Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 4:00AM 
I know, I know, but I just can’t help myself. Every year, when that frosty nip hits the air (you Northeasterners know the brand of cold that makes your ears ache and your skin feel like it’s a size too small for your hands), I always get this crazy craving for ice cream. Apparently I’m not the only one, since supermarket ice cream sales are at their peak during the winter months.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 4:00AM 
Thirty years ago, my then newlywed parents adopted Thanksgiving as their holiday to host. The blissfully ingenuous pair, along with seasoned sous chef Nana Noonan, undertook a feast for a family of 20.
The meal, an 18-pounder with Challah stuffing, butternut squash bake, creamed pearl onions, Grammie Barreira’s famous mashed potatoes and even the can of jellied cranberry sauce (presented on a silver platter with matching serving utensil) was a hit. It was so good in fact, that the hosts and the menu were penned in as the official bearers of Thanksgiving dinner.
Katie Barreira | 3 Comments | Share Article tagged Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving cooking, Thanksgiving food, Thanksgiving meal, Thanksgiving recipes, Thanksgiving tradition, cranberry, cranberry sauce, cranberry sauce recipe, recipe, recipes with cranberry, what to do with cranberries in Cooking Newbie Tuesday, November 9, 2010 at 4:00AM What’s turkey without gravy? You would never chuck the succulent pan juices from a holiday roast, so why waste them any other time of year? A quick pan sauce is the easiest way to class-up a simple weeknight meal.
One of my biggest testing pet peeves is when a recipe calls for searing a protein (chicken, fish, steak…most especially steak) and then abandons the pan, never to be mentioned again. One can only assume that all those caramelized bits of flavor and schmaltzy fats are being fed to the kitchen sink.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 at 4:00AM 
Whether you’re a cooking newbie or a seasoned slicer, a sharp blade will instantly improve your knife skills, making faster, easier and more uniform work of everything that crosses your cutting board. Culinary knives should be sharpened two to three times a year to restore the blades’ original contour and angle. Whether you choose to hone at home or let the pros handle your steel, sharp knives are a must for every cook.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 4:00AM 
The 80 some-odd members of Catapano Farm’s dairy herd in Peconic Long Island, are some darn lucky goats. According to co-owner Dr. Michael Catapano (formally an M.D., but also a doctor of cheese), raising happy, stress-free goats is the key to great-tasting milk. And if the quality of Catapano’s handmade cheese is any indication, these are some seriously contented goats.
This theory was confirmed within moments of meeting the merry ruminants. Trotting over to greet each guest with a friendly head butt, these goats were more interested in a good nuzzle than a handout. And their spacious pen more resembled an inspired playground meant for children, rather than kids.
