Velouté Sauce Recipe
Monday May 14, 2012
Velouté is one of the five so-called mother sauces of the culinary arts, and while it can be made with veal stock or fish stock, it's usually made with chicken stock.
Chicken velouté sauce.
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
The velouté itself is not traditionally served as-is, but rather, it's the starting point for other sauces. Chicken velouté, for example, is the basis for the traditional Suprême sauce, as well as the classic Mushroom sauce, the Aurora sauce and many others.
Still, there's no reason you couldn't simply season a chicken velouté with salt and pepper and serve it much as you would a basic gravy — which, after all, is nothing but a velouté sauce made with the pan drippings from a roasted bird.
Here's the chicken velouté recipe. And here are a few related items:
Chicken velouté sauce.
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
The velouté itself is not traditionally served as-is, but rather, it's the starting point for other sauces. Chicken velouté, for example, is the basis for the traditional Suprême sauce, as well as the classic Mushroom sauce, the Aurora sauce and many others.
Still, there's no reason you couldn't simply season a chicken velouté with salt and pepper and serve it much as you would a basic gravy — which, after all, is nothing but a velouté sauce made with the pan drippings from a roasted bird.
Here's the chicken velouté recipe. And here are a few related items:
- Suprême Sauce Recipe
- Mushroom Sauce Recipe
- Aurora Sauce Recipe
- How to Make Roux
- Veal Stock Recipe
- Fish Stock Recipe
Mother's Day Brunch Recipes
Tuesday May 8, 2012
Did you know that Mother's Day is the single busiest day of the year for restaurants? It's a fact. When you count brunch and dinner, more of us go out to eat on Mother's Day than on any other day.
Mother's Day Brunch
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
That means two things: big crowds and big bucks. If you think restaurants don't raise their prices for those special Mother's Day menus, think again.
So if you'd like to save some money and avoid the jostling crowds, why not treat the mom in your life to a homemade Mother's Day brunch? With these Mother's Day brunch menu recipes, you'll find several egg and omelet recipes, two kinds of waffles, two kinds of French toast, plus your choice of hash browns or home fries, fresh blueberry muffins or homemade scones. Not to mention a recipe for perfect crispy bacon.
You'll also find some cocktail recipes — with some non-alcoholic choices to go with the more "festive" variety. And here are some more great breakfast recipes:
Mother's Day Brunch
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
That means two things: big crowds and big bucks. If you think restaurants don't raise their prices for those special Mother's Day menus, think again.
So if you'd like to save some money and avoid the jostling crowds, why not treat the mom in your life to a homemade Mother's Day brunch? With these Mother's Day brunch menu recipes, you'll find several egg and omelet recipes, two kinds of waffles, two kinds of French toast, plus your choice of hash browns or home fries, fresh blueberry muffins or homemade scones. Not to mention a recipe for perfect crispy bacon.
You'll also find some cocktail recipes — with some non-alcoholic choices to go with the more "festive" variety. And here are some more great breakfast recipes:
- Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe
- Basic Omelet Recipe
- Perfect Scrambled Eggs
- Corned Beef Hash Recipe
- How to Make Perfect Bacon
- Easy Waffles Recipe
- How to Make French Toast
Graham Cracker Pie Crust
Sunday April 29, 2012
Graham crackers have been an American staple since a certain Sylvester Graham developed them nearly 200 years ago. Graham believed additive-free, whole-wheat flour was more nutritious than refined white flour. In this, he was correct. He also advocated vegetarianism as a cure for sexual urges. The jury's still out on that one.
Graham cracker pie crust.
Photo © Jennifer Sipala
Still, Graham's cracker remains ever popular — both as a snack and as a pie crust. This graham cracker pie crust is perfect for all kinds of unbaked pies like cream or chiffon pies, and it's really simple to make. For a variation, you can substitute chocolate graham cracker crumbs, vanilla wafer crumbs or gingersnap crumbs. Though I make no claims about what curative properties, if any, gingersnaps or vanilla wafers may possess. Here's some more about pies and pie crusts:
Graham cracker pie crust.
Photo © Jennifer Sipala
Still, Graham's cracker remains ever popular — both as a snack and as a pie crust. This graham cracker pie crust is perfect for all kinds of unbaked pies like cream or chiffon pies, and it's really simple to make. For a variation, you can substitute chocolate graham cracker crumbs, vanilla wafer crumbs or gingersnap crumbs. Though I make no claims about what curative properties, if any, gingersnaps or vanilla wafers may possess. Here's some more about pies and pie crusts:
- Flaky Pie Crust
- What is Blind Baking?
