Week 9: The secret to heating your pan (and prevent food from sticking)

For some of you, this may not be huge news. But for me, it was a game changer in the kitchen. When you are self taught, you often miss out on these important techniques unless you take the time to learn. That’s what I’ve been focusing on for the past few years as I strive […]

Week 8: Making Maple Syrup

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Week 7: Hollandaise & Espagnole Sauces

Sauces are such an incredibly versatile thing. You could make a wide variety of meals from the same basic poultry or meat just by changing the sauce. You can make sauces to top vegetables and sides to switch things up. You can add your own personal touch and make your own family favorites.

Roasted Apple Chicken Thighs

This is a pretty easy dish that comes together quickly. I chose to de-bone the thighs because they would cook quicker (it’s pretty simple if you’ve never done it – youtube has plenty of videos).

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs, deboned and skinned Salt and pepper 1tb butter 1tb olive oil 4-5 cloves garlic, minced 5c […]

Waldorf Salad

This is such a delightful salad… Crunchy, sweet, crisp, juicy.A lot of flavor, texture and color in every bite!

Ingredients:

1/2 c slightly toasted, chopped walnuts 1/2 c celery, sliced 1/2 c seedless grapes, halved or chopped 1 sweet apple, peeled, cored and chopped 3tb mayonnaise 1tb lemon juice salt and pepper to taste

Method:

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Cider Braised Duck Legs

Ready to go into the oven!

Ingredients:

4 duck legs, skinned salt and pepper 1tb olive oil 1 onion, finely diced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 carrot, peeled and sliced or diced 2 small sticks of celery, finely sliced 1-1/2 c apple cider 1tb vincotto 1 sprig thyme leaves

Method:

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Vincotto

Vincotto is a “cooked wine” and from what I understand it’s made from overripe grapes and can be a lengthy process. This is a quicker method to obtain similar results. I used it in a duck recipe, and the remaining bit was so tasty I slathered it over a pan seared chicken breast.

You basically […]

Week 6: Veloute and Tomato Sauces

I had high hopes of being able to format the remaining mother sauces in one final post so sauces aren’t dragged on so long, but the last two sauces are rather complicated and I need a bit more time to put my thoughts on paper. so I present to you, veloute and tomato sauces. […]

Week 5: Mother Sauces – Bechamel, “White Sauce”

The Mother Sauces

I’m sure most of us have made sauces and probably have for quite some time. Sauce making is a skill, just as much as any other form of cooking. A quality sauce can bring magic to a dish, making the most basic ingredients come to life in unforgettable deliciousness. A sauce can […]

Week 4: Roux, Slurry & Buerre Manie

This weeks challenge is to make and use a roux if you have never made one – or practice making a blonde or brown roux while trying a brand new recipe. You can even make roux in bulk to have on hand. Create a meal that uses a roux and let me know what you […]