Green Kitchen Tip: Use Citrus Bags for Herb Washing

Try to chop a waterlogged bunch of herbs and it turns into a mess of green slush. This trick spin dries herbs quickly–using citrus bags that would otherwise end up in the landfill!

Scrubbing Vegetables: “Veggie Scrub” Makes It Easier

Check out this great new 2-for-1 find:  A vegetable scrubber + fresh herb colander for just $3.50
Although I’m a still big fan of my $2.50 nail scrubber from the cleaning supply store, I put the “Veggie Scrub” to the test on Jerusalem artichokes (also known as sunchokes.)  These gnarly and knobby vegetables are the toughest [...]

Make a Simple Salad Special

I just wanted to make an easy meal after a long day of gardening and computering. Just a little soup and salad–but we have no dressing. Was I going to have to futz and fuss with a homemade salad dressing before I could sit down and eat?

Using Herbs and Spices: More on Flavor Families

Here’s the great thing about herb and spice flavor families. Find one you like and you’ve got an easy springboard to creative fun, as in this recipe for Eggplant and Garbanzo Stew with Spicy Coriander Flavors.

Is it OK to use the garlic and ginger that comes in jars?

Those little jars of prepared garlic and ginger are so completely convenient!  No fussing
with paper-thin garlic peels, no paring gnarly knobs of ginger or endangering fingers on the ginger grater and no garlic-smelling hands for the rest of the night.  But is it OK to use these conveniences?
I get this question a lot, usually phrased [...]

Comfort Stew: Beef Daube Provencal

A classic, no-fail stew. Make it in the slow cooker or on the stovetop, and learn several tricks for a more tender and tasty stew. Cooking School notes included as well as modifications.

Mary’s on Fox 31–Quick Tricks for Fast Gourmet Green Beans

We all know that Thanksgiving can be a huge undertaking. To keep from getting overwhelmed, it’s nice to plan a couple dishes on the simpler side. This recipe incorporates four tricks for easy, gourmet flair.

Kitchen Coach on TV–Whips Together an Appetizer with a Difference

Kitchen Coach Mary Collette is doing a Holiday Cooking series for Fox 31 in Denver. Her first appearance was last Friday, November 21, when she and host Ken Clark made an appetizer tray featuring a Rosemary Yam Butter appetizer Tray. Yum.

Herb and Spice Resources—A Beginning List

A couple of resources that might prove helpful for an herb and spice adventure. They feature recipes that are indexed by spice, making it easy to find new ways to use those herbs and spices on your experimentation list.

Using Herbs and Spices: Continue the Adventure

Go ahead and get hooked on using herbs and spices. In tough economic times, it’s an amazingly cheap thrill–especially using herbs from a kitchen or outdoor garden. And once you begin seeing common herb patterns, you can begin exercising your own creativity.