There are some days where I wake up in the morning in the mood to bake something and more often than not, it’s something sweet =) Today just so happened to be one of those days =P I looked in the fridge to check and see what I could make with stuff I already had at hand… eggs, milk, and cream were a given, but then, there they were, tucked away in the bottom drawer, my ultimate source of inspiration… cherries! We had devoured half a bag of [...]

cherry clafoutis is a post from: Cookinghow.com

Back in April, I took my adorable niece to the LA Arboretum for their Beatrix Potter in the Garden Easter Celebration. We spent the day together having brunch with Peter Rabbit, listening to story-time tales with Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, shopping with Ginger & Pickles, roaming through Mr. McGregor’s Garden, and of course, hunting for Easter eggs with Flopsy, Mopsy, & Cotton-tail. Before the day was over, we headed back to Mr. McGregor’s Garden for some radish-picking and got a few of our own radish seeds to plant in a pot. [...]

potato salad is a post from: Cookinghow.com

Yes, it’s true. It’s no coincidence that three out of our four recipes so far this month, including our exclusive newsletter recipe, have basil in it. In an effort to expand our ‘living pantry,’ we went out got ourselves a basil plant =) And since it is summertime and the leaves are bountiful, we couldn’t help but resist picking them fresh and using them in another recipe… this time around, in a crisp, sweet tomato tart.

This tart is truly made the French way, where every element is cooked [...]

french tomato tart is a post from: Cookinghow.com

If I had to guess who I was in my past life, I’d have to say an Italian =P  Italians can take a few simple ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, shallots, olive oil, a bit of cream and a splash of vodka and make something so comforting, so heart-warming and incredibly soul-satisfying that it just brings you back home, no matter where you are or who you’re with at the time. It’s no wonder that Rachel Ray called her version of penne alla vodka, You Won’t be Single for [...]

penne alla vodka is a post from: Cookinghow.com

On our very first day of culinary school, we were each presented with our very own knife set, complete with more than fifteen knives of various shapes and sizes and other sharp objects, some of which I had absolutely no clue as to what they were used for, but one thing was for sure: they were all incredibly sharp. Naturally, the first thing they taught us was how to use our knives properly as there’s a right knife for every job. After all, you shouldn’t [...]

the right knife for the job is a post from: Cookinghow.com

To make a proper pot of stew, beef bourguignon, roast chicken, chowder, bouillabaisse, coq au vin, cassoulet, or just about anything braised, slow-roasted or simmered, you’ll need to use the best and freshest ingredients you can get your hands on… but to make it out of this world, you’ll also need the proper cookware, and that’s where Le Creuset comes into play.

Le Creuset’s enameled cast-iron, round French oven is probably one of my best investments in cookware as I’ve already seen profitable returns in the form of countless [...]

checklist: le creuset is a post from: Cookinghow.com

If it’s true that people eat with their eyes first, then this dish should already get those taste buds salivating, as our crunchy apple & red cabbage coleslaw with honey sesame dressing is sure to be love at first sight! Besides looking pretty all by itself, it’s perfectly crunchy, slightly tangy and sweet and not drenched in dressing, which is exactly what a good coleslaw should be in our opinion I first tested out this recipe a couple years ago when I was planning a Fourth of July [...]

crunchy apple & red cabbage coleslaw with honey-sesame dressing is a post from: Cookinghow.com

If my kitchen were a battlefield (and sometimes it can be when I’m cooking for a crowd), then the knives would be my swords, the spatula my other weapon for mass destruction, and the splatter screen my shield of armor. The splatter screen’s fine mesh combats grease splatters and even erupting bolognese sauce, protecting the stove, kitchens walls, and most importantly, me! Those of you who’ve fried up bacon, pork chops, fish & chips, or seared meat know that what a messy and painful experience it [...]

special ops: splatter screen is a post from: Cookinghow.com

If ever there was a spice that Chef Caals absolutely could not live without, it would be his dearest piment d’Espelette. Just about every one of his dishes got a pinch (or two) of it and every time, Chef would ask us, Pourquoi pas? “Why not?” Being that he was trained by Master Chef Alain Ducasse we had very little doubt that he knew what he was doing. And naturally, of course, once we tasted his food, whatever doubt we had disappeared faster than [...]

food finds: piment d’Espelette is a post from: Cookinghow.com

With summertime just around the corner, the place to be is outdoors… gather the whole family together for a backyard barbecue or a picnic in the park! There’s no better way to celebrate than relishing in the freshest fruits and vegetables of the season, and this dish does that oh, so well =P You can use either white or yellow corn in this salad, but I much prefer the sweet, almost honey-like, taste of white corn. Its sweetness plays nicely with the tartness of the limes =)

What I [...]

fresh corn salad with summer stone fruit is a post from: Cookinghow.com