Last month I catered a reception for about 30 friends, and made enough to feed an army. More accurately, I made enough to feed a half-starved army of giants with Olympic-sized appetites. It was far, far too much, leaving me with vats of hummus, enough carrot sticks to circle the globe, and enough cheese biscuits to make Paula Dean blush. […]
Recent Posts By Hannah Klinger
The Power of Prep
One thing I’m learning in culinary school, besides how to brag about my well-earned cuts and burns, is the importance of mise (pronounced MEEZ) en place—French for “put in place.” This is industry speak for prep: all those little bowls of perfectly chopped and measured items that make food demos look incredibly quick and easy (and hey, if Martha can […]
Matzo Toppers
When it comes to finding creative ways to dress up a dry piece of matzo (imagine cardboard, only slightly less tasty), I’ve tried it all. Matzo pizza. Matzo tuna cheese melts. Matzo (turkey) BLTs. I remember packing matzo PBJs in school, only to have it shatter into sticky shards before lunchtime. But I also love the satisfying crunch, and a box of […]
Memories of Matzo Brei
Each year, the morning after our Passover Seder, most of us would still be too full to even consider breakfast. Still, my grandfather always made matzo brei (rhymes with “fry”), a classic Ashkenazic dish. Since we can’t eat leavened bread or fermented grain products during Passover, toast and cereal were off the table for breakfast. But this cross between a […]
A Beautiful Seafood Lunch
We were thrilled Friday to join Southern Living for a chat, oyster tasting, and beautiful seafood lunch with Jim Gossen, former president of Louisiana Foods and hero of Gulf seafood. Jim told us that “sustainable” is more than just a politically correct term to arm yourself with at the fish counter—it’s about working with both small and commercial fishermen to […]
How to Make Your Own: Chocolate Treats
Instead of roaming drug store shelves for discounted Valentine’s candy (I’m not the only one, right?), I asked our resident dessert goddess, Deb Wise, for some tips on making simple, beautiful chocolate treats at home. First off, why do you love chocolate? What I love most about working with chocolate is a successful outcome. Chocolate can be rewarding and humbling, […]
Making Your Own Chicken Stock
A rich, golden chicken stock is the foundation for so many foods we love: a creamy risotto, a deeply flavored pan sauce, that cure-all bowl of soup. Stock should be the slow simmered result of kitchen scraps (bones, a half an onion still in its skin, unpeeled carrots and parsley stems). Simple, inexpensive, and flavorful. So why haven’t I made […]
Hanukkah with Family
Hanukkah begins Saturday at sundown with the lighting of the first candle on the menorah. It doesn’t carry quite as much weight as other holidays on the Jewish calendar, but since it’s part of the holiday season, we like to celebrate as a family. First, we light my grandmother’s menorah in the kitchen (it lives on top of the fridge […]
A Better Nut Butter
As another PB devotee, I decided to expand my horizons a bit and explore the other nut butters out there. The shelves are full of alternatives, from soy to sunflower seed, sprouted almond to hazelnut. The jars in stores were rather pricy (about $6 to $8 each). I don’t care for soupy spreads, and the oil puddles at the top […]
Kid Bloggers Rule
I’ve got a rolling roster of food blogs I check daily, and lately many of those have included kid blogs. These are not mommy blogs, mind you, but inspired, delicious thoughts and recipes developed by chefs and critics under the age of 11. Their writing is honest, direct, and cheerful. They aren’t jaded by the many contrary voices in the […]
