The Cook’s Kitchen

Actress Kate Walsh (from Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice) is one busy woman. Besides her flourishing career, she fell in love, got engaged and got married … all last year. None of that stopped her from talking to O at Home magazine, and sharing her “Prescription for a Perfect Dinner Party.” Here’s […]

Happy Valentine’s Day for all you lovers out there. My wife and I learned early in our relationship that dining out on Valentine’s Day is near impossible. The problem seems worse than on New Year’s Eve. Unlike other holidays, Valentine’s Day is more intimate, more for couples than big gatherings and private […]

The other day, I was shopping at Williams-Sonoma, looking for a heart-shaped cake pan. Surprisingly, I didn’t find one. What I did find, was an interesting-looking product called Sprinkles Cupcake Mix. I had seen these mixes in the store before, but the flavors never called out to me, so I just passed […]

Even though she is popular in her own right as a former boxer, Laila Ali is perhaps even more well-known for her stint as a celebrity contestant on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Oh yeah, and her famous father, Muhammad Ali. Now Laila is back on TV as co-host of The Gladiators, alongside wrestler Hulk […]

Parchment paper is something of an unsung hero, but it’s truly a culinary wonder tool. The food section of the LA Times sings its praises this week (see the full article here). When I worked in a professional kitchen, we used it all the time, but it’s only been in the last ten years […]

One of the problems with buying fresh herbs is that before you know it, they’re wilting and can’t be used anymore. Yes, there are ways to freeze them, which is good as long as you remember to do that before they expire on you. But now there may be another solution… the Herb […]

The Cook’s Kitchen welcomes Larry Gaian, who is also a writer for GetYourGrillOn.net and Larry’s own site, TheBBQGrail.com. –Editor

I love using chipotles in adobo sauce. They provide a nice robust flavor to many different types of dishes, however, because of my families intolerance to “heat,” I don’t get to use them as often as I’d […]

My five-year-old son loves to help me in the kitchen.  As soon as he sees me heading that way, he grabs the stepstool and drags it to the counter and starts putting on his Home Depot apron.  Unfortunately, lately, most of our dinner recipes have started with “chop an onion,” and he instantly starts rubbing […]

Like most sports fans, I try to make something special to enjoy during the big game. Maybe it’s the proximity in date to Mardi Gras, but Cajun has been a favorite most years. We’ve done a lot of jambalaya over the years, but never a gumbo. A great gumbo starts with a great roux.

The roux […]

Arugula has been one of the hip, “it” greens for some time now. I do think watercress could be next. I mean, if arugula was the popular cheerleader, watercress would be the hot, artsy gal who won’t get fat after college/children. Okay, I kid. But really, watercress, with its versatility, has a lot to offer […]