October 2016

Cook with Confidence: Gougères

Light and almost ethereal, taking a bite of a still-warm gougère is a magical experience. I served them recently at my book club dinner as an appetizer, and people went absolutely crazy for them. “You made these?” I felt like a celebrity chef for a few minutes as they all clustered around the tray. Someone requested I make them for her company’s upcoming cocktail party. I declined, saying, “You can make them yourself, they don’t take long at all.” A dubious stare ensued. Armed with a wooden spoon, you can make these impressive, savory French cheese puffs. The recipe starts… Read more

The Centerpiece Salad

I have to admit, I am more of a summer salad girl. Or at least I thought I was until we tasted this roasted beet salad from the Wolf Gourmet kitchen! It takes a whole different turn with cool weather ingredients. We don’t mind heating the oven to roast some vegetables, and hearty grains take the place of lighter ones. A main dish salad is a nice change and very easy to prepare. Toss greens with a vinaigrette, a selection of vegetables and aromatics, and perhaps some nuts or grains, and you have what you need for a filling entrée all in… Read more

A Soup for the Season

Soup season is year-round for us. Mason jars of soup show up in the office fridge on a regular basis, and there is an occasional line for the microwave around noon. We swap soup recipes regularly and experiment with new flavors on the weekends. Bring us a loaf of crusty bread, and we’re set. Some would say we are soup obsessed, and it may be true. When you can blend and pour a hot soup in six minutes, the possibilities seem endless. Using sautéed or roasted vegetables expands the flavor profiles even further. Cooler evenings and the arrival of fall… Read more

One-Pan Dinners Are Weeknight Winners

Need a checklist for a great weeknight meal? Easy to prepare, tastes amazing, and cleans up with minimal effort. Enter the sheet pan. Put a versatile protein and veggies on a pan, bake, and serve. These straightforward and flavor-rich dinners are growing in popularity, and it’s no wonder. Don’t believe us? Just search sheet pan suppers on Pinterest. The goal is to get all the food on the pan to be done at the same time, which could be a little tricky when mixing meat and veggies. But by using the countertop oven convection feature you can cook at a… Read more