Garlic Spread
Spaghetti. Specifically my Sweet Lady Wife's spaghetti. For the 37 years we've been married it has been her specialty. It's the dish I'll never try to duplicate. It's the dish my son always wants on his birthday. My wife has…
Dried Herbs vs Fresh Herbs
You needed some fresh thyme. The supermarket is out.Two rules of thumb when substituting dried herbs for fresh or vise-versa:1. If the recipe calls for fresh herbs use one-third of that amount dried. And vise-versa. (Of course if your jar…
Pat’s Cinnamon Rolls
Yesterday was the day of the class at my favorite kitchen tools store in Glendale AZ that I have been anticipating for two months: Chef Pat Smith's Cinnamon Rolls. Pat is the owner of Patty's Cakes, a small local caterer…
My First Whole Roast Chicken
With my new roasting pan sitting on the counter, I just had to initiate it. Thanksgiving is coming up, right? Let's give this thing a shakedown cruise by roasting a whole chicken. Ignore the little voice inside my head screaming,…
Pat’s Perfect Pie Crust
Earlier this year, I took a class offered by my favorite gourmet kitchen tools store here in Glendale, AZ on making pie crusts. The teacher was Chef Pat Smith, owner of Patty's Cakes, a local catering firm specializing in pastries.…
Sear-Roasting
So just how did I get that thick pork chop so juicy? The answer is sear-roasting. Sear-roasting is a two-step technique. First you sear or brown the meat in a saute pan on the stovetop, not worrying about how done…
Carnival of the Grill Part II
Adam at Men in Aprons invited me to participate in the Carnival of the Grill. As if to send me a sign, the September 2006 issue of Fine Cooking arrived featuring an article entitled A Taste of Tuscany in Your…
Filleting Fish
<td Today I filleted a fish for the first time. Up to now I have always purchased fillets, but my local supermarket has been receiving daily shipments of fresh Rainbow Trout. Filleting is a skill I need to learn, and…