Chocolate Almond Cake-Brownie [it's a thing]

NOTE: If you’re coming here from the Epicurious “4 Levels Of Brownies” YouTube video, the picture above will look different.

Yield: 4-8 servings

Ingredients

• 7 ounces (200 g) Almond Paste

• ¼ cup (60 g) sugar

• 4 ounces (113 g) butter, plus extra to grease the pan

• 2 tablespoon (40 g) honey

• 3 eggs

• 2 tablespoons (30 g) amaretto liqueur, such as Luxardo

• 1/3 cup (50 g) flour

• ¼ cup (30 g) cocoa powder

• Kosher salt, to taste

• 1 handful chocolate chips

• ½ cup sliced almonds

• Confectioners’ sugar

Recipe

Mix together the almond paste and the sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter and use a hand mixer to cream the mixture. This is an important step! Creaming things results in lighter, less dense texture!

Add the honey to the batter and mix to incorporate.

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing fully to incorporate before adding the next egg.

Add the amaretto, the flour, the cocoa powder, and the salt to the batter and mix.

Grease the inside of two 4-inch by 1¾-inch springform molds with butter. You can peel back the butter wrapper and use it like a giant crayon if that’s easiest. Sprinkle the flour into one of the molds. Tip the mold and rotate it to coat the interior with flour. Pour the remaining flour into the other mold and repeat. Discard any remaining flour.

Place the molds on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and divide the batter evenly between the molds, tossing in a small handful of chocolate chips after filling each mold halfway.

Preheat an oven to 350˚F. Bake for 20 minutes. Test it after 18 minutes. You should see a little wobble in the center of the cake when you jiggle the baking sheet.

To finish, sprinkle the sliced almonds on top of the chocolate brownie. Then put the confectioners’ sugar in a small fine-mesh sieve and gently tap it over the cake to give it the pretty white snowy topping. Or not. Your call.

The Donna Rosa

This is a riff on the Jasmine cocktail, and by "riff" I mean "I added an egg white and called it something completely different." I named it after the Pink Lady cocktail [just to be confusing, I guess?]. Except in Italian, because...Campari. Does Donna Rosa translate to Pink Lady? Google says "yes", but Google's shifty, so who knows. Whatever you call it, it's wonderful. Give it a try and let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

Ingredients

1 oz gin
3/4 oz Campari
3/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz Cointreau or triple sec
1 egg white

Recipe

Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake for at least 30 seconds. 60 seconds is better. You want that egg white completely emulsified and frothy. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Enjoy!

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Almond Paste

Yield: 7oz (200g)

Use this in Chocolate-Almond Brownies

Ingredients

• 1½ cup (225 g) almonds

• 1½ cup (150 g) confectioners’ sugar

• 1 egg white

• 1 tsp (4 g) kosher salt

Recipe

Add the almonds and sugar to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. It should be the consistency of sand.

Add the egg white and kosher salt to the food processor and process to incorporate, about 30 seconds.

Scoop into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

Note

This is part of a cookbook proposal that’s out on submission right now. If you’d like to see what a book proposal looks like, click here.

The Wenatchee

Photo cred: Lauren Layne

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Ingredients

• 2oz Lairds Applejack
• 3/4oz Sweet Vermouth (I use Noilly Prat)
• 1 dash bitters (I use Bob's Abbotts Bitters)

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Recipe

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing tin/glass/whatever with ice.
2. Stir for 60 seconds.
3. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
4. Drink.

Mac & Cheese

Panko is a Japanese breadcrumb alternative. It’s much lighter and crunchier than regular breadcrumbs. I use it exclusively instead of breadcrumbs.

If you can’t find campanelle, try to pick something with curves and ridges. Curves provide more nooks and crannies for the sauce to hide in and the increased surface area of the ridges gives the sauce more to hang on to. As I mentioned in Epicurious’ Mac & Cheese video, the pasta is really just a cheese delivery device.

You can substitute other cheeses for the ones provided below. To preserve the sauce texture, use the same category of cheese. If you don’t have Parm-Reg, use another aged hard cheese, such as Grana Padano. Instead of mascapone, use another cream cheese, like…cream cheese [who would have thought?!] or crème fraîche. Instead of Havarti or white Cheddar, try Taleggio or Emmental.