- How to Cut In Shortening
- Pastry Dough Recipe
- What is Egg Wash?
- How to Make Pastry Cream
Five Easy Muffin Recipes
Friday April 27, 2012
A batch of fresh muffins hot from the oven is one of life's great simple pleasures. Whether it's blueberry muffins for brunch or double chocolate muffins for a decadent treat, the simple fact is that muffins make people happy.
Chocolate chocolate muffins.
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
And here's another reason to get happy: Because muffins are a member of the quick bread family, they're easy to make and you can bake up a batch of them in about half an hour. Here are Five Easy Muffin Recipes for you to try out. And here are a few more resources to do with baking:
Chocolate chocolate muffins.
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
And here's another reason to get happy: Because muffins are a member of the quick bread family, they're easy to make and you can bake up a batch of them in about half an hour. Here are Five Easy Muffin Recipes for you to try out. And here are a few more resources to do with baking:
- Baking Soda Vs. Baking Powder
- Make Your Own Baking Powder
- Make Your Own Brown Sugar
- How to Cut In Shortening
- What is All-Purpose Flour?
- What is Gluten?
Basic Corn Bread
Monday April 23, 2012
Cornbread is one of those foods that people tend to have strong feelings about, mostly depending on what part of the country they grew up in. If you're from the South, you may have grown up with unsweetened corn bread. In other regions, corn bread can be slightly sweet. Both types of corn bread are valid, and both are delicious.
Basic corn bread.
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
This basic corn bread recipe is sweetened with honey and and sugar — though you can leave out one or the other, or both, if you like your cornbread less sweet, or not sweet at all. Either way, this corn bread is a perfect accompaniment for soup or chili, and it makes a great breakfast, too. And here are some more quick bread recipes:
Basic corn bread.
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
This basic corn bread recipe is sweetened with honey and and sugar — though you can leave out one or the other, or both, if you like your cornbread less sweet, or not sweet at all. Either way, this corn bread is a perfect accompaniment for soup or chili, and it makes a great breakfast, too. And here are some more quick bread recipes:
- Buttermilk Corn Bread
- Easy Banana Bread
- Blueberry Muffins
- Chocolate Chocolate Muffins
- How to Make Scones
How to Make Frosting
Wednesday April 18, 2012
If you want to add a delicious homemade touch to your cakes or cupcakes, try making your own frosting. There are a number of different kinds of frostings (or icings; they're they same thing), but the simplest kind is a basic buttercream that you can mix up using butter, shortening and confectioners sugar.
How to Make Frosting.
Photo © Lisa Romerein / Getty Images
Some buttercreams require cooking, but this one doesn't. All you really need is a stand mixer. And here's a tip: When you're making frosting, make more than you think you need. Read more about How to Make Frosting. And here are a few more resources related to baking and desserts:
How to Make Frosting.
Photo © Lisa Romerein / Getty Images
Some buttercreams require cooking, but this one doesn't. All you really need is a stand mixer. And here's a tip: When you're making frosting, make more than you think you need. Read more about How to Make Frosting. And here are a few more resources related to baking and desserts:
- What is Confectioners Sugar?
- Baking Soda Vs. Baking Powder
- How to Cut In Shortening
- All About Flour
- Crème Anglaise Recipe
- Crème Brûlée Recipe
Mint Sauce for Lamb
Saturday April 7, 2012
If you're making a roast leg of lamb for Easter, here's a simple mint sauce that you can serve with it: Mint Sauce for Lamb
Join Me on Facebook | Follow Me on Twitter
Join Me on Facebook | Follow Me on Twitter
How to Hard Boil Eggs
Thursday April 5, 2012
Hard boiled eggs are used in all kinds of recipes, like in salads or sandwiches, and they're a nearly perfect snack on their own. Unfortunately, making hard boiled eggs is one of those obscure skills that few people seem to have mastered. How long do I boil it? Do I start with cold water, or do I boil the water first and then drop in the egg? And why are they so hard to peel?
How to Hard Boil Eggs
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
Fear not, faithful reader. I've got a simple technique (see it here) that will help you make a perfect hard boiled egg every time.
One thing to know about a good hard boiled egg is that you should never see a greenish ring around the yolk when you cut it open. When you see that it means the egg is overcooked. It's the sulfur in the egg that causes that greenish hue, and it appears when the egg has been overheated because it was boiled for too long. It doesn't smell amazing, either, as you've no doubt experienced at one time or another. With this technique, you can say goodbye to those greenish, overcooked egg yolks.
