Quick Techniques

Masking Tape and a Sharpie OR How to Avoid Spoiled Food

I’m not a religious person but I do believe in some very firm ‘Commandments’ to follow in the kitchen. The first and most important is’Thou shalt not Waste’ followed by ‘Thou shalt always label thy food containers’. But seriously- labeling food and writing the date is so important in helping to eliminate spoiled food.

How to Segment Citrus Fruits

It is Citrus Season and I think it’s Mother Nature’s special way of telling us to eat our Vitamin C during the height of cold and flu season! In recent years, I’ve noticed that every supermarket, even the plain-Jane Safeway have expanded on their fruit selection, including citrus. I love seeing exotic Pomelos, Blood Oranges and Cara-Cara oranges sit next to Satsuma tangerines and the very basic Navel Oranges. While it’s wonderful to simply peel the fruit by hand or cut them into wedges, I sometimes want a more refined and artful way to serve the fruit, especially when I have guests.

Combination Cooking- Steam and Saute

Just recently I began a new job as a private chef for some friends of mine. They wanted vegetarian meals because vegetables were lacking in their current meat and starch diet. While I wasn’t looking for a private chef opportunity, I agreed because I happen to like my friends and they have a little boy that plays with my son. In short, I care about this family and I relished the idea of preparing them healthy dinners a few times a week. I am not a strict vegetarian but for health reasons, I try to eat like one a majority of the time.

How to Make Tofu Tasty

II am an omnivore for sure- I am hopelessly addicted to arugula, sauteed greens, tangerines, nectarines and mangoes and I haven’t ever refused any kind of animal protein (except veal) but ever so often I feel a sense of guilt for cooking excessively with animal products. This is especially true after the recent indulgent Christmas and New Year holidays where meat and more specifically, pork was our animal of choice. Rillettes, Lechon, and Cuban Pork Roast, oh my!

Blistered Crunchy Brussels Sprouts for Thanksgiving.

It was 9:30 in the evening. The dinner dishes had been put away and the kitchen was spotless. But instead of sitting on the couch with a glass of wine and a periodical, I was sitting at our dinner table with a large mound of brussels sprouts. I was carefully pulling the leaves off the [...]

Use Your Dinner Plate to Sharpen your Knife- REALLY!

Next to my hands, my knives are the most important tools in my kitchen. And because they are so important, my knives get the utmost in attention and care. This means a few things that I believe are Cardinal Rules for all your cutlery: I ALWAYS wash them by hand; I NEVER put them in the bottom of the sink; I NEVER scrape the blade on my cutting board and most importantly, I ALWAYS make sure my knives are sharp.