Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Dress Up Your Mashed Potatoes Without a Recipe

Mashed potatoes are a staple at the Thanksgiving dinner table. But that doesn’t mean they have to be the same year after year (not that anyone has ever complained about a perfectly creamy mashed potato). If you start with a great base recipe—here’s our favorite—you can turn a simple mashed […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Dress Up Your Roasted Veggies for Thanksgiving

One of the best and easiest Thanksgiving side dishes is a platter of simple roasted vegetables. We’ve talked about the basics of roasting veggies, but let’s talk about how to dress them up for the holidays. For a typical weeknight dinner, you most likely roast your vegetables in olive oil […]

Appetizers, Hors D’oeuvre, and Snacks, Pantry, Side Dishes

Durum Rosemary Rolls

Makes 22 rolls Found in the pasta aisle of many supermarkets, durum flour—a wheat flour high in protein and gluten strength—contributes a slight yellowish hue to these aromatic rolls. The flavors of chopped rosemary and olive oil conjure up thoughts of the Mediterranean. Whether the dough is shaped into a […]

Side Dishes

Glazed Beets

Sometimes simple is best, and these classic glazed beets are a sweet, slightly tangy side dish suited for any dinner. Leftover beets can be tossed in a simple green salad or chopped and added to a warm grain bowl. Ingredients 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, divided use 1 lb 4 […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

How to Carve Your Thanksgiving Turkey

To make the most of large roasted foods, such as turkey, they must be carved into portions correctly. After roasting a turkey and letting it rest, transfer the bird to a carving board (a cutting board with an indentation around the edges that captures the juices released during carving). If […]

Cookies

Iced and Spiced Brown Sugar Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cutter These lightly spiced brown sugar cookies are just the thing for your Pinterest-worthy Halloween (or Thanksgiving!) party. Easy to make, easy to glaze, and even easier to enjoy, they’ll look perfect on a platter alongside warm mulled cider […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Is Butter Better? Choosing the Right Fat for Pie Crust

Fats are an essential ingredient in baking, directly imparting flavor and influencing tenderness and flakiness in pie and tart crusts. Most pie and tart crusts need to be made with a solid fat in order to create their characteristic tender and flaky texture. The role of fats in creating crusts […]