Beurre Blanc
Makes 1 quart sauce Beurre blanc is a classic French sauce, made creamy thanks to the emulsion formed between the fat (butter!) and the liquid (wine). The key to not breaking an emulsion is patience and an even, moderate cooking temperature, so take your time adding the butter and take […]
Fresh Tomato Sauce
Makes 4 cups
Hollandaise Sauce
Makes 1 1/2 cups sauce
How to Make a Pan Sauce Without a Recipe
Just like you, we’re not making fully formed extravagant dinners every night of the week. Sometimes a basic pan-cooked protein + side is as good as it gets, like a sautéed chicken breast or seared pork chop. But just like the foundations of French cooking tell us, nothing makes a […]
Kitchen Vocab: Nappe
Nappe is a French term describing the consistency of a sauce that will coat the back of a spoon. Ice cream base that is cooped is cooked to this stage before cooling and then freezing. Cooking it to this stage indicates that the proteins have been fully cooked and the […]
Pistou
Makes about 3/4 cup Pistou is the subtly different French version of pesto, the fragrant Italian herb paste. While pesto typically includes nuts, pistou may or may not. The key ingredients for both are basil, olive oil, garlic, and cheese. In fact, the first version of pistou was essentially a […]
Ragù Bolognese
Makes 6 servings Bolognese is essentially a meat stew with a small amount of tomato added— although Americans often confuse it for a tomato sauce with some meat added. The sauce is cooked slowly to develop a deep, rich flavor. In Italy it is traditionally served with tagliatelle pasta and […]
Recipes Between the Lines: Make a Slurry
Slurries are an essential tool for creating perfectly smooth and velvety soups and sauces. But.. what is a slurry? A slurry is a thickener consisting of a pure starch mixed with a cold liquid to form a thin paste or “slurry.” Cornstarch is used most often, but others such as […]
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 […]