Oftentimes, you will hear the criticism that a recipe is “one note.” Have you ever wondered what that means? Or, have you ever wondered why nearly every chocolate recipe calls for a tablespoon of coffee? It has to do with flavor. There are actually 6 different flavors...

A diet is a way of eating (at least for the purposes of this post). Diets are not religions. A particular diet is not going to save you, nor flip a switch in your body and make you perfectly healthy forever. Nutrition is important, sure, but it’s not a religion. This...

A diet is a way of eating (at least for the purposes of this post). Not a means to lose weight. It’s an important distinction, and one that often gets lost.  PSA: Diets are not religions. A particular diet is not going to save you, nor flip a switch in your body and...

A diet is a way of eating (at least for the purposes of this post). Not a means to lose weight. It’s an important distinction, and one that often gets lost. PSA: Diets are not religions. A particular diet is not going to save you, nor flip a switch in your body and...

Grocery stores are either a wonderland of amazing ingredients and products, or they are an aggravating maze of carts and people, and far too many choices.  I could spend hours in a grocery store, browsing up and down the isles. However, I know that grocery stores are...

Let’s talk sauce. Sauces serve many functions within a recipe/dish – they can enhance flavors of different ingredients by providing a complimentary or a counterpoint flavor; they can add moisture to naturally lean foods, or when a particular cooking method is known to...

Modernity is a blessing and a curse. Not because I have anything against indoor plumbing, vaccinations, and food security – I don’t. I love all of these things. Very much. But, as with everything, there are always tradeoffs. For example, we go to a supermarket now,...

The Art of Cooking Meat Cooking meat is an art form. In its essence, it’s actually simple: apply heat to a cut of meat until desired doneness is met. There are, however, many different cuts of meat and many different ways of applying said heat, and, let’s face it,...

Cooking Grains and Legumes The majority of my culinary experimentation in my 20s consisted of taking vegetables from my CSA box, and combining them with olive oil, rice and salt. I appreciated the CSA box so much because one, vegetables and fruit were delivered to my...

All About Veggies I swear it sounds like I exist lately to complain about how other people do things.  I’m not. I’m not because I used to do all the things I am complaining about. Here’s what really happened. I got bored. I got bored with routine, with “simple foods,”...

Cooking 101: Stock Basics If you ask me, one of the hardest working things in a kitchen that is totally underrated is a good stock or broth. Yes, it is easier (and relatively inexpensive) to reach for a boxed/canned stock when making a soup or a sauce, but there is...