While we’re on the topic of cheese, try to find real Parmigiano-Reggiano. Anything labeled “Parmesan” or that doesn’t say “D.O.P.” is not real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. DO NOT BUY KRAFT. I have strong opinions here because real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is so good and so flavorful you’ll wonder how any of the knock offs ever made it to market [hint: legal loophole]. Here’s an entire book (👈 affiliate link) on the subject that I found fascinating.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 cup [I can’t remember the weight] panko

• 1/2 pound (250 g) dried campanelle pasta

• 1 quart (900 g) heavy cream

• 4 ounces (125 g) Havarti, grated

• 4 ounces (125 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated [I LOVED using Gruyère in place of parm though...]

• 4 ounces (125 g) mascarpone

• 4 ounces (125 g) white Cheddar, grated

Recipe

Heat the oven to 350 ̊F.

Toast the panko in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once it’s good and toasted, transfer to a small bowl. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in well salted water per package directions for a few minutes less than al dente. If the package doesn’t have directions for al dente, subtract 2-3 minutes from the full cook time. Drain, and reserve.

Bring the cream to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cheeses to the saucepan and stir until completely incorporated. You shouldn’t see huge chunks of cheese floating around.

Add the pasta to a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Pour the cheese sauce on top. Top with panko.

Bake for 15 minutes to finish cooking the pasta. The sauce will firm up as the pasta absorbs some the sauce. If the panko is getting too brown, or the pasta looks like it’s drying out, cover the casserole dish with a piece of foil.

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Lemon Basil Rum

Ingredients

[makes 4oz infused spirit, enough for 2 cocktails]:

• 10g Lemon peel [the peel from one small lemon]

• 10g Basil leaves [a packed handful]

• 4oz (120ml) white rum

Equipment:

• iSi whipper

• 1 N2O charger [do not use soda chargers here]

Use in:

• Lemon Basil Rum Daiquiri

Recipe

1. Put all ingredients into the whipper. Close the whipper and charge with the N2O charger and shake for a second or two.

2. Gently swirl or vigorously shake the container for 1 minute.

3. Slowly depressurize then open the whipper.

4. Strain the now-flavored rum into a small carafe and use in a drink.

4 Reasons Why You Need Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

1. Saltiness

First, this is salt. Food needs salt to taste good. So if you’re the type of person who eats food, you should be putting salt in and on it.

2. Saltiness

Second, this is sea salt, which is a more flavorful version of regular old table salt. [It has more bits of the sea in it.]

3. Texture

Third, these are flakes. Flakes won’t immediately dissolve upon meeting your soon-to-be-tastier dish. People will get a little “crunch” [technical term] from these flakes when they take a bite. Why is crunch in quotes? Because I didn’t know how else to convey a profound sense of onomatopoeia-ness.

4. Visual Appeal

As mentioned [you read #3, right?], these won’t immediately dissolve, so you’ll be able to see them. I don’t know about you, but I get giddy when I see sea salt flakes on a plate of food, because it signals to me that a) the chef knows what she’s doing and, b) I get giddy anytime food comes my way.

The Jasmine

The Jasmine holds a special place in my (and Wiff's) heart. We were introduced to the Jasmine by Craig DeBolt, one of our favorite bartenders at one of our favorite bars in Seattle, Oliver's. I've since tweaked the recipe to suit Wiff's palate. It is wonderfully bitter and refreshingly zesty thanks to a generous pour of lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin (I typically use Bombay Sapphire. Use whatever gin you like, as long as it's not TOO fancy.)

• 1 oz Campari

• 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 oz Cointreau (You can substitute regular triple sec here, though it will be slightly sweeter.)

Recipe

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, jar, cup, or tin filled with ice. Stir or shake for at least 30 seconds. Cold = good in cocktail land. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy.

How To: Make Simple Syrup in the Microwave

Updated: February 18, 2026

I use this in lots of cocktails. Yes, I know sugar is the devil. But adding 1/2 oz to a cocktail isn't going to kill you. Unless you have 30 of those cocktails in one night. But even then it's not really the sugar's fault, is it? Also, why are you drinking 30 of the same cocktail? Branch out, man!

INGREDIENTS

250 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
250 g (1 cup) water

DIRECTIONS

Put sugar and water into a heatproof glass container.

Microwave on high until it starts to boil, usually around 3 minutes in my microwave. If it boils for a few moments, that’s fine.

Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Cool to room temperature then transfer to a squeeze bottle and refrigerate.

BONUS

Try my new Apple Cider Simple for an autumnal twist. Or my Spruce Tip Simple Syrup for a hit of winter any time of year. Or how about Ginger Simple Syrup? Or Mint! The possibilities are endless!

