Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Last Minute Ingredient Swaps

Everyone knows the frustrating feeling of readying your ingredients, just to realize you’re missing one thing. Sometimes it’s a big thing, like the red wine for wine-braised short ribs, but often it’s an everyday ingredient that we simply forgot to replace.  Most recipes are adaptable, if you have the confidence […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Don’t Cry! It’s Only an Onion

It’s a struggle we all face: onion eyes. Chopping an onion comes with an extra layer of struggle. After your first few draws through the bulb, your eyes may begin to water, burn, maybe even swell a little. What can you do? First, let’s understand why this is happening. Onions […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

How to Roast Peppers for Any Recipe

Roasted peppers are peppers that have been charred all over and then skinned and seeded. Unlike roasted carrots or Brussels sprouts, which we typically enjoy as a side dish or as part of our main meal, roasted peppers tend to act as an ingredient or component in another dish, like […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Pantry Potential: Toasted Breadcrumbs

When you think outside of their everyday uses—as a breading for chicken cutlets or binder in meatloaf—simple prepared breadcrumbs take on a new life and make simple ingredients extra delicious. When cooked quickly in a fat, like olive oil or butter, breadcrumbs not only become more intensely savory and flavorful, […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

How to Scramble Eggs

Scrambled eggs are one of the most popular ways to enjoy eggs, and whether they were fluffy, dry, runny, burned or underdone, we’ve had them every way they come. Luckily, cooking scrambled eggs is easy, with no need to overcomplicate with unusual techniques or lots of extra ingredients. In fact, […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Valentine’s Day Menus to Celebrate Your Way

Valentine’s Day menus tend to showcase foods that to some may feel fussy, extravagant, or just not their style. And while we love oysters and caviar and good Champagne, we’re also big fans of cozy pot pies, stuffed mushrooms, and chocolate in any form. After all, food can be special […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

6 Meat-Free Pastas Special Enough For Entertaining

When entertaining for vegetarian diners, pasta tends to appear as an easy answer. And why not? It’s delicious. But for entertaining, a simple pasta may not feel enough: fancy enough, delicious enough, just special enough. But not with these recipes. These recipes are show-stoppers, made by hand. As always with […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Brines for Tender and Flavorful Meats

Curing meats, poultry, and fish in a salt and water solution is known as brining or wet curing. Brining provides depth in flavor, tenderness, and a moister final product. The base of a brine is salt and water, and sometimes sugar. Kosher salt is preferred because it doesn’t have any […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Saucy Chicken Wings Without a Recipe

Wings are a Big Game staple, and while take-out wings on the couch is a whole mood, there is also a whole world of homemade, customizable wings waiting for you! Making wings at home is easy, whether you want them crisp and fried or roasted and tender. Here, we break […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Troubleshooting Candies, Toffees, and Brittles

What if my candies turn opaque and brittle during working?They have crystallized! The most likely cause is too much agitation during working. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done to fix this problem. Try again, and try not to agitate too much as it cools. Learn more about crystallization […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Chile Varieties and How to Use Them

There are two basic types of peppers: sweet peppers and chiles. Sweet peppers are sometimes called bell peppers because of their shape. Sweet peppers of various colors have similar flavors, though red and yellow varieties tend to be sweeter. Chiles, an important ingredient in many cuisines, are available in various […]

Chef's Blog

Win The Big Game with a Super Chili Spread

Are you ready for some chili? We aren’t quite sure how chili and football became forever linked, but we know we like it. And while a hot bowl of chili is perfect for any old Sunday, we think the Big Game calls for a super chili spread! This year, don’t […]