My most stressful class in culinary school was Classical Pastries. Chef Jan Bandula was the instructor and he was also a Certified Master Pastry Chef. And he was European. Failure was not an option in any of his courses. But Chef Bandula also wanted us to win. He never made us feel like idiots if…
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Pureed Pumpkin in 5 Easy Steps
Let’s talk about the reasons why you should make your own Pureed Pumpkin: You’ll know what’s in it. Canned, pureed pumpkin has been in the news lately because it’s been mixed with other squashes. Pureed pumpkin that’s really butternut or acorn squash? Well, that’s not cool! It’s inexpensive. Check out the price of a can…
Chiffonade Herbs: Sense & Edibility’s Culinary Class
In an earlier post I spoke about my gargantuan basil garden and how I’m a little overwhelmed by the abundance of it. Now, it didn’t begin as a “basil garden” per se; it’s just become one because it bullied out the other herbs growing there. As a result, I’m still here with copious amount of…
Whipping Egg Whites: Sense & Edibility’s Culinary Class
You’ve read recipe instructions before that have told you to, “Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.” And you’ve probably said to yourself, “If I knew what ‘whipping egg whites to stiff peaks’ meant, I’d feel so fulfilled.” You haven’t thought that? Oh, well…pretend like you have because I’m going to tell you all about…
How to Dry Brine A Turkey
For years, I was a dedicated adherent to the philosophy that one should always brine the Gameday Bird. “Gameday” as in Thanksgiving. Turkey Day is serious business around this camp. My husband is one of those, “The holidays are nothing but a ploy by a bunch of greedy corporations trying to make a buck!” Grinch-type…