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The Jazzmín

Meet Jazzmín [pronounced yahz-MEEN]. She's got the same sassy citrus punch as her hermana, Jasmine, but trades the genteel gin for tasty tequila. Notice the thyme garnish over her left ear. [She's taken.]

Ingredients

Makes 1 Jazzmín

1 1/2 oz Tequila

1 oz Campari

1 oz Freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 oz Triple sec

Recipe

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir until well chilled, about 60 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of thyme. Rub the thyme in your hands to agitate it a little bit. It's agitation with you will make the drink smell better.

Little Gem Lettuce, Prosciutto, Caesar-ish Vinaigrette

This is Little Gem Lettuce with Prosciutto and a Caesar-ish vinaigrette and it is about the cutest little lettuce you'll ever see.

I don't know how many little lettuces one normally sees in their lifetime, but you can bet that whatever your little lettuce peeping numbers are, [I'm getting uncomfortable] Little Gem will be the cutest. [side note, Little Gem would be my stripper name.]

It looks like a cross between Belgian endive [EHN-dive? awn-DEEV?] and romaine and sports just enough bitterness to balance the prosciutto and tangy Caesar. 

You can use store-bought dressing to save the 5 minutes it'll take you to make your own [but I judge you].

The average American consumes no more than 3 leaves of iceberg lettuce per year [don't fact check that]. And most of it is consumed as a guilty pre-steak salad at The Outback. 

I can't blame them [I can and do]. Most lettuces tastes like leafy, green grunt. And I've tasted my fair share of lettuces which, now that I write it, seems like a weird thing to tell a stranger.

But Little Gem? Ohh... She's different. She's feisty, hardy, flavorful, which also seem like odd ways to describe a lettuce to strangers.

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Caesar-ish Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 Anchovy fillets 
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 clove of garlic, grated (or finely minced)
• 1 tsp Lemon zest
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• 1/3 to 1/2 c Olive Oil

Recipe

1. Mix everything except oil in a small bowl. Then whisk in oil.

Truth be told, I can't remember the quantities I used for this recipe. I'll have to remake it and write it down next time. But one of the glories of learning to cook is learning to adjust things based on taste. So...Taste and Adjust [t&a for short]. It should taste tart and salty with a hint of garlic. The mustard is mainly used as an emulsifier, so it doesn't have to taste mustardy.

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To Complete

Ingredients

• 2 heads Little Gem lettuce
• 4 slices prosciutto [pronounced "pro-SHOOT-toe" or just "pro-SHOOT" if you want to be Italian.]
• Caesar-ish Vinaigrette [from above]

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Recipe

1. Quarter each head of Little Gem lettuce lengthwise.

   Your knife should be parallel to the length of the head. Cut through the root end of the head [like the video above]. This isn't rocket science, but I don't want 2000 people emailing me saying I lead them astray.

2. Arrange the lettuce quarters on a plate.

   Be fancy and arrange them in a circle. Or embrace your anal-retentive side and face them all east [as-salamu alaykum]. Drizzle the vinaigrette on top of the lettuce.

3. Cut each prosciutto slice in half lengthwise. Put a half slice of prosciutto on top of each lettuce quarter.

   I know all this talk of half and quarters may stir up bad memories from first grade fractions sessions. Oh, you didn't learn that until 3rd grade? I was ahead of my time even then.

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Mimosas

No-one ever says Mimosa. It’s Mimosas. Never singular. Always plural. 

They’re a ubiquitous brunch cocktail. There’s something so unguilty about drinking Mimosas. They’re almost healthy. 

Wine is sacramental. Sparkling wine is celebratory. Orange Juice is good for you. (Think of all that vitamin C you’re getting by drinking!)

Many restaurants offer bottomless Mimosas during brunch hours. They must know of the health benefits too!

Next time you’re in the mood to spend $20 on 2 Mimosas, try making 5 at home for the same price. 

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1 1/2 oz orange juice
It doesn't have to be exactly 1 1/2 oz. I like always making them the same way, but if you're not as anal-retentive, just put in a splash.

1/2 oz triple sec
I like a little alcoholic orange flavored sweetness in my mimosas. Others may not. Try it if you already have triple sec at home, but don't get all teary eyed if you don't.

Sparkling wine.

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1. Add orange juice and triple sec to a champagne flute (fancy), wine glass (acceptable), or baby bottle (if you’re into that).
2. Top up with sparkling wine.
3. Garnish with a orange twist. (Don’t skimp on this, please. It’ll make your Mimosas look a million times better.)
4. Drink.

