Easy and Savory Lasagna - VIDEO

I know that lasagna appears to take an inordinate amount of time for what is supposed to be a weekend casserole, however the mix of flavors and the promise of leftovers usually makes the effort worth the while.  And while this different take on lasagna is multi-stepped, most of the time is spent simmering on the stovetop or in the oven rather than requiring your time.  And the benefit, beyond the first bite, is the jealousy you will instill in your neighbors who will inevitably smell the components being prepared.

Quick and Easy Guacamole - VIDEO

I regularly hear from folks about the dreamy guac they had at restaurant X.  I find it crazy, as they see how the guac is made:

A waiter (with his shirt unbuttoned just slightly too low) comes over to the table with a couple of avocados.  He cuts them and mashes them with a fork.  He seasons the guac to the order.  He serves it in a Mexican molcajete.  Sexy.

Well, I can mash avocado with the best of them, and I can keep my shirt on.

Simple Dutch Oven Artisanal Bread - VIDEO

The Necessary Hardware

When it is gloomy out, like it was yesterday, I crave comfort food.  Nothing goes better with that type of cuisine than a great crusty loaf of bread.  It used to be thought that making such bread at home was next to impossible, as the commercial stoves have sophisticated ovens with terrifically hot floors and steam injection to improve the rise of the dough while baking.

Best Food Processor Pizza Dough and Pizza From Start To Finish - Video

 

A Good Looking Pie

Pizza seems to be intimidating to the home cook, in part, I think, due to the intimidation of the from-scratch dough making, and due to the lore surrounding this wonderful and mysterious dish.  Go to a pizzeria and you will see 10-foot long Blodgett pizza ovens or worse, the wood-fired clay oven.  Fellas impossibly throwing dough over their heads to stretch and round it, and "old family recipe" sauces conceivably never replicated in a simple home kitchen.  Bullshit.

Osso Buco - A Great Evening For a Braise - VIDEO

On a cold and dreary day, when you have plenty of time to go low and slow, there is nothing better than a braise.  Slow cooked stew, cassoulet, carbonnade, or pot roast go hand in hand with short days and damp and cold weather.  And as we are in the middle of such a weather system, Sunday seemed like a good day to consider this time-tested technique.

Simple and Delicious Peel-Free Mashed Potatoes - VIDEO

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a staple in most homes, an alternative to other starches such as pasta or rice.  There are many techniques and supposed rules to make this potentially delicious side dish, but done improperly and the potatoes can become gummy, lumpy, bland, or runny.

And why anyone would purchase dehydrated mashed potatoes in a box is completely lost on me. 

Homemade Mozzarella Cheese - VIDEO

Tired of paying north of $7-$10/lb for fresh mozzarella from the grocer?  Then this process is not for you as it requires ingredients that cost nearly as much and involves an investment of time and energy that make no economic sense.  HOWEVER, if you want to see how cheese is made, have a great weekend project, and take home bragging rights making homemade pizza with your own cheese, this is your ticket.

An Introduction To Our New Blog

 Welcome to our new blog.  Well, sort of new.  We already have another blog that chronicles my life as an urban beekeeper, now turned commercial beekeeper, here in Washington, DC.  You can follow that very busy part of my free time here:  http://dchoneybees.blogspot.com/.

My vocation is real estate development, a profession in which I have worked with some of the largest developers in this city building thousands of apartment and condominium units.