As I have posted time and time again, I am not a huge fan of desserts. Chocolate could sit in front of me for days without me having the slightest desire to eat it. But being a chef, you are required to bake things for your clients, and thus this recipe was created. I like when a dessert has an element of savory to it…and when it comes to chocolate, nothing pairs better than a flakey sea salt. My absolute favorite salt, is Maldon Salt – it’s flakey, delicate and perfect for desserts. It’s a little less harsh than a typical Sea Salt and truly lends itself to being chocolate’s perfect savory companion. These brownies are fantastic in that they’re flourless (so completely Gluten Free), they’re easy, made in 1 bowl (easy cleanup) and are super fudgey! The peanut butter plays a very small role in terms of the taste ...

I don’t even know where to begin this blog post…. White Castle and I have had a wonderful relationship. My high school friends and I would frequent the local White Castle in Queens, almost every night in the summertime… Risking both our lives and our dignity in the process. I was introduced to “The Castle”, as we called it, during my senior year of high school, and was amazed at how delicious it was. I have never been much of a fast food person…in fact, minus WC (another name for the Castle), I can’t remember the last time I ate at any fast food establishment. But there’s something addictive about those little burgers…maybe it’s the size, maybe it’s the combinations of meat-like products that comprise them, or maybe it’s those perfect little onions that they put on each burger….either way, I can truly say WC is the BEST fast food ...

When the Christmas and Hanukah seasons come around, I am always reminded of the foods that I associate with them. Hanukah is basically synonymous with Latkes (potato pancakes) for me. I have blogged latkes before (recipe here) – but this time I changed up my recipe a bit and are calling these Latkes, my "Three-Onion" Potato Pancakes. In this version of latke, I used onion, scallion AND shallot (I know, I am totally out of control). All three of these are from the onion family, but all have such different and delicious tastes that I used a combo of each. I also kept my latke recipe gluten free by using Chickpea Flour instead of All Purpose Flour. You could also sub in Gluten Free AP Flour – either will work! So the idea to top the latkes with a little Crème Fraiche and Salmon came from an article I read ...

With the holiday season approaching rapidly, I am always looking for fun finger foods/appetizers to give to my guests at our parties. These Gruyere Gougeres are fantastic for a party – they’re light, tasty, vegetarian, and who doesn’t love a Cheese Puff? The great thing about this recipe is you can make these in advanced, freeze them, and then heat them up in less than 15 minutes to serve at your party! This recipe makes a huge batch, so it’s great for this!

One of my favorite clients gave me a cookbook that her family friend/cousin wrote, My Beverly Hills Kitchen, and slowly but surely, I’ve been cooking my way through it both on my own, and for aforementioned client. This week, I did the Chicken Chasseur – a French dish made up of Chicken Breasts, in a White Wine, Lemon Cream Sauce, with Mushrooms and Tomato and then topped with fresh basil. Hello flavor! This dish looks and smells incredibly impressive, but is SO easy to do! I call dishes like this a “quick braise” – meaning, for the majority of the time, you’re cooking your protein in some kind of liquid. Usually when braising things like red meat, you’d braise for 3+ hours – chicken however, braises super quick, and the jus (or liquid) that comes out as a result is delicious. Try this for your next dinner party, or for ...

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays (Christmas being my absolute favorite), but truly Thanksgiving is so special to me on so many levels. For as long as I can remember, my mom always hosted Thanksgiving at our house in Long Island. She always outdid herself, cooking up a small feast for family, friends, random drop-in’s, basically anyone with a mouth that came in any close proximity to her kitchen. Everything was made completely from scratch (just like with all of her meals), and not only was the food absolutely incredible, but she was an exuberant host, always making everyone laugh, and bringing the whole family together. It is a tradition and holiday that means family to me. When my mom got too sick to host Thanksgiving anymore, I decided to step up, and take over the onerous task of filling her shoes. So in 2011, I hosted ...