Bertha was the wife of Potter Palmer, a wealthy businessman who was very much involved in the development of downtown Chicago. They were introduced by a mutual friend and Potter’s former business...
There have also been some unexpected wins, like the amazing facial scrub I Instagram’d last week, made from coffee grounds and egg shells. Plus, dinner time is no longer a rotation of the same couple...
If you’re the average marshmallow consumer and not a food historian, that can be hard to believe. The commercially made and mass-produced treats that seem to have a never-ending shelf life feel like a...
I had just eaten at Trio in Evanston where Della Gossett was the pastry chef. Her dessert menu blew me away, and I knew I had to meet her. I called her kitchen and asked if I could spend a week...
The popularity of frozen treats is nothing new in the U.S., and is certainly not specific to New York. We are in the midst of a “frozen renaissance,” so here's a few scoops of history and science to...
In short, I’ve had my foot in both worlds— professional restaurant chef and enthusiastic home cook—for years, and I’ve come to appreciate the significant differences between what we look for in...
The “yes, chef” mentality stems from chefs who worked their way up in grueling environments, once called kitchen brigades. These environments were built for efficiency and excellence: a clear...
Butter in Batters Cake, muffin and other similar batters get mixed in one of two ways: the creaming method or the all-in-one method. The creaming method calls for beating room temperature butter and...
While the concept for ganache is quite simple, there are a few basic principles you should know. Once mastered, you’ll find that the uses for ganache are nearly endless, providing plenty of room for...
In my experience, gaining the skill—and comfort level—to write an original recipe takes time and practice— a lot of time and practice. So what’s the point? You could simply use recipes already written...
Let me start by telling you a bit about my background: Just after graduating high school, and with no set plans to attend college, I decided (on a complete whim) to apply to culinary school. I did not...
Most aspiring authors have no clue of just how much time and effort goes into writing a cookbook. By the time an author has completed her manuscript, she is often wondering why in the world she signed...