A Simple Sweet and Sour

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

One of my favorite dishes to make and eat is sweet and sour pork. I love that interplay of, well, sweet and sour in a savory context. But many of us, including myself, never think to go beyond that Chinese take-out staple when craving that flavor profile.

In comes one of my best standby meals to make when I can’t think of anything to cook, and I don’t have the time, energy, or money for a big meal. I learned this dish from Lidia Bastianich years ago, and it’s easily the most satisfying meal I make that requires virtually no energy to prepare, but pays off big in flavor. And best of all, it plays off that sweet and sour flavor marriage I love so much.

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A Luncheon First Course

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Wouldn’t you love to spend a week working with a leading winery, caterer or a specialty farmer for hands-on learning and mentoring? Each year, a few professional women who have had a minimum of four years of work experience are selected for this invaluable opportunity as winners of Les Dames d’Escoffier’s (LDEI) Legacy Awards.

The mentors, women who are tops in their fields, are all distinguished members of LDEI who volunteer for this program to give back by sharing their knowledge. The award program is supported by a donation from The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts, which was created by Julia Child in 1995 to support non-profit organizations sharing her commitment to educate and encourage others.

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Egg Drop Soup – for What Ails You

By David Hu
A new video for Video Friday

At this time of the year when more people succumb to colds and flu, it’s good to know how to make a restorative chicken soup. Mine is really simple, taking just a few minutes, so you can haul yourself out of bed to make it yourself if you don’t have anyone to nurse you at home.

This soup is nourishing and delicious. It’s the kind of soup that will perk up sluggish appetites.

But this soup isn’t just for when you’re sick. Increase the quantities and make it as a first course for a dinner party. It’s a good start to a Chinese New Year feast.

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The Roasted Root of Things

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

Once the chill is in the air I turn inwards, with the oven on full tilt and I begin work on a multitude of indoor projects. This fall, I am in the middle of a move from Pennsylvania back to my house in the Hudson Valley so I have more indoor projects to complete than ever.

Creating some quick dishes to fuel one or two (the poor person who offers some help) is a bit of a concern. What I can make a lot of, that I can repurpose during the week for dinner or lunch, is key. Usually this decision is predicated upon what I already have on hand or bought too much of at the market.

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A Savory Pumpkin Pie

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

At this time of year, it’s difficult to avoid the barrage of pumpkin-flavored everything – beer, doughnuts, and good grief, those spiced lattes. And although I love pumpkin, I don’t ever go for all those iterations of its sweetened and cinnamon-laced flavor profile.

If it’s going to be sweet, I prefer my pumpkin only in traditional pie form; although I’ve eaten a pumpkin version of St. Louis’ famed gooey butter cake that still makes me weak with pleasure when I think about it.

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