Rosemary Rescued from the Snow
Cooking lessons are so much fun. I still dust off some of my old lessons when asked or, occasionally, as donations to charity. So, when a friend asked to sell one of my lessons at a live charity auction, I was delighted. The lesson, “Stocks and the Five Mother Sauces”, was from my repertoire of tried and true lessons. I could teach it in my sleep. Piece of cake. Sure, I would be happy to donate the lesson.
Then came the surprise from the buyer: Continue reading
Fresh Cranberries
Three posts in one week – a first for me. Sorry I’m clogging your in-baskets, but I thought I would do my best to finish what I started before Thanksgiving.
This post will wrap up the key things you need to do a week (or a few days) ahead of your Thanksgiving dinner. Continue reading
Chicago’s Magnificent Mile – Perfect for Early Christmas Shopping
It is almost Thanksgiving and the start of holiday season here in the U.S. This is when I wish the moratorium on human cloning had expired, and I could be in multiple places at once. Continue reading
Shrimp, Artichoke and Tomato Salad with Riesling Vinaigrette
Vinaigrette, as the word suggests, comes to us from the French. According to famed French chef, Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935), who documented the essentials of French cooking for us, this simple “cold sauce” should be used to accompany “calf’s head or feet”. Auguste might be surprised to know that, while the vinaigrette has endured to grace our tables more than a century after his writings, his recommended application is no longer a common use. I must admit that I prefer my vinaigrette on something other than calf’s feet. Continue reading
The red wine sauce started as usual — slice shallots into those cute little rings (don’t you love the way they fall apart into just the right size?); caramelize them in butter; add good (it doesn’t need to be great, just good) red wine, some beef stock (home-made preferred), a sprig of rosemary and a bit of sugar. Just when you thought you were on your way to a standard wine reduction Continue reading
A GLOBAL GARNISH 