The Cook’s Kitchen

Woman’s Day magazine recently had some wonderful tips to help you out in the kitchen.
- Even after you use a salad spinner, you may find yourself blotting the greens before serving.  Combine two steps in one by spinning a few paper towels in with the leaves, and they’ll come out ready to dress.
- If you […]

A lot of times, when we entertain, I’ll send guests home with leftovers to enjoy.  Luckily, I have enough plastic containers, that I normally don’t notice it if they don’t return the container.  But when I send food home on a good plate, pan or platter and want to make sure I get it back, […]

Now that it is peak season for asparagus, it’s a good time for an refresher.
When choosing asparagus, you want to look for crisp stalks and tightly closed purple tips.  There are tons of ways to prepare fresh asparagus, each one more simple than the next.  You can roast, steam or even grill them, but just […]

Sometimes it’s good to go back to basics.  It’s perfect for those beginning in the kitchen, and serves as a refresher for the rest of us.
How to Buy Shellfish
If you’re buying lobsters, crabs, whole clams, oysters or mussels, they have to be alive.  Lobsters and crabs should be moving around.  If they’re not, you don’t […]

Although I don’t drink coffee, I do sometimes use coffee filters … to clean mirrors and glass.  They’re perfect for that because they don’t leave any lint behind.  What else can you use coffee filters for?
- Slit the middle and slide up a ice cream stick or popsicle to catch the messy drips.
- Put between […]

I have an idea for a travel ad for Florida in the summer. Want to hear it? Here goes:Come to sunny Florida and experience temperatures found only in the fire and brimstone of Hell. Discover the delights of humidity ranges that are technically called icky, sticky, muggy and yucky. You will be amazed to find […]

As the Organic Chef, organic beef farmer, nutritionist and organic consultant, one of the comments that I hear most often is that organics are too expensive. How can anyone afford to feed their family organically? My response is always “You’re not thinking pragmatically”.
There is a solution - the 80% solution.  There are ways to feed […]