2008 September | Cookinghow.com

life's lessons learned & passed on from our favorite chefs and food personalities

“Every time you taste something new, you add 75 days to your life.”

- Japanese Proverb

“You can’t hurry love, and you can’t rush puff pastry, either. You can knead too much, and you can be too needy. Always, warmth is what brings pastry to rise. Chemistry creates something amazing; coupled with care and heat, it works some kind of magic to create this satisfying, welcoming, and nourishing thing that is the base of life.”

- Kathleen Flinn,The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You [...]

apple tartlets

These little individual pastries are the perfect accompaniment to bring to a lazy Sunday brunch or to serve as dessert at a weeknight dinner party since they can be made ahead of time and their beautiful presentation always wows the audience. Your friends and family will definitely ‘ooo’ and ‘ahh’ over these sweet and flaky tartlets sweetened with Manuka honey from New Zealand. Each delectable bite offers a subtle hint of sweet almond flavor from a thin layer of almond paste. When everyone asks you for the name [...]

spiced honey lemon drink

This is the perfect drink for a cold wintery night and also serves as a home remedy for sore throats.

I spoiled my sister by making this for her whenever she was feeling a bit under the weather during the winter holidays and now whenver she feels a cold coming on, she calls me up to tell me she wishes I were there to make this drink for her. It really is simple enough to make yourself,sis! The ginger syrup can actually be made in advance and when stored [...]

mixed green salad with pear & candied walnuts

I served this at Thanksgiving dinner as a starter course and so a lot of extra steps were taken to dress up this salad. The baby red pears highlight the season, the candied walnuts add texture, and the frico salad bowl is the finishing touch that makes this dish elegant and sophiticated, and perfect for holiday get-togethers.

Since I was tackling Thanksgiving dinner myself last year for eight people plus a baby, I knew I had to plan ahead, and so I made the vinaigrette a couple days in [...]

sangria

I concocted this drink for a Fourth of July barbeque and it was a big hit! A couple of weeks later my friends and I threw a potluck together and doubled this recipe, but it still wasn’t enough to please all of our guests! Since then, I’ve tried using different types of wine and I have to admit, Lambrusco Reggiano makes for the perfect sangria. I enjoy the light, bubbly wine by itself, but it is seriously addicting in this drink!

Since I’ve always made this in the summertime, [...]