Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

Holiday Entertaining Tips for Special Diets

Entertaining guests with special diets is not new, but it certainly seems to be more common. As we all become more health-conscious and aware of what makes us feel good (and bad!), we face lots of ingredient hurdles as we prepare for our holiday meals. If cooking for special diets […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Home School: Easy Tomato Sauce

Reasons Why You Might Want to Make Tomato Sauce This Week: It’s delicious, and pasta is a pretty efficient comfort food. It’s also versatile and good for more than pasta (read: pizza, stirred into broth to make a soup, smeared on bread, etc.) It’s easy. It’s endlessly customizable, meaning you […]

Chef's Notes Plus

How to Choose Olive Oil

Olive oil can be fruity, nutty, sweet, zesty, peppery, rich, intense, and assertive; mild, mellow, light or heavy, subtle, and delicate; opaque or clear, deep olive green, pale green, gold-green, golden, or pale yellow. Like wine, no two olive oils are exactly alike. The most wildly-available olive oils in the […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

How to Cook Beans

Beans and other legumes are considered superfoods, with nutritional benefits that are helpful to people with many types of health concerns or dietary restrictions. Paired with vegetables, beans and legumes can be considered a complete meal and healthy source of protein. Beans are available dried and canned. Canned beans have […]

Chef's Blog, Chef's Notes Plus

How to: Roast Vegetables without a Recipe

As we ease into autumn, we can finally celebrate the return of roasting—especially vegetables. We love roasting because it is one of the most delicious ways to enjoy seasonal fall produce, like hard-skinned squash, cauliflower, fennel, and Brussels sprouts (color = flavor), as well as incredibly easy and hands-off. Even […]

Appetizers, Hors D’oeuvre, and Snacks

Hummus bi Tahini

Makes 1 quart This is a basic hummus recipe that is perfect as is, but is also endlessly customizable. Just like the ones you see in the store, you can top this hummus with anything from olive tapenade to roasted red peppers. Sprinkle the hummus with spice blends, like za’atar, […]