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I love watching a single pork chop seasoned with garlic and shallots cook and see the fat bubble around it.
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I think I will never stop having mentors.
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To me, 'Chopped' is a great platform for championing great causes.
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Freeze herbs by stem and all - don't just freeze the leaves. It's better to keep them sturdier. Put the stems and the leaves together into a plastic bag, and just wrap it up and freeze it like that.
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I didn't harbor a huge desire to become a chef until I graduated from college.
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If it's not messy and it doesn't drip over the sides, it's not a holiday hot chocolate -it's just an average hot chocolate.
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I exercise at a great gym and do dance classes mixed with some calisthenics. I really enjoy that because it reminds me of '80s aerobics. It's fun! I also bike ride, or sometimes I swim. Because I stand a lot, I don't really like to walk long distances. Running or jogging is out of the question.
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Repeatedly opening the oven - or worse, taking out the turkey to baste it - slows down the momentum of cooking.
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I watched 'Iron Chef ' for years, and I thought, 'That's playing for the New York Yankees.' I made that my version of being Derek Jeter, and I worked really, really hard to win that.
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My mom, ever the Italian, made braised chicken with tomato.
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I like food to be really simple but have a lot of technique all the same.
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I've always been a great collector and lover of cookbooks.
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I like to take a day off and enjoy fast food for what it is. I have to say that in New York, I'm really partial about taco trucks. I mean, I really can't handle it. There is something about catching all those ingredients piled on top of each other: it puts me in a tizzy. I love it. I'm kind of a taco truck junkie.
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To make fluffy scrambled eggs, the best trick is to whisk in a splash of water and nothing else. Cream, milk, and other liquids drag the eggs down!
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I like all of McClure's pickles, but my personal favorites are the spicy ones.
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The longer I look at something, the more my imagination churns and I can find somewhere to put it.
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Stuffed cherry tomatoes are satisfying without being filling and make a great alternative to bread-based starters. You can assemble these appetizers ahead of time and refrigerate them until you're ready to serve.
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I used to run track in high school and was unexceptional in every way.
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Buying food from farmers and people that I know adds that human element that I love.
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I've roasted a somewhat frozen turkey, and it's come out just fine.
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If I am making a spice rub or a spice mix for a braise or even just to crust a piece of fish, I'll use mustard seeds. If you soak them in a little bit of vinegar and let them get plumped and soft and then you puree them, they're delicious.
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Mashed potatoes with stuff in it? That's '90s.
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I've thrown vanilla beans into mustard. Nothing crazy or grainy, just normal dijon. It's great for duck. Smear some of that right on the duck, coupled with some roast plums, and it all comes together in that savory over sweet over savory over sweet way we all love.
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I know that some people use lavender, incense, and cake as sedatives, but for me, a 'nose bath' in an old book just does something.