Creme Brûlée
Creme brûlée has become one of my favorite desserts to serve to guests. It is deceptively simple to make. (I actually avoided it for many years until I learned how easy it is to make.) One of the most enjoyable…
Breaking Rules: Ultimate Mashed Potatoes
There is a rule somewhere that says you should use russet potatoes in mashed potatoes. To make the Ultimate Mashed Potatoes you have to break that rule. This is a time-tested, years-old recipe. When the holidays come around, the entire…
Pork Tenderloin Cordon Bleu
This is one of my favorite ways to prepare pork tenderloin. Butterflying it and adding the ham, swiss cheese, and cream cheese mixture adds maybe five minutes to the prep time. In this recipe I've mixed a little stone ground…
Baked Rotini with Chicken, Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
This is a favorite in my family. It is quick and easy to make, and is very inexpensive. Some people are tempted to use chicken breast meat but I assure you that it is much better with chicken thighs. Baked…
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child
Saint Julia. I know I'm not the only foodie who refers to Julia Child that way. If you've never watched any of her old French Chef episodes you really should. They are the antithesis of what you see on the…
How to Boil an Egg
1. Put the egg in a saucepan of cold water (important!) and put it on the burner. 2. When the water starts to boil turn it down to a simmer and start the timer for 9 minutes 3. When the…
How to Make Clarified Butter
Making clarified butter is quick, easy, and requires no special tools or skills. Unsalted butter is a minimum of 80 percent butter. The remainder is water and milk solids. Clarified butter is simp,y butter with the water and milk solids…
Progress Report: Classic Cooking Academy
Tonight will be week 6 of my 24-week sting at Classic Cooking Academy in Scottsdale, AZ. Though it has been like drinking from a fire hose at times, I am thoroughly enjoying it and am learning a lot. My wife…
Carrot Soup
This recipe is the classic French method for making soup using almost any vegetable. The first thing you'll notice is that no exact quanities of ingredients are specified. It's all done with ratios (1-1/2 pounds of carrots makes enough soup…