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 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 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, […]

Chef's Notes Plus

Ingredient Spotlight: Dates

When you are food-minded, thinking about dates makes your heart flutter for a very different reason. Luckily, the dates we have in mind are a bit less awkward and nerve-wracking than the romantic kind. Dates, which are the fruit of the date palm, are one of nature’s sweetest creations. You […]

Chef's Blog

It’s Easy Being Green

If you are lucky enough to spend time on our Hyde Park, New York campus, you might see the occasional green chef’s coat winding its way through campus. That could just be me, on my way to work as chef-instructor in The Menus of Change Kitchen, where our motto is, […]

Salads

Kale Chopped Salad with Tofu and Coconut-Peanut Dressing

Makes 4 servings Kale is hearty and makes for a nice base for substantial salad ingredients. Be sure to give it a nice massage before serving, which will make it much less tough and “grassy”-tasting. We’ve topped this salad with lightly seasoned tofu, but you can substitute grilled shrimp, chicken, […]

Salads

Kale, Cashew, and Cranberry Pasta Salad

Makes 4 to 6 portions This pasta salad is great cold or at room temperature (a gift from the meal prep fairies), but it’s just as good hot, if you don’t have time to give it a good chill. Ingredients 12 oz whole wheat penne 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 […]