Sandwich Workshop: Roasted Onions

Sandwich Workshop, ReprisedLast week I blogged about how I had the honor and pleasure of teaching a Creative Sandwich Making Workshop at the Library, and this past week we enjoyed some of the leftovers which I want to share with you, inasmuch as that is possible in print? Okay, not exactly share, just share the recipe then.So here goes, Roasted Onions from Tom Colicchio’s ‘wichcraft recipe

Cooking School: Sandwich Workshop

Cooking School:  Sandwich Workshop!Cross this off the bucket list:  teaching a cooking class.  The class was held at our Library and was supposed to run from 2 – 3, but since we were still merrily cooking away and eating at 4, the Children’s Department wanted to know how long it would take for us to clean up?  (Longer than the 5 minutes I said, but we were up and out before the children’s program

What (Cupcake) Professionals Know

You can be pretty good at something, but I am convinced that you will never know as much as professionals,.    This was brought home to me this week because 1.)  my bathroom is getting renovated, and 2.) I was baking for the staff birthdays at the Library. I am a pretty good baker, but until I read the book The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating by Autumn Carpenter, I didn't realize how

Feeling Crabby

Only ONE crab cake?  Ok, this must be the lunch platter!One of the easiest things to make, and make wonderfully well, is a good crab cake.  There are soooo many recipes out there, for various iterations of crab cakes, but after four consecutive Fridays of making crab cakes from different recipes, our family all agreed:  the simplest recipes are the best.The flavor of crab is so subtle and sweet,

Teaching/Learning/Cooking

Inspiration comes from the darndest places.  Was reading The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn, a book we acquired in March of this year.  It was all about how a trained chef gave a series of free cooking classes to people she spotted at the food store purchasing pre-packaged and highly processed food.Things I knew but needed to be reminded of by Kathleen Flinn’s book:1.  Use up

A Scone by Any Other Name...

What is a scone anyway?    Coffee or bake shops showcase alluring looking scones bearing fruits, nuts, and spices, but which usually taste more like a mouthful of sawdust than anything else:  dry, flavorless and dense.  Good news!  If you make any of the scones from the book, Alice's Tea Cup, by Haley Fox and Lauren Fox, you will have a biscuit-y/muffin-y treat tasting better than any commercial

Cake Improv

Sometimes you can wing it, and sometimes you really want to have a couple of dress rehearsals before the real thing.  My daughter Kate's wedding is coming up in August and I am honored and excited that she asked me to bake her wedding cake.  I've made a few tiered wedding cakes before (how many?  let's see...more than 5 but less than 10...), but the last time I did so was several years ago, so I

Adventures in Fondant

I had the happy occasion to bake a cake for someone's baby shower (you know who you are!) today.   At first someone suggested that I make the "pregnant Mom" cake from Buddy Valastro's Baking with the Cake Boss, (funny but cute); but instead it was requested that I make something with a beach theme. How about a fondant covered sand pail cake with shells, sand dollars and a starfish in graham

Kindles and Cookies

As I wrote the title above, it occurred to me that I could be talking about either the "cookies" that are stored on your computer OR cookies that you eat...Still life with Kindle.OK, today, we're talking about edible cookies:  Almond Macaroons from the cookbook 500 Under 500, From 100 Calorie Snacks to 500 Calorie Entrees by Lynette Rohrer Shirk -  which I got from the South Brunswick Library's

Fish (Tacos) for Friday

Even if you're NOT an observer of no-meat-on Fridays during Lent, now's the perfect time to cook fish, especially on Friday.  At the end of the week, the markets are full of fish, resulting in three bonuses:  greater variety, lower prices and more turnover, hence fresher fish.See below for a great way to glorify fish tacos from Todd English's Cooking in Everyday English.   Don't be scared off by

Asparagus and Geometry

Does the size and shape of a food influence the way it tastes?  Most emphatically yes.Think of the taste of a shredded carrot salad versus munching on a whole carrot...or enjoying a piece of thinly sliced steak versus chowing down on a big hunk cut from a 1 1/2 inch thick slab.  Different textures, different taste experience.  This is the case with my favorite recipe this week, Raw Asparagus, Red

Shrimp Riddle

What is:  easy enough to make from ingredients you (could) have on hand, quick enough for a weeknight meal, but glorious enough for company?Answer:Pasta with Shrimp and Olive Sauce, from Todd English's new book, Cooking in Everyday English, The ABCs of Great Flavor at Home.I challenge you to try some of the recipes from this beautifully illustrated book, and not pronounce them delicious.  Todd

I Found a Farm at the Library

In these unstable economic times around the world a young American author named Jenna Woginrich is inspiring readers of her books, tweets, and blog posts to take charge.  To learn to be more self-sufficient while being environmentally conscious. Jenna is no whiner. She is on her feet trying, making mistakes, and learning. You can occupy Wall Street if you want.  No offense to the occupiers, but I