Pork Brine [use it whenever you want your pork to taste good]

Last updated: December 20, 2025

One of my favorite recipes in Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc Ad Home cookbook is his pork brine. And I think it should be yours too. This brine has saved me tons of overcooked pork. Do you ever notice how the texture of your pork chops is always kinda tight? Like the meat isn't very juicy?

That’s because it’s overcooked, which is easy to do even if you’re a seasoned chef [oh, cooking humor]. Sure, you could sous vide them, but even then, it often tastes just good, not eyes-roll-back-in-your-head great, which is guaranteed whenever you eat pork that’s been brined.

Brining is fantastic for a few reasons:

1. It seasons the meat. Salt makes meat taste good. Sprinkling salt on the outside seasons just the outside. Brining seasons all the meat. And, as it soaks, it absorbs the flavored water, which means that all that flavor goes into the meat. It also means that brining meat...

2. Makes it more moist. I know, everyone's least favorite word. But brining meat pulls in moisture, making the meat tenderer and more flavorful.

So the recipe is simple. Tweak the flavors however you'd like. The one thing you should not change is the time and salinity.

Ingredients

1000 g water
70 g Diamond Crystal kosher salt
50 g rosemary
25 g thyme
50 g garlic cloves, smooshed, but with skins still on
5 g peppercorns
whatever else you want (a little honey for sweetness, perhaps?)

Directions

Add all ingredients to a small pan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let cool to room temperature. Put in the fridge and let cool overnight. Note: to shorten this step, I add half the water (500 g) to the pan for the first step and then add the rest (500 g) as ice after I remove it from the heat.

Put the cold brine and pork into a large ziplock back, seal, and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Remove pork from brine and rinse under running water to remove any stray herbs or peppercorns stuck to the meat. Dry with paper towels, and then cook. You can reserve in the fridge for a few hours, uncovered, until you’re ready to cook them. This will dry the exterior even more, leading to a browner crust and more flavor.

The Manhattan

Next to the Martini, the Manhattan is the epitome of classic cocktails.

Made with ingredients sourced from around the world—American bourbon or rye, French sweet vermouth, and Trinidadian bitters—the Manhattan, like Manhattan, is truly a global cocktail.

If you’ve tried Manhattans before and thought they were too strong, I think you’ll like this recipe. It’s closer to the original recipe in terms of size and strength. It’s bracing enough to remind you it’s a cocktail, but it’s not so spirited that you’ll hop on a train, head to the Village, and get on stage to try stand-up for the first time.

Because the proportion of sweet vermouth is higher in this recipe, use decent stuff. Carpano is cool, Dolin is delightful, and I’ll never say no to Noilly Prat.

2 ounces (60 mL) good bourbon or rye, such as Woodford Reserve
1 ounces (20 mL) sweet vermouth, such as Noilly Prat
1 dash aromatic bitters, such as Angostura

Amarena or maraschino cherry, for garnish

Add all ingredients to a mixing tin or glass full of ice. Stir for 60 seconds. Don’t shake this drink. Every time you shake a Manhattan the Monopoly Man loses his monocle. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an Amarena or maraschino Cherry. (Luxardo makes a fantastic maraschino cherry, available on Amazon.com.)

Peanut Butter Cookies

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INTRO

My Wiff makes these. A lot. On any given day, I'll come home from walking the dog and there’s a 50% chance she'll be pulling them out of the oven.

I'll have been gone for only 2 minutes.

I have no clue how she whips them up so quickly. [She's a witch.] 

Make extra... They disappear [translation: I eat them] almost as quickly as they appear.

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INGREDIENTS

Makes 12 cookies

• 1 c Peanut Butter (250g)
• 1 c Sugar (200g)
• 1 egg (50g)
• 1 t (15ml) vanilla extract

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RECIPE

1. Mix everything together in a large bowl.
2. Place teaspoon sized balls on greased cookie sheet, parchment paper-lined baking pan, or Silpat. Flatten the balls with a fork, making a crosshatch pattern. This helps them cook more evenly, and looks badass. 
3. Bake @ 350˚F for 6-8 minutes. They will seem undercooked when they first come out of the oven but they’ll firm up as they cool.
4. Bonus points: drizzle melted chocolate chips over the tops when they come out of the oven to make them taste like a chocolate peanut butter cup.

4 steps to making your own cocktails on vacation

Despite the rugged good looks and indