Salsa Verde, for a Taste of Summer

By Jennifer Knapp
A new video for Video Friday

In the summer, the last thing you want to do is spend time in front of a hot stove. So it’s helpful to have a couple of go-to recipes that don’t require any cooking.

Everyone knows that the Italians are famous for inventing pesto; however, Italian salsa verde is another raw herb sauce that you may not be familiar with. Like pesto, it’s easy to prepare, just as flavorful, and doesn’t require any cooking.

Not to be confused with the Mexican sauce of the same name which features tomatillos and cilantro, Italian salsa verde is a lemony purée of assorted fresh herbs such as basil, mint and parsley. For depth of flavor, it also contains capers and anchovy (don’t worry, it doesn’t taste fishy!) and lots of garlic. All of these ingredients are pulsed together in a food processor or blender, and combined with extra-virgin olive oil.

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Herb-Stuffed Roasted Chicken Legs

By Jennifer Knapp
A new video for Video Friday

As a professional caterer and cooking teacher, I love to cook! When I’m not busy with work, you will often find me experimenting with new recipes and throwing dinner parties. After all these years in the profession, cooking is still one of my favorite things to do in my spare time and I find spending time in the kitchen fun and relaxing.

However, just like everyone, there are times when I am exhausted from work and the last thing I want to do is spend even more time in front of the stove. All I want to do is prepare a quick dinner and kick back on the sofa with a glass of wine.

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Slicing Meat for Stir-Fries

By Zoe McLaughlin
A new video for Video Friday

These few simple steps will facilitate slicing thin pieces of meat for any stir-fry dish and result in tender bites. This technique works best with flank, skirt and blade steaks, as well as pork tenderloin and thick fish steaks, such as halibut or salmon.

First, place the protein in the freezer for a minimum of 15 minutes but not more than 30 minutes. Allowing the meat or fish to sit in the freezer firms up the flesh and makes it much easier to slice thinly.

While the meat or fish is in the freezer, hone your knife of choice. It is very important to have a sharp blade in order to get a clean, thin slice.

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Quick Homemade Meat Sauce for Pasta

By Joanne Lamb Hayes
The latest from Inside Special Fork

When my family goes out to an Italian restaurant, despite all the enticing choices on the menu, half of the group orders Pasta with meat sauce. So I figured out early on that making this dish at home is a good way to get everyone to eat their dinner.

Rather than using a prepared pasta sauce, with this quick recipe you can create a homemade sauce that is ready to serve in the time it takes to bring the pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta.

A few years ago, I started adding some carrots to the sauce and no one complained. You can skip them if you want, but they provide a little sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and bring the added nutrition of another vegetable to the meal.

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Celebrate Asparagus Season with Soup

By Jennifer Knapp
A new video for Video Friday

I have been watching and waiting since the end of February for the first California asparagus to show up at market. Sure, you can find asparagus that's been grown in Mexico any time of the year.

However, I am a San Francisco Bay Area transplant from New England who no longer observes the passing of the years based on fall foliage, the first snowstorm, spring daffodils and humid summer beach days. Instead, I simply enjoy the subtle changes in weather and temperature that allow a year-round growing climate, and I mark the seasons in my kitchen as new fruits and vegetables arrive at the market.

Not only is it better for the environment when you can buy produce that has been grown locally and in season, the flavor can't compare with that which has been shipped thousands of miles.

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