Desserts

Crème Brûlée

Makes 5 servings We can all thank legendary CIA pastry chef instructor, Dieter Schorner, for reinvigorating the United States’ collective love of crème brûlée as pastry chef of New York City’s famed Le Cirque in the 1980s. Enjoy our classic version, but don’t be afraid to add spices or other […]

Breakfast and Brunch

English Muffins

English muffins are one of the easiest breads, made extra simple by their stove-top cook. No oven needed! Though like any bread, they are best the day they are made, a quick trip to the toaster freshens these muffins up for up to a week. Makes 10 servings

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Flavoring Homemade Ice Cream

As the summer settles in, there is no greater joy than a scoop of ice cream on a hot day. No matter your favorite flavor, from simple vanilla to the rockiest rocky road, an ice cream cone is the ultimate way to treat yourself. Near our San Antonio campus, where […]

Cakes, Desserts

High-Ratio White Cake

High-ratio cakes have a higher quantity of sugar than some other cakes, which makes them exceptionally moist and tender, and gives them a slightly longer shelf life. Their unique mixing method is simple and leaves you with a cake that’s perfect for kids’ birthday cakes or your next pot-luck. Makes […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

How it Works: Ice Cream Ingredients

The key to making perfect ice cream (with or without a recipe!) comes down to an understanding of the primary ingredients and what purpose they serve. The basic ingredients for ice cream are milk, cream, sugar, flavorings, and sometimes eggs. There are two basic types of ice cream. Custard ice […]

Chef's Notes Plus

How to Make a Basic Braise—Just in Time for Autumn

Braising, barbecuing, and slow-roasting are all long, low cooking methods that utilize less tender, fattier cuts of meats with a lot of connective tissue. But braising stands apart in that it includes liquid in the cooking process. It is also a combination cooking method—one that uses both dry and moist […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

How to Prepare a Bisque

A good bisque reflects the flavor of the main ingredient. If you have added cream to round out and mellow the soup, it should not mask the main flavor. All bisques are slightly coarse or grainy, with a consistency similar to heavy cream. A crustacean bisque is pale pink or […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

How to Prepare Laminated Doughs

Gentle warning: you are about to read a lot of information explaining the basic technique of laminated dough. Though it seems long and overwhelming, the process is technically simple, so take it step by step. When you are ready to try a recipe, read it all the way through before […]

One-Dish Meals

Lobster Ravioli with Corn Sauce

Makes 5 or 6 servings Striping the pasta is really fun, but also takes some time. You may want to batch it out and save some of the dough for later. When you make this, you may want to prepare extra ravioli and freeze them. The sauce will also freeze […]