The best way for a chef to know if what he or she is cooking is seasoned well enough is to taste it.  With many things cooked, taste is the key to a perfect dish.  And when it comes to a simple technique like boiling pasta or blanching vegetables, taste and seasoning is just as important as it would be if you were making a highly seasoned curry.

Here’s a tip that will help you to determine whether your water is appropriately seasoned, in this case with salt, when you are boiling vegetables or pasta.  If the water tastes like salt water from the ocean, then it has just the right amount.  And don’t be shy, it may seem like you are adding a lot of salt to your pot (which you probably are), but the pasta or vegetables won’t absorb all of it and interfere with a healthy dinner.  Instead they taste just right.

Finding a tray to organize my silverware drawer has become something that I find myself doing all too often. Perhaps this is not something that most people encounter. I, on the other hand, seem to find myself with this problem at least once a year, if not more. That is because I move way more than the average person. And although I always pack my current silverware tray, it never seems to fit in the drawer of my next apartment!

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Are you visiting this blog because it’s Thanksgiving day and you are in the midst of a cooking disaster?!  I hope not.  (Hopefully, you’re just winding down, belly full of turkey, tryptophan kicking in, and readying yourself for a nice long nap on the couch, football lulling you to sleep….)

But if so, check out this article from ChicagoTribune.com that list several toll-free hotlines and websites that can guide you through any cooking needs you might have during the holiday season.

Best of luck!

Crème fraiche is more or less the French version of American’s sour cream.  It is a fermented cream that has a similar flavor and texture to sour cream, but is a little less tangy and is usually a bit thicker in consistency.

You can find it at your local gourmet food store, and use it for a plethora of recipes.  I love using crème fraiche as a substitute for whipped cream on desserts, or for a tasty veggie dip base.  It’s also a nice way to fancy up a simple baked potato.  However, if you do purchase it in its pre-made state you’ll find yourself paying a upwards of $6 for an 8-ounce package.  So, instead, I suggest you make it yourself!  It is the easiest thing in the world to make; it’ll save you a buck or two; and how cool is it to tell your friends you made your own cheese?!

Here’s the how-to:

For every eight ounces of heavy cream, you’ll need one ounce of buttermilk.  Combine these two ingredients with a quick stir, then pour into a glass mason jar, closed with a screw-top lid.  Let the filled jar sit out at room temperature for 24 hours to thicken slightly and ferment.  Then refrigerate the cheese until cold, even more thickened, and ready to use.

Last week, when developing a dessert for a cooking demonstration at City Park, I decided to use this tried-and-true recipe of mine for buttermilk – lime sherbet. I love it this time of year because citrus fruits are at their very best. And even though it is freezing outside, no one I know can turn down a scoop of this stuff!

BUTTERMILK – LIME SHERBET

2 cups Buttermilk
1 cup Simple Syrup (which is just equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil for one minute)
1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

Simply stir together all three ingredients and freeze according to your ice cream maker manufacturer’s directions.

I think it is obvious that I have a new obsession (considering the two previous Turbodog-related posts). I want to make the best beer-based cake EVER! And, quite honestly, I think I may have…

So, please ditch last week’s recipe I posted for
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I just added this as a little “side sipper” to the pear-almond clafoutis on my dessert menu at Delmonico. The clafoutis is served with a chai tea flavored ice cream, so I thought adding an extra element to the dessert that enhanced the spiciness of the ice cream would be a nice complement.

This super easy-to-make beverage of fresh lemon juice and ginger root, steeped in sugar and water, makes for a great warm drink on a cold night, or a refreshing cooler on a hot summer afternoon. I serve it warm with the clafoutis, but suggest you try it both ways and see which one you prefer!

LEMON – GINGER TEA
2 cups water
1 cup sugar (you can use less, if you prefer)
2 lemons
About a 2” long piece of fresh ginger – peeled and thinly sliced

In a small pot, combine the water and sugar, the zest and juice of the lemons, and the chopped ginger. Then bring to a boil, cover and then let simmer about 5 minutes. At this point, taste it. If it is to your liking, strain it and serve hot or cool at room temperature and serve over ice. (If you would prefer that it have a stronger flavor, let the lemon and ginger “steep” for another 30 minutes or so. Then, bring it back up to a boil, or strain it and cool it back down.)

(This is a continuation of my posting on beer as inspiration from January 2nd.)

As promised, I am supplying you with a recipe I developed for a beer inspired dessert. The cake is dense like pound cake, with a rich yeasty flavor from the beer, and has a good amount of spice. It is best served with a bit of orange marmalade (the bitterness in the marmalade creates a nice complement to the bitterness of the beer) and dollop of whipped crème fraiche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream to smooth out the different flavors, and of course, add some more fat. Afterall, it is a dessert… (Upon thinking about it, this would also make a fantastic breakfast!)
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I love recipes that are half homemade, meaning some of its from scratch and some is simply not. It is the best way to make good food that is not overly compromised in quality, when you don’t have all the time in the world.

Just the other night, I went to an early dinner at my friend Jennifer’s house. She had a dozen or more guests, most of which had just finished playing soccer for a local league, and all of which were starving. For this casual gathering, she made tortilla soup. Subsequently, she introduced me to another half homemade recipe that I, too, will make next time I have a large group to feed.

Should you like to try it yourself, she’s been kind enough to pass on the recipe!
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For the 2008 Food Network South Beach Food and Wine Festival this February, I was asked to come up with a few hors d’eouvre sized desserts. One of my creations was a lemon – basil macaroon. It is made of two delicate and crunchy lemon meringue cookies (with a hint of almond) that “sandwich” a filling of lemon buttercream and a single fried basil leaf. The bright flavors of the basil and lemon offset the rich buttercream and sweet meringue resulting in a little treat that has a big flavor.

Since we finalized the recipe in the test kitchen, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them. You should definitely try making them yourself!

Here’s the recipe:
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