This type of cut will really impress your friends but it is time consuming for those of us who don't do this professionally. You have to remember, high-end restaurants have very low paid staff that spend all day prepping ingredients for the evening dinner service. By all means, try your hand at this cutting technique just for the experience. Your kids will love the look and shape of it.

Baking or roasting squash is a great way to add a side dish to any meal and as long as you are baking one or two, why not bake three or four for later in the week or for making soup. This is the way my wife prepares Acorn Squash and I love it. If you are interested in learning more about winter squash and its' many varieties, check my Winter Squash article....

Two Points of View Everyday I receive great correspondence from readers of my web page who share my enjoyment in cooking. Recently, I received two informative emails on the subject of preparing the often-baked potato. We all know how to bake a potato. Right? Well let’s look at it from two different points of view. Potato Poetry The first email is from Fred Engel...

If you can find this striking vegetable, do pick some up and try it. Broccoli Romanesco tastes a bit like cauliflower, but it is more tender. This recipe pairs it with cream and Parmesan. It would make a perfect side dish at your holiday table.

I don't think you can find a tastier Beefsteak tomato than in Jersey, and we enjoy them as often as possible. Usually with fresh mozzarella and basil topped with good olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar, but this gratineed version is very simple, quick to make, delicious, and a nice change from our standard.

I saw this recipe in the March 2007 issue of Bon Appetit, one of my favorite cooking magazines. It is simple and makes a great side dish for a variety of meals plus most kids like both carrots and pasta so this is a good side dish that has both.

This flavorful, spicy relish features corn, red bell pepper and onion. It really wakes up the flavor of chicken, seafood and vegetables. Plus, it is really easy to make.

This is a simple, straightforward creamed corn recipe that relies only on the starches in the corn and a cream reduction for thickening. It is the real deal. It is lovely as is, but feel free to dress it up by adding in some herbs, diced red bell pepper or some fresh lima beans for a classic succotash.

If you are looking for a way to use up some squash and shallots, I highly recommend you give this one a try. This recipe serves four so you might want to double it up if you are having guests or want to serve it again later in the week.

What is the best recipe for mashed potatoes? Here's my Home Cook's Guide to Mashed Potatoes - the recipe is at the very, very bottom of the page.....In my family, mashed potatoes were one of the first things I learned to cook. It was also one of the first things I taught my daughters to cook. Mashed potatoes seem to appeal to almost everyone. But here's the tricky t...

If you're looking for a versatile condiment that's perfect for summer fare, consider salsa. I know many of you think of salsa as something to serve with tortilla chips or a Mexican dish, but there are a lot of interesting ways to use it. Salsa is the Spanish and Mexican word for sauce, but in America we think of it as a chunky tomato condiment that can be mild or rea...

You can prepare dozens of flavored butter using various herbs and ingredients. This grilled corn recipe calls for Parmesan butter, but you could try basil butter, rosemary or any combination that sounds good to you.

If you want a great recipe to serve your vegetarian friends, look no further. Creating a meal for some vegetarian friends allowed me the opportunity to try Veggie-Glace Gold (meatless Demi-Glace). I have written about some of their other products in the past and was excited about trying to create a tasty au poivre sauce without a meat base. My friends loved the comb...

Guacamole, from simple to luxurious. Sometimes guacamole recipes can be loaded down with too many ingredients. If you remember that less is more, though, you really can't go wrong.

Here's a quick and easy recipe for herb butters that works great on grilled meat, chicken, fish and especially steamed vegetables. If you are looking for a great way to store and serve herb butters, check out the French Traditional Butter Bell Crock. For more about cilantro and its uses... Cilantro Herb Butter Ingredients 4 tablespoon butter (1/2 stick) 1/4 tea...

I've recently posted two Hungarian recipes, Beef Goulash and Paprikas Csirke on my blog under 'Ask a Chef' and both would be great served with homemade spaetzle. I asked Chef Ricco, who provided the two recipes for his favorite spaetzle recipe, and I would like to share it with you.

A hearty and filling lentil stew, perfect as a side or even as a meal all on its own. Substitute sundried tomatoes for the bacon and vegetable stock for the chicken stock, and it turns into a vegetarian side. I think you'll like the combination of smoked paprika and sherry vinegar, too.

It's my belief how you like your mashed potatoes depends on what you were served as a kid and the four topics above will allow you to recreate any style of mashed potatoes you like. Whether you like them smooth and creamy, textured or fluffy, the answer is in these four questions.

I wasn't sure how sweet potatoes and pineapple would work together but I am happy to tell you they got along just fine and were delicious. On a hot summer night, they were the cooling influence to a hot and spicy Chimichurri sauce.

My friend Susan from Nairobi, Kenya taught me how to prepare this traditional Kikuyu dish that's served at all her major ceremonies in her homeland. It is a side dish made by mashing beans, corn, potatoes along with some other vegetables and served with beef, chicken and according to Susan, just about anything. She served it with an African Beef Stew called Kitoeo an...

Some of you may remember Fred Engel's COWBOY POINT OF VIEW for making Baked Potatoes. Well Fred has blessed us with another of his fine recipe poems, this time for Pinto Beans over the Fire. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Pinto Beans Over the Fire Pinto beans over the fire, boiling in the pot In plenty of water, pre-soaked or not. Add some some salt to ta...

This classic French potato dish is easy to make and impressive to serve. There are also variations for adding onions, pumpkin or butternut squash. My wife made a version with alternating layers of potato and butternut squash, and it was excellent.

So I mentioned in my Brussels sprouts post that I would share with you a recipe my wife Meg prepared for Thanksgiving dinner that may just be the best Brussels Sprouts dish I've ever tasted. What makes them so great is they are first roasted and then sauteed. The cup of heavy cream doesn't hurt either.

Sautéed Baby Kale & Artichokes Found this recipe in the winter 2013 Wegmans Menu and it's a great way to get your kids to eat AND enjoy kale and artichokes. The original recipe calls for buying grilled artichokes hearts but they didn't have them at Wegmans so we grilled our own. No problem here. Kale is a form of cabbage and comes in a variety of shapes, sizes...

I don’t know about you, but succotash doesn’t really sound very appealing to me. I always think of Sylvester the Cat saying “Thuffering Thucotash!” The word succotash is actually a Native American word meaning “boiled corn kernels.” So, taken broadly, any cooked corn dish could be termed a succotash.

This souffle Omelet is a puffy masterpiece. A sweetened omelet rolled around rum-kissed cake crumbs, this makes a lovely, not-too-sweet ending to a heavier meal.

I found this recipe in my latest Cuisine at Home cooking magazine and adapted it a little for my family's tastes. I was a little concerned that my girls wouldn't enjoy them because of the garlic, but my 10 year old loved them.

Succotash (SUHK-uh-tash) comes from the Indian word msickquatash or boiled whole kernels of corn. It is a popular US favorite especially in the southern states and consists of lima beans, corn and sometimes red peppers that have been cooked.

Here's a simple Corn Relish Recipe you can prepare and serve with chips or as an accompaniment to grilled fish, hamburgers, sausages. It also works great as a condiment in tacos and burritos.

Yesterday I posted a recipe for a Standing Rib Roast. Yorkshire Pudding is the perfect partner for it. I remember as a kid, my mom made it often with Sunday roasts. I never knew how she got that delicious beef flavor into the puffy cake. Whenever we make this now, it takes me back to my childhood.

Many of you who have checked out Fred Engel's COWBOY POINT OF VIEW for making Zucchini Bread have asked for a simple recipe without the prose.  Here it is. Enjoy....