Keeping Cilantro Fresh
Here's a quick and easy way to keep cilantro fresh until you need it. First, cut off the dried ends of the stems and discard. Soak cilantro in cool water for 5-10 minutes. Drain the water off and discard old/damaged leaves. Then, give it a couple spins in the salad spinner to remove any extra water. TIME OUT! You don't have a salad spinner? Well, you gotta get one this minute! Salad spinners... More...
By Jill | 3 comments | Full Recipe...Toasting Black Peppercorns
Right up front, toasting and grinding your own black pepper is worth the effort. It's super easy and it's fun, in a food explorer's sort of way. I KNOW you know what I'm saying. Now, I'll be completely honest here. Sometimes I buy & try things I think I need in my cooking, but I don't know why I need them. Then I grow tired of my ignorance and I go through the effort to compare what I always... More...
By Jill | 5 comments | Full Recipe...Cupcakes Kids Will Not Waste
For the past four years, I've attended my fair share of little kid birthday parties. I've observed and experienced that no matter how delicious the cake tastes or doesn't taste, it's the icing that gets all the attention. Party after party, I watch kids ONLY eat the frosting off their cupcakes. Leaving behind a half eaten, crumbly lump of sweet bread. Now, I'm just as much a kid as the next kid. ... More...
By Jill | 3 comments | Full Recipe...Chicken Stock
You hear it all the time on those cooking shows. "Use homemade broth or stock! But if you don't have it, store bought is good, too." Do you know the difference between broth and stock? Broth comes from the meat boiled in seasoned water. Stock comes from the bones boiled in seasoned water. And yes, there IS a difference is flavors and richness. Broth is mildly flavored. Stock is rich with... More...
By Jill | 2 comments | Full Recipe...How To Blanch Broccoli
There's a new way to cook vegetables ahead of time without having mushy vegetables for dinner. Okay, it's not really new, but it's new for me and maybe, for you. I must confess. When it's my turn to watch TV, I usually watch the Barefoot Contessa. With TiVo, I can get in two or three episodes every couple of days. This is my idea of free culinary training. So, Ina shared a cook ahead technique... More...
By Jill | 4 comments | Full Recipe...Roasted Garlic
The first time I roasted garlic, I could not believe it was so easy. I knew I could do it on a regular basis. And roasted garlic is sweeter and tastes so good alone, on bread, crackers, in mashed potatoes, anywhere you can imagine. It has a completely different personality roasted. Like me. HERE'S ALL YOU DO TO ROAST GARLIC Heat oven 425ºF degrees. Use a piece of heavy duty foil, 7-8 inches... More...
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...Roasted Chicken Breasts
I've been watching so much Barefoot Contessa on TV. I decided to copy her roasted chicken technique. It's so simple, I had to make it. I admit it! I get in cooking routines and forget to try something new. Now, this 'technique' is not new to the cooking world, it's just new to me and maybe you, too. It's new for me, because I usually cook my chicken in a stock pot with veggies and herbs, so I... More...
By Jill | 6 comments | Full Recipe...Kitchen Clean Up Tools
Due to karate class, gymnastics class, and a back to home school party all in one evening, I didn't cook last night. I declared, "You're On Your Own" night. It worked out fine, we had delicious leftover black bean enchiladas and Monday night meatloaf to chow on. Therefore, I don't have a food recipe today, but I would like to share my favorite clean up tools with you. A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND... More...
By Jill | 3 comments | Full Recipe...Don’t Buy Precooked Chicken-Make Your Own!
Do you have a recipe that calls for a small amount of precooked chicken but you don't have the extra time beforehand to cook it? You end up skipping the recipe and moving onto something different. You could always keep a can of chicken in the pantry, just for said occasions. That would be alright. However, I'm not a big fan of canned or precooked packaged chicken. I've had it, it's okay. ... More...
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...Fresh Mayonnaise vs. Store Bought
I was comparing mayonnaise brands and their ingredients the other day. Uh, yuk! (Heaven help me if I ever try a diet that avoids high fructose corn syrup.) Oh, that's another day, today I want to call out to all my new cooking friends and ask you something. Should I start making my own mayonnaise? What ingredients do I need? Can I make it healthier? What's the refrigerator life of fresh made... More...
By Jill | 3 comments | Full Recipe...Choosing A Good Recipe
Most cooks agree that a good recipe, sure to be used again and again, must pass through two filters. Does the recipe call for ingredients commonly on hand in my pantry, with the exception of one to two items? How much work is involved? The easier the better. It doesn't matter that the recipe call for the freshest of herbs and vegetables, be vegetarian, or low-carb. What's important is can I make... More...
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...Oven Fried Bacon
America's Test Kitchen is a VERY educational and entertaining show. I really dig the food science and equipment reviews. Long before there was Alton Brown, there was America's Test Kitchen breaking down the hows and whys of cooking. Of all the shows I've ever watched, there's one cooking segment that I will never forget. The episode where they taught us to fry bacon in the oven. I was changed forever.... More...
By Jill | 45 comments | Full Recipe...
