Selected Recipe Development
The New York Times
October 1, 2019
How to Make Sourdough Bread
Perhaps you’ve seen them on social media — sourdough loaves with burnished, intricately scored crusts and expansive, holey interiors — and wondered if you too could make this kind of bread. The answer is yes, you absolutely can. The method below will walk you through all the key steps and core concepts a first-time sourdough baker needs to bake naturally leavened bread at home with good, even great, results. You’ll need to invest in some essential equipment, find a starter, and set aside three days (though only the second requires serious tending — you can start on Friday to have loaves on Sunday). But for those dedicated to learning an age-old craft, it’s the start of a deeply rewarding journey. Your first loaves won't be perfect, and that’s fine. Any sourdough bread made by your hand will still be delicious.
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Bon Appétit
June 2019
Cherry Biscuit Cobbler
Cherries make an ideal filling for cobbler because they take longer than other fruits (peaches, for example) to release their juices. This gives the biscuits a helpful head-start so they actually bake all the way through rather than steam in soupy filling. While it’s always recommended to handle biscuit dough as little as possible, this recipe is pretty forgiving due to the combination of butter and heavy cream. All that dairy fat coats the flour, preventing gluten development for biscuits that are anything but tough.
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Bon Appétit
March 2018
The Project: Cassoulet
I have made cassoulet more times than is advisable—first in culinary school, once with a friend for a dinner party, and at least half a dozen times in the BA Test Kitchen. The famed French peasant dish of white beans, silky duck confit, and rich ragout topped with a golden breadcrumb crust can take three days and nearly half a dozen pork products to make. It’s an occasion to break out the biggest pot you own, and I can’t think of another recipe that’s more fun to share with family and friends. Our classic version takes no shortcuts and requires a little planning, but every step is totally doable, even if you’re not a pro…
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Bon Appétit
December 2017
Smart Cookies: Seven Holiday Cookie Recipes that are a Piece of Cake
Two years ago, I found myself standing in my kitchen beside a sink full of dishes, exhausted, covered in powdered sugar and extremely late to a holiday party. I had just spent hours showing off my food editor skills hunched over sugar-cookie snowmen and snowflakes, piping lines of royal icing, placing expensive silver dragées with pinpoint accuracy, and painting swirls of sparkly luster dust. I eventually made it to the party, but was it worth the effort? Highly debatable…
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