Recipes and Ruminations

Cheddar cheese soup is one of my favorites. But making it at home wasn't always a success for me. Firm cheeses like Cheddar tend to clump or turn grainy when added to hot liquid. To solve that problem, first grate the cheese so that the pieces are in small bits. They'll melt quickly in the broth. Second, once you add the cheese, don't boil the soup ? remove it from the heat as soon as the cheese is added. Residual heat will melt it, no problem. The soup is at its smoothest and creamiest as soon as the cheese has melted....

Here's an inspired side dish with rice and spaghetti. Finished with some peas, prosciutto and a little Parmesan, it's a quick little Italian masterpiece! The secret? Pilaf-style rice and pasta is sauteed in oil before any liquid is added....

Here's how to get million dollar looks and taste from a $3 cut of beef. With less-than-tender cuts like brisket, the moist, gentle heat of braising is the answer. It melts intramuscular fat (fat you can't see) and breaks down tough connective tissues. Braising isn't a quick-cooking method and takes some time. But your patience will pay off in a big way with a potful of tender, rich, flavorful beef....

The French term rissolÉ [rihs-uh-LAY] refers to foods (in this case, potatoes) that are fried until crisp and brown. Like braising, a combination of cooking methods is used. All of them (parboiling, steaming, and frying) are done in the same pan ? so making these potatoes is lot easier than pronouncing them!...

The technique used to create Danish aebleskivers is almost as magical as the addictive little pancake balls themselves!...

Like a caramel apple with ice cream! Topped with chopped peanut candy bar ? what could be better?...