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I’m currently living in Florida and the weather has just started to get chilly. Okay, 52 in the morning and below 70 at night, still counts. I was in Minnesota last week for a catering event and it snowed! So regardless, I’m ready for the cold weather comfort foods....
This Hocus Pocus Cocktail was inspired by the movie, that for the longest time, I really disliked. For those that know me very well, I have to say a full disclosure - I really dislike Halloween. It’s the worst holiday of all the holidays. I dread every year when it...
For all those recipes that don’t require the full can. Once it’s open, you’ve got to find a new container, and then it sits in your fridge until you forget what it was. Remedy yourself from that with these easy and quick recipes that only require that bit of pumpkin...
Many great chefs and cooks agree- making your own stock makes all the difference in your food. This bone broth has great amounts of collagen and protein. Plus, it makes enough for you to freeze at least 3 quarts to save for later. Once you get everything in the pot -...
Do you remember The California Pizza Kitchen? Sadly, most of them are closed now but it was the best! The Tostada Pizza was my absolute favorite. Now I sadly know better, but I used to eat a whole pizza all by myself - I used to be a bottomless pit. Hopefully, it...
Many great chefs and cooks agree- making your own stock makes all the difference in your food. This bone broth has great amounts of collagen and protein. Plus, it makes enough for you to freeze at least 3 quarts to save for later. Once you get everything in the pot -...
CULINARY FUNDAMENTALS DAY 4 MIND GAMES Chefs have this weird tendency to play mind games with people. Especially while they’re learning. I’m not sure if it's a “pay it forward” mentality or if they genuinely think it makes people better. Either way — I think that’s...
First, let me start by saying that I love my job. I really do. I get to play with food all day long and get paid for it. I experiment, create, and sometimes, with the occasional accident, kill something for a second time (ovens and stoves can burn things you...
I love cinnamon. It’s one of the greatest spices, in my humble opinion. It's the perfect accompaniment for bread too! It's surprisingly savory when paired with turkey and a cranberry spread (add in some Brie cheese for an extra delicious sandwich!). This bread is so...
Hi friends! Here in this blog post, I want to talk about Chicken. Why? Because you can do a LOT with it, and during this time, I think you can get the most bang for your buck by buying a whole chicken. A whole chicken? You might say? Well - yes. Even if, and...
I love the Asian flavors of this Shrimp Vermicelli dish. It completely satisfies any Asian food craving, but I feel so much better after eating this than the take-out version. Don't get me wrong - I love the take-out version, and sometimes there's just no substitute....
Feeling those afternoon munchies? Trying to be conscious of your food and eating habits? Here are some great healthy recipes that are adaptable for anything you’ve got in your kitchen! HOMEMADE HUMMUS For this recipe, you can use all types of canned legumes -...
This will change how you prepare your next meal by eliminating up to half of what you usually throw away! Save your scraps and grow food out them…. it’s really that easy. So many of these ingredients are things you have in your house - onions, garlic, celery, a random...
Feeling those afternoon munchies? Trying to be conscious of your food and eating habits? Here are some great healthy recipes that are adaptable for anything you’ve got in your kitchen! Homemade HummusFor this recipe, you can use all types of canned legumes - chickpeas...
Bolognese is the ultimate comfort food for me - both to make and to eat! The flavorful, steaming sauce full of rich herbs and spices combined with the hearty ground meat always gives me a sense of continuity and reliability in this world. Maybe that’s silly - but it’s...
Born and raised in Minnesota, I’ve always had an itch for travel and adventure. Growing up, I thought I was going to become a famous actress and have an Oscar by the time I was 25. I’m 27 now and feel like Leonardo DiCaprio - I probably need to realize...
This style of soup is inspired by Thai cuisine. Consequently - it’s not as “coconut-y” as what you may be thinking. Rather, coconut cream is added at the very end to give a slightly sweet finish to the taste. Coconut milk is added but only a small amount - making this...
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...
Aligoté is the "other" Burgundian white wine. Simply enough, when you typically see Burgundy white wine it's 100% Chardonnay. If you're waiting for the other shoe to drop, thinking, "That's way too easy" -- you're right. Depending on the region, vineyard, and...
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...
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...
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...
This Grillo from L'arca was the first bottle of wine I tried from Martha Stewart Wine Co. Sicilian White Wines You Need to Know: Grillo We’ve already done a post about an intro to Sicilian reds, covering Frappato, a native red grape. Later this month I will also be...
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...
Chateau Montelena may not be a name you're too familiar with. However, you may have heard of the movie "Bottle Shock" with all-star cast Chris Pine, Alan Rickman, and Bill Pullman. This film is (loosely) based around the blind tasting in 1976 called the Judgement of...
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 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...