Cooking food in pouches can seem gimmicky, but it’s actually a great method for preparing quick and easy meals for one person or a party for ten! Cooking in pouches, known in French as en papillote, or “in paper,” is a method of steaming foods with their own juices, with […]
Deep Poaching, a Healthy Technique for Delicious Foods
Though every cooking technique has value, there is one simple technique that doesn’t get much attention: deep poaching. This technique may not have the glitz and glamour of a finished roast, fried chicken, or hard-seared steak, but it does result in consistently tender and moist foods, without the need for […]
Gatehouse Grape Leaf Salad
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Guide to Radishes (and What To Do With Them)
When I first moved to the United States from Germany, where I grew up and began my career, I was surprised at how little radishes are used in American cuisine. They are, to me, delicious! Not to mention inexpensive, long-lasting, and full of nutrients. Radishes are root vegetables of which […]
Pan-Steaming for Tender-Crisp Veggies
Pan-steaming is a technique that cooks food partially submerged in liquid and covered to produce steam. Similar to shallow poaching, pan-steaming is primarily used for vegetables or other tender, quick-cooking items like steamed dumplings or shrimp. By creating hot steam in a closed environment, this technique produces bright, tender-crisp vegetables […]
Party-Ready Crudités
Vegetable appetizers are a perfect way to start a meal. They run the gamut from simple dips and spreads like guacamole, made from silken smooth avocados, to complex dishes that are sophisticated enough to feature at the most elegant dinner. One of the most popular vegetable appetizers, and one that […]
Salmon and Wild Rice-Stuffed Cabbage
Makes 4 servings These cabbage rolls will be enjoyed by seafood lovers and non-seafood lovers alike. Keep some cooked wild rice in the freezer in small portions so it is available to add into dishes such as this one. You can also use rinsed, canned salmon in place of the […]
Shallow Poaching for Light and Tender Meat, Fish, and Veggies
Shallow-poached foods are cooked with a combination of steam and simmering liquid. The food is partially submerged in liquid, which often contains an acid, such as wine or lemon juice, and the pan is covered to capture the steam released by the liquid during cooking. The aim of shallow poaching […]
What I’m Cooking (and Freezing!): Roasted Salsa Verde
I live in a city, in a pretty small house with an especially small kitchen. When I fantasize about the next house I’ll live in, a big kitchen is key, of course, but the thing I romanticize the most (well, other than a pool) is the space for a big […]