I knew it.
I had my favorite kitchen tools as a cook. But then I went to culinary school. And wondered if my favorite, lovingly-worn out kitchen toys would start getting less attention. Get left on the shelf, forgotten in a drawer—icons of a novice cook. I remember watching myself… would my preferences completely change [because [...]

Sure I learned how to fabricate a chicken and make bechamel; we clarified butter and practiced our knife cuts. We used chinoise to strain our sauces and hailed the art of cooking an egg. We used bain maries and whisked emulsions, studied food culture across the US and learned to look at plate presentation with [...]

The central plains (across the midriff of America) is considered the bread basket of the United States. It has a ‘corn belt’ and a ‘wheat belt.’
This region is the main source of food crops for the US. Beyond grains, you will find dairy farming and cheese making, an abundance of game, poultry and freshwater fish.
In [...]

When you think Pacific Northwest cuisine (PNW), what comes to mind? Perhaps stone fruit, nuts, berries, fish, shellfish… maybe mushrooms or lettuce greens such as nettle, dandelion and sorrel. Here is a quick list of ‘typical’ PNW foods, as relayed by my American Regional textbook:
Alaskan Halibut
Apples
Asparagus
Berries: blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, lingonberries, raspberries, salmonberries, strawberries
Cherry
Farmstead Cheese: cougar [...]

The truth is, I often make quesadillas. They are a knee jerk response to ‘what’s for lunch’? In their simplest form, I just make them with cheese and refried beans… and maybe a smear of salsa if I add in a few extra seconds for prep. I am a big fan of crispy on the [...]

For class, we would often do culinary summaries of various regions around the U.S. I enjoyed learning about various individuals who made significant contributions in the evolution of Californian cuisine. It is a huge, wonderfully productive state, famous for their fusion, fresh and locally farmed foods in addition to their international success in the wine [...]