Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Picking Apples for Baking

Over 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States, and of those, only about 100 are grown commercially. This means that the best apple for baking in your region might be different than the best apple halfway across the country. But there are some basic guidelines you can […]

Cookies

Pignoli Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies Pignolis, also called pine nuts, make a delicious, toasty-tasting cookie.

Chef's Notes Plus

Piping Makes Perfect: Detailed Designs

Piping is often functional: use a pastry bag to transfer the mousse to the serving bowls, place the glaze in a piping bag to cover the cake. Precision is nice, but not always necessary. But if you are interested in creating detailed cakes, homemade chocolate bonbons, cute cookies, or delicate […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Piping with a Pastry Bag and Tips

Pastry bags and tips are great tools to have in the kitchen. They make it easy to add fillings to pastries and cakes as well as to shape doughs like pâte à choux uniformly. Cloth and vinyl bags can be washed and reused. Disposable bags are inexpensive and work equally […]

Main Dishes, One-Dish Meals

Piri Piri Chicken with Cauliflower and Potatoes

Makes 4 servings Piri piri sauce is spicy, but if you prefer something milder, substitute another red bell pepper for the Fresno chiles. Cauliflower and potatoes make this an easy one dish meal, but you serve this with French fries (that’s popular at quick-service Piri Piri shops!) or even just […]