Ask Chef Phyllis: Recently on TV I heard that mushrooms are very good for you, but I don’t buy them often—mostly because I know very little about them. The supermarket had many different kinds but no information on how to use them. My experience with mushrooms is limited to sliced raw mushrooms on a spinach […]
Category Archives: Ask Chef Phyllis
04
Mar
Mar
Ask Chef Phyllis: My Irish-born “from the old country” grandmother never made corned beef and cabbage for St. Paddy’s day. Why, it wasn’t even any kind of beef at all. It was an inexpensive piece of pork (which she called pork butt) slowly cooked with Irish whiskey for hours and served with boiled potatoes and […]
18
Feb
Feb
Ask Chef Phyllis: This fall we became empty nesters, and because of that I sometimes work longer hours than I used to. I come home tired and want to get a nutritious and fast dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less. I buy chicken breasts often—they’re a fast, easy, good protein—and I do […]
04
Feb
Feb
Ask Chef Phyllis: I was lucky enough to be in Paris around Valentine’s Day. I stopped by a patisserie that featured many kinds of truffles. I tried a few of them, but my absolute favorite was a dark chocolate truffle with lime and honey. They were expensive but absolutely worth the price. Can truffles be […]
21
Jan
Jan
Ask Chef Phyllis: I love New Orleans, but I’ve only gone to Mardi Gras once. I like Creole food too. Most of the restaurants have a specialty, so it’s hard to decide what to order. My husband and I tried the Muffaletta sandwich at one place as well as the gumbo from the famous Cochon […]
07
Jan
Jan
Ask Chef Phyllis: After purchasing a half side of beef last summer, I have very little of the better cuts like steak, filet mignon, and roast left by the end of the year. I saw your recipe for French Beef Stew on Facebook (I’m Jena’s friend) and decided to try it. The beef cubes were […]
24
Dec
Dec
Ask Chef Phyllis: We stayed at the Pierre Hotel in New York City and ate the best gingerbread pancakes at their Café Pierre. Actually, they were the best pancakes we’ve ever had—hands down. I only get to travel to New York maybe once every year or two, so I’d like to have this recipe. Is […]
19
Dec
Dec
Ask Chef Phyllis: Everything I read or see these days is about brining—from the Thanksgiving turkey to pork and lamb for the grill. Well, I brined ½-inch thick pork chops before grilling them, and they were not only dry but pickled. I wanted juicy and flavorful. They were a lot of prep as well. After […]
10
Dec
Dec
Ask Chef Phyllis: Every year just before Christmas Eve, I begin to think of my grandmother’s cheese fondue. I thought it was very special, and the memory brings joy to my heart. I’ve tried to duplicate it several times, but I wasn’t successful. It was an expensive experiment. Since then, I’ve purchased the supermarket Swiss fondue box […]
19
Nov
Nov
Ask Chef Phyllis: The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is very busy for me, but not for the obvious reasons. When the ski lodges open, everyone comes to our house for the Thanksgiving break. They also come for the school break between Christmas and New Year’s. Our family serves roast turkey for both Thanksgiving and […]
05
Nov
Nov
Ask Chef Phyllis: My family loves turkey. I make it for Thanksgiving and sometimes for Christmas dinner, and we happily feast on the leftovers for days. I often say that I’ll make it again soon. Sadly, I don’t, probably because the family doesn’t want a Thanksgiving-style turkey dinner—they think it’s just for the holidays. But […]
Ask Chef Phyllis
Chef’s Tips for Gluten-Free Treats: Peanut Butter Cookies and Almond Thumbprint Cookies
22
Oct
Oct
Ask Chef Phyllis: I need some recipes for gluten-free cookies or treats that will satisfy children and are really easy to make. I’ve already tried the prepackaged, store-bought products available, but I think they have unhealthy ingredients to make up for taste. The rice flour, tapioca flour, and almond flour that most supermarkets sell are […]
09
Oct
Oct
Ask Chef Phyllis: I confess that I buy chicken breasts at the supermarket each and every week. I bake them, grill them, smother them in cream of mushroom soup, and overcook them in every way possible. I’m tired of them. I never buy whole chickens anymore, or other parts of the chicken except for wings […]
03
Oct
Oct
Ask Chef Phyllis: By late summer, I have an abundant amount of zucchini from my garden, and most of the time by then my family is tired of eating it as a vegetable, in a soup, or from the grill. I know if you leave a not-so big zucchini just an extra day or two, […]
24
Sep
Sep
Ask Chef Phyllis: Our life has changed ever since we found out that our daughter is gluten intolerant. We buy rice pasta and gluten-free flours, and we read every label in the supermarket. It makes me tired because I feel our favorite recipes all have to be redone. Some of our favorite soups are broccoli […]
10
Sep
Sep
Ask Chef Phyllis: My husband is a hunter—mostly large game like deer, elk, and moose, which comprise much of our winter menus. I have a few large roasts and many packages of steaks, chopped meat, and stewing meat in the freezer. On weekends, I like to make a roast, but sometimes it’s dry. I need […]
27
Aug
Aug
Ask Chef Phyllis: My Mom used to make chicken breast or veal cutlets with fresh sage leaves and prosciutto as a special dinner. She called it “saltimbocca,” which she said meant “jump in your mouth.” I don’t know about that, but I do know it’s an old Italian specialty from the Rome region where my […]
13
Aug
Aug
Ask Chef Phyllis: We recently celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. A surprise gift from our children was a class at the famous Santa Fe cooking school, since I love to cook Southwestern foods. At the class, which was wonderful, we donned aprons and pitched in after our instructor made some regional appetizers and entrees. Guacamole, […]
30
Jul
Jul
Ask Chef Phyllis: I’m a friend of your niece Michelle, who lives in Brooklyn. I was so glad to hear that you have a Q&A blog about food. So here goes…two other ladies and I are going to host a neighborhood bridal shower soon. We want to do a Greek theme since the bride will […]
16
Jul
Jul
Ask Chef Phyllis: About two years ago, my company sent me to Bangkok, Thailand. Instead of the European style food that was available, I chose to enjoy local Thai foods from street vendors. Sad to say in all the specialties I tried, I only recognized the flavors of garlic and ginger in the dishes I […]