Tips For Success…Pasta Basics…read on… Fire It Up!

Pasta is one dish most people claim to be able to cook. It’s true, pasta is relatively simple to prepare–anyone can boil water. Still, there are a few simple tricks you should know.

Chicken and Egg Three Ways

Roasted chicken and corn custard, Tomato poached chicken and spinach custard & Fire chicken and blue cheese custard.

 

Thoughts and ideas in creating the item

Using eggshells as a vessel for food is a classic concept. The picture shown is how we serve it in our dining room. We also use the same concept for catered events as a small plate station. I love the concept of using 100% of everything in our kitchen that is fit for consumption.

Tips For Success…Freezing Fruits and Vegetables…Fire It Up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When summer gives you heaps of fresh fruits and vegetables, freeze them and enjoy throughout the year. It’s easy!  Follow these tips to get the most out of summer’s bounty…

Tips For Success…Grilling Fish…Fire It Up!

Grilling is one of the simplest and best ways to cook fish. A few guidelines will guarantee the best results.

Corn and Shrimp Chowder

 

 

 

 

 

A farmers market or roadside stand is the best source for sweet corn. The natural sugars in the corn begin converting to starch the minute the ears are picked, so freshness is critical. Look for cobs with crisp green husks and dry, brownish silk that extends out the top (yellowish silk marks an immature ear). The kernels should be tightly packed in even rows and look plump and juicy.

Parties and Wine Tastings

When you are hosting a dinner party or supper club, decide in advance what wines you would like to serve, selecting ones that will complement your menu. If you are planning a party where everybody contributes a bottle of wine, ask each guest to bring a different wine until all the wine slots are filled. If you have friends who are interested in wine, you might even want to hold an informal wine tasting.
 

Go to Guide…The Art of Preserving

All across America, cooks are rediscovering the pleasures of preserving. Whether your fresh fruits and vegetables come from a backyard garden or the local farmers’ market, The Art of Preserving provides everything you need to know to put up your favorite seasonal produce.

Apple, Fennel Celery Salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sugar
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced diagonally, plus 1/4 cup loosely packed celery leaves
2 small fennel bulbs, thinly sliced crosswise, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds       
1 firm, crisp apple (such as Pink Lady, Gala, or Granny Smith), julienned   
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Whisk first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add celery and celery leaves, thinly sliced fennel and chopped fennel fronds, and apple; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipes Using Various Types of Chili Powder

 

Keep your taste buds Fired Up with these recipes using various chili powders made from dried and ground Ancho, New Mexican, Chipotle, Aleppo, Anaheim and Serrano chilies.  Each chili produces a unique flavor, smokiness, sweetness and heat level.  These distinctions mean that each chili will combine with other ingredients differently to create a specific result and flavor profile.  Enjoy and Fire It Up!    

Tips For Success…All About Garlic…read on…Fire It Up!

Garlic: A Love-Hate Relationship
Like generations before us, we seem to have a love-hate relationship with garlic.
For centuries garlic has been the bogeyman of ingredients. The upper classes thumbed their noses at its strong smell and considered it food fit only for laborers. Consequently, garlic was assigned strength- and endurance-building attributes. Egyptian slaves built the pyramids on a heavily garlic-fortified diet.
Some cultures have embraced garlic more fully than others. Southern European cooking uses it with a flourish, while in northern Europe, it is used only sparingly and is cooked more thoroughly to take the sting off its hot flavor.