you a way to make fresh homemade pasta that is fast, easy, and with almost no cleanup. THe main points are: 1 egg per serving 2 parts egg 3 parts flour Put an empty mixing…
Cooking Oils
When I started down this path of learning to cook ten years ago, I used extra virgin olive oil any time I needed a cooking oil. I've learned a thing or two since then (and I'm still learning). The oil…