Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins have been on my mind for a while now. I finally had a few overripe bananas (see below on how overripe) so I could experiment with some recipes! It's been so rainy the past few weeks that I've been able to catch up on a few different...
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Keller’s Buttermilk Biscuits
Why Keller's Buttermilk Biscuits? This recipe is based on Thomas Keller's recipe from his incredible cookbook Ad Hoc at Home. When I was working as a consultant/Executive Chef starting up a restaurant, I put Keller's Sandwich on the menu, which was a monster fried...
Frosé
Frosé. What could be a better signal of summer than that? It's refreshing, easy to drink (maybe a bit too easy?), and just straight delicious. Have you ever tried to make your own frosé? It's so easy! And if you're looking for a beverage to bring to a Memorial Day...
Strawberry Sorbet
It's almost Memorial Day Weekend! Strawberry sorbet made from fresh strawberries is one of my favorite dessert components of all time. I love using this strawberry sorbet recipe for client dinners. The sweet and refreshing sorbet pairs so well with so many different...
Classic Tiramisu with Marsala and Mascarpone
I love tiramisu in all forms, but the classic combination of ladyfingers, chocolate, coffee, and custard is my favorite. This recipe deviates from the original by adding masala to the custard, and by soaking the ladyfingers in espresso and marsala rather than just...
Homemade Ladyfingers or Sponge Cake
Homemade ladyfingers are quite easy to make. To make things even easier, I take this recipe and spread it out onto a prepared 1/2 sheet tray. This way you don't need a piping bag or tip. You can cut squares using a knife, or cut with biscuit cutters to fit whatever...
The Best Easy Pizza Dough
Easy Pizza Dough? Is there really such a thing? Nancy Silverton talks in her Chef's Table episode about how she spent 10 years perfecting the Mozza Pizza Dough.... so can it really be easy? (PS if you haven't gone to Mozza in LA -- add it to your bucket list). While...
Cinnamon Ice Cream
This is a classic cinnamon ice cream. Egg yolks and a mix of heavy cream and half and half make this rich and decadent. So I'm giving you the disclaimer now: if you're the type of person that likes the "light" or "fake" ice cream stuff -- go get some fro-yo. This...
Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake
If you're looking for an easy flourless chocolate cake recipe, look no further! This dense and fudgy cake is best served cold with a light dollop of sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries. A client of mine asked for this as an add-on to a wine tasting and tapas...
Fall Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato
Sometimes I just crave a good, hearty fall kale salad. Do you? This salad is paleo-friendly, gluten-friendly, dairy-free, allium-free, and grain-free. Whew! That's a lot of "free's" If you want to spice up the salad - I won't be offended, see below for my...
Apple & Squash Soup with Bacon and Ricotta
Apple and Squash Soup means that fall is HERE y'all! I'm going to be honest with you for a minute. Soup gives me a bit of PTSD. Is that odd? Sous Chef Jobs Here's the deal though. When I was a Sous Chef at a restaurant (that shall remain nameless) I had to make two...
Classic Beef Chili
Sometimes you just need some classic beef chili. This is a no-frills, flavor-packed, delicious, old-school chili. Most importantly, this is the chili my mom taught me to make. I've adapted slightly and moved some of the steps around, but for the most part, it's the...
Healthy Seed & Nut Bars
I am obsessed with these healthy seed and nut bars! They are packed with tons of nutrients, protein, good fats, and just the right amount of sweetness. I like to cut these up into smaller cubes and keep them in the freezer to keep on hand. You can be flexible with the...
Paleo Pumpkin Spice Muffins
I came up with these paleo pumpkin spice muffins, that are also nut free, for some very special clients of mine. In a previous post (on Peruvian chicken skewers), I mentioned that I have been hired to cook for some clients in October with a lot of different dietary...
Pound Cake Bites – The Best Accident
These accidental pound cake bites came about because it's The Somm Chef's birthday month, my birthday month, and the anniversary of Ian and I moving down to FL (and sort of the anniversary of The Somm Chef inception). In short - September of last year was quite the...
Carbonara with Pancetta: Go To Weeknight Meal
Carbonara is an awesome meal for those nights when you don't feel like cooking and when you're out of groceries. Bon Appétit says that it's the perfect "no food in the house" dinner, and I completely agree. So what is Carbonara? Carbonara is an egg-based sauce that...
Truffle Pasta Dough
Truffle pasta may sound like a lot of work, but I promise it's actually quite easy. And no - you don't need a stand mixer, or a food processor, or even a pasta machine to make it! You can use those things, of course, but not required. The thing I love about homemade...
Peruvian Chicken Skewers and Basil Chimichurri
These Peruvian chicken skewers have a bit of a back story. In October I'm cooking for some amazing clients. They booked me for their wedding weekend to prepare and serve food at their home for three different days: a wedding kick-off evening, breakfast and lunch for...
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Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins have been on my mind for a while now. I finally had a few overripe bananas (see below on how overripe) so I could experiment with some recipes! It's been so rainy the past few weeks that I've been able to catch up on a few different...



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Keller’s Buttermilk Biscuits
Why Keller's Buttermilk Biscuits? This recipe is based on Thomas Keller's recipe from his incredible cookbook Ad Hoc at Home. When I was working as a consultant/Executive Chef starting up a restaurant, I put Keller's Sandwich on the menu, which was a monster fried...



Frosé
Frosé. What could be a better signal of summer than that? It's refreshing, easy to drink (maybe a bit too easy?), and just straight delicious. Have you ever tried to make your own frosé? It's so easy! And if you're looking for a beverage to bring to a Memorial Day...



Strawberry Sorbet
It's almost Memorial Day Weekend! Strawberry sorbet made from fresh strawberries is one of my favorite dessert components of all time. I love using this strawberry sorbet recipe for client dinners. The sweet and refreshing sorbet pairs so well with so many different...