Knife Sharpening 101

By Katie Barreira

Whether you’re a cooking newbie or a seasoned slicer, a sharp blade will instantly improve your knife skills, making faster, easier and more uniform work of everything that crosses your cutting board. Culinary knives should be sharpened two to three times a year to restore the blades’ original contour and angle. Whether you choose to hone at home or let the pros handle your steel, sharp knives are a must for every cook.

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A versatile salad for vegetarians and others

By David Hu

Today’s recipe, Mediterranean Barley Almond Salad, is a versatile dish that can be used as a vegetarian main course or a side dish with meat. This salad also makes a welcome contribution to potlucks or picnics. Roasting almonds intensifies the nutty flavor and adds a nice crunch – it’s such an easy step, don’t skip it!

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Abbondanza!

By Andrew Hunter

In the fashion world, the philosophy of “less is more” often applies, but in the food world, “more is better” wins the day. Chefs like to impress with flavor, spice and big presentations. That’s why expressions like, “Bam!” and “Kick it up a notch!” are so popular.

Wolfgang used to say, “Abbondanza!” to me when I was creating a new plate for the dining room. Abbondanza means “abundance” in Italian, but to Wolfgang Puck it means more meat, more veggies, more color, more flavor, more height, more everything! The more, the merrier.

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Cheat It Pizza for Two

By Lori Powell

So a friend calls and says that she is in the neighborhood, possibly 15 minutes away, and was just a wondering if she could stop by and…it’s lunch time! What to do????

Do not panic! Certainly it’s not worth it. It’s not hard to have something delicious on the table when a friend drops by.

My Cheat It Pizza is not only super-tasty but great for a late-night, quick-fix dinner or after-party snack when you just didn’t have enough time to eat, since you were too busy chatting everyone up. Or maybe you just are not good at eating and talking at the same time!

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Goats On Boats

By Katie Barreira

The 80 some-odd members of Catapano Farm’s dairy herd in Peconic Long Island, are some darn lucky goats. According to co-owner Dr. Michael Catapano (formally an M.D., but also a doctor of cheese), raising happy, stress-free goats is the key to great-tasting milk. And if the quality of Catapano’s handmade cheese is any indication, these are some seriously contented goats.

This theory was confirmed within moments of meeting the merry ruminants. Trotting over to greet each guest with a friendly head butt, these goats were more interested in a good nuzzle than a handout. And their spacious pen more resembled an inspired playground meant for children, rather than kids.

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