Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

5 Easy Fixes for Soggy Mushrooms

A beautifully golden brown mushroom that’s slightly crisp on the exterior, but tender and flavorful on the interior, is not a difficult outcome to achieve. And yet, it is one of the biggest challenges for CIA students and home-cooks alike. After observing the struggles to cook mushrooms with results that […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

5 Easy Mistakes That are Easy to Fix

Even the greatest chefs make mistakes in the kitchen, so the rest of us are bound to get it wrong from time to time. And while some things are sort of hard to come back from (no, you probably can’t save that loaf of sourdough turned charcoal), there are a […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

5 Easy Pasta Recipes for Busy Nights

In a popularity contest, pasta doesn’t generally need any help. But more than being chewy and delicious, this fan-favorite food is also a go-to pantry staple for a quick dinner on a busy night. Pair it with a prepared sauce for a ten minute meal, or try one of our […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

5 Game Day Dinners for Hungry Fans

When it comes to the big game, snacks are all well and good. But for those of us who like to eat a proper dinner at half-time, pigs-in-a-blanket might not fit the bill. If your crowd likes a well-rounded dinner-time meal, try some of these game day-ready dinners that can […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

5 of Our Favorite Thanksgiving Desserts

Still looking for something sweet to serve for Thanksgiving dessert? Try one of these—5 of our favorite recipes, any one the perfect end to an extraordinary meal. Maple Pumpkin Pie We think every Thanksgiving table should have a pumpkin pie, and we love this maple version with whipped cream topping. […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

5 Recipes for Late-Summer Dinners

In August, we start to see the end of summer produce. But those last fruits and veggies to ripen in the summer sun just happen to be some of our favorites to cook! Whether you’re swimming in tomatoes, eggplant, or peaches, let these recipes inspire you for the last of […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

5 Recipes That are a Sure Sign of Spring

After a long winter, the world is turning back to green. Asparagus is shooting to the sky and curly pea tendrils seek out the sun, promising a near-future of farmers’ markets and tender fruits and veggies. To inspire you, here are some of the recipes we spend all year waiting […]

Chef's Blog

5 Tips for Starting Grilling Season Early

As the weather warms and our social bubbles slowly and safely expand, we plan to spend a lot of time in our backyards—and that means grilling season has come early! Grilling can be as convenient or complicated as suits your mood, but for all spring and summer grilling, we generally […]

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 Notes Plus

6 No-Cook (or Low-Cook) Recipes to Keep You Cool

If you can’t bear to turn on your oven during these hot days of summer, try one of our go-to recipes that require little to no heat to prepare—and anything that needs cooking can be quickly done on an outdoor grill, skipped entirely, or substituted with a prepared convenience item. […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

6 Recipes Ideas for Back-to-School Meal Prep

If you’re looking for lunch idea that are kid-friendly, nutrient dense, and easy to pack, we’ve got you covered. These ten recipe ideas may not all be kid-food at first-glance, but we’ve got some suggestions for easy tweaks to perfect these make-ahead lunches to streamline your mornings. Each recipe can […]