Main Dishes

Veggie Packed Meatballs

Makes 4 to 6 servings   Directions Wash the zucchini and carrots and finely grate (or you can also grind in a food processor). Finely mince or grind the mushrooms in a food processor. Remember, the smaller you can get the veggies, the better you’ll be at disguising them! Heat […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Velvety Roasted Eggplant

For some veggies, we use the phrase roasting as a general term for cooking a vegetable whole to get after the tender flesh, like peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. For eggplant, we scoop the velvety cooked flesh from the skin of the eggplant. This can be done in the oven (actual […]

Main Dishes

Vinegar Chicken

Makes 6 servings Braising chicken in vinegar is a very popular cooking method in the Mediterranean. You will find numerous variations in different countries and regions, but this particular recipe is a version of the French poulet sauté au vinaigre, or vinegar chicken. The method calls for marinating the chicken […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Vineyard Vocabulary: Oak in Wine

Most wines are aged in barrels, but those barrels are not always the classic oak ones you might imagine when you think of a vineyard. When it comes to influencing the flavors and aromas of a finished wine, though, oak is a popular choice. The primary effect of an oak […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Virtual Vacation: Street Foods of China

Throughout history, food for the “common,” everyday people has been produced and consumed as a communal affair. Retreating to one’s private quarters to eat a meal alone or in a very small group is a relatively recent development, found mostly in industrialized regions. Interestingly, many cultures struggle to understand the […]

Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Walnut-Herb Sauce

Makes about 2 cups This flavorful but versatile sauce is perfect alongside grilled or roasted meats, poultry, fish and vegetables. Use it as a sandwich spread, as the base for a quick salad dressing, or even as a dip for raw vegetables. Watch this video to see how easy it […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Walnut-Herb Sauce is the New Barbecue Sauce

Early in grilling season, we’re all just so happy to be outside, we would eat basically anything. But as the weeks go by, those grilled chicken and veggies start to lose their luster. After all, sunshine is not a sauce. If that’s where you are right now, I would like […]