As for boiled eggs being hard to peel, that's a function of how fresh the egg is, not how you cook it. Fresher eggs will be harder to peel. So if you've got some older eggs in your fridge, those would be a better choice for making hard boiled eggs than ones you just grabbed from the henhouse. Check out: How to Hard Boil Eggs. Finally, here are a few more articles to help with your Easter preparations:
How to Hard Boil Eggs
Photo © Danilo Alfaro
Fear not, faithful reader. I've got a simple technique (see it here) that will help you make a perfect hard boiled egg every time.
One thing to know about a good hard boiled egg is that you should never see a greenish ring around the yolk when you cut it open. When you see that it means the egg is overcooked. It's the sulfur in the egg that causes that greenish hue, and it appears when the egg has been overheated because it was boiled for too long. It doesn't smell amazing, either, as you've no doubt experienced at one time or another. With this technique, you can say goodbye to those greenish, overcooked egg yolks.
As for boiled eggs being hard to peel, that's a function of how fresh the egg is, not how you cook it. Fresher eggs will be harder to peel. So if you've got some older eggs in your fridge, those would be a better choice for making hard boiled eggs than ones you just grabbed from the henhouse. Check out: How to Hard Boil Eggs. Finally, here are a few more articles to help with your Easter preparations:
- How to Roast a Leg of Lamb
- Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe
- Baked Ham with Fruit Glaze
- How to Glaze a Ham
- Deviled Eggs Recipe
- Easter Egg Safety Tips
- Holiday Meat Safety
How to Roast a Leg of Lamb
Wednesday April 4, 2012
Roast leg of lamb is a classic holiday dish, and you can get a 6-8 pound semi-boneless one that will feed anywhere from 8 to 12 people.
How to Roast a Leg of Lamb.
Photo © Ben Fink / Getty Images
Semi-boneless means that it's had the hip and tail bone (which is also sometimes called the H-bone) removed, as well as the hinged end of the shank bone. These bones are great for making stock, so your best bet is to have the butcher do this for you from a whole leg of lamb so that you can take the bones home with you.
Here's an article that describes How to Roast a Leg of Lamb. Also check out this Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe. Finally, here are a few related resources:
How to Roast a Leg of Lamb.
Photo © Ben Fink / Getty Images
Semi-boneless means that it's had the hip and tail bone (which is also sometimes called the H-bone) removed, as well as the hinged end of the shank bone. These bones are great for making stock, so your best bet is to have the butcher do this for you from a whole leg of lamb so that you can take the bones home with you.
Here's an article that describes How to Roast a Leg of Lamb. Also check out this Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe. Finally, here are a few related resources:
- Cuts of Lamb
- Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe
- How to Roast Meats
- Holiday Meat Safety
- How to Glaze a Ham
- Easter Egg Safety Tips
- How to Hard Boil Eggs
How to Glaze a Ham
Wednesday March 28, 2012
A baked ham is a delicious holiday dish, and one of the best ways to turn a simple baked ham into something truly special is by glazing the ham.
How to Glaze a Ham.
Photo © Annabelle Breakey / Getty Images
Glazing a ham basically involves brushing the ham with a combination of ingredients that feature sweet, tangy and pungent flavors. A semi-liquid base such as jam or preserves is good so that it will stick to the ham, but you can also make a ham glaze with maple syrup or honey. Mustard is another common ingredient, and soo is brown sugar.
Here's an article that describes How to Glaze a Ham. It also explains when to glaze the ham, and offers a few simple glaze recipes. You might also want to check out this recipe for Baked Ham with Fruit Glaze. Here are some related resources:
How to Glaze a Ham.
Photo © Annabelle Breakey / Getty Images
Glazing a ham basically involves brushing the ham with a combination of ingredients that feature sweet, tangy and pungent flavors. A semi-liquid base such as jam or preserves is good so that it will stick to the ham, but you can also make a ham glaze with maple syrup or honey. Mustard is another common ingredient, and soo is brown sugar.
Here's an article that describes How to Glaze a Ham. It also explains when to glaze the ham, and offers a few simple glaze recipes. You might also want to check out this recipe for Baked Ham with Fruit Glaze. Here are some related resources:
- How to Roast Meats
- Holiday Meat Safety
- Cuts of Pork
- Easter Egg Safety Tips
- How to Hard Boil Eggs
- Deviled Eggs Recipe