The back of a recently-purchased package of pine nuts has this warning: “In rare instances, people may experience a sensitivity reaction from pine nuts, termed “pine mouth,” which is characterized by a metallic taste that resolves without treatment.” “Pine Mouth” can last for more than a week and can make all kinds of food taste [...]

Fresh, sweet corn is so delicious and versatile in cooking — soups, salads, sauces, side dishes, even desserts are irresistable when made with corn. But good corn can be difficult to find. Corn is usually sold naked in supermarkets. Ears of corn need their protective husks; removing the husk shortens the lifespan of the sugars [...]

Ray writes, “The soubise. I love it!” The recipe for this French-style risotto is here: Soubise. Betsy writes, “Mine is from the Novel Cuisine class with Appetite for America: the cauliflower recipe from the chefs at Union Station. It’s the go-to dish for potlucks. Everyone raves about it!” Thanks, Betsy, here it is: St. Louis [...]

Spring means green, particularly these grassy-green vegetables: artichokes, asparagus, and English peas. These delicious vegetables are wonderful on their own, mixed together, or dressed with risotto or pasta. This lemony pasta is a favorite spring dish. Lemon Pasta with Spring Vegetables 1 artichoke  1 bunch asparagus  1/4 cup butter 1 cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 [...]

Are you a planner or are you a last-minute cook? Planners like slow-cookers because they know at breakfast what they are going to eat for tonight’s dinner. They probably also know what they are going to eat a week from tonight. I am not a planner. At 6 pm, I still don’t know what I [...]

At big family meals, we always have carrots, because they look colorful and everybody likes carrots, and (most importantly for the cook) they can be made days ahead of time and easily reheated. Nobody ever says, “let’s have carrots tonight!” but if you serve carrots, be sure to peel and cut twice as many as you think [...]

“A Passion for Cooking“ features the recipes from over a hundred different chefs who have cooked at Kitchen Conservatory. One of our favorite recipes from that cookbook – which several staff members make every Thanksgiving — is a pudding from chef Jim Voss of Duff’s (who also chefed for The Grateful Dead). Don’t miss his cooking class on [...]

Sandy writes, “What’s your favorite non-dairy stuffing? I can’t mix meat and dairy.” Fair enough; tis the season for chestnuts! Fresh chestnuts can be hard to find, but frozen or canned whole, peeled chestnuts are readily available at specialty grocery stores. Chestnut Dressing 1 loaf of bread, preferably French baguette, cubed 1/2 cup duck fat 4 cups chopped [...]

To stuff or not to stuff? I am firmly on the stuffer side of the debate. When the dressing is inside of the bird, it is basted with flavorful meat juices. The extra dressing baked on the side is never as tasty. The key to a good dressing is lots of seasonings: cook the aromatics first [...]

“The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star,” wrote Brillat-Savarin in 1824. Sheila Lukins, who passed away this weekend from brain cancer, discovered many new dishes and did so much for human happiness for countless home cooks. Her first cookbook, “The Silver Palate Cookbook,” contains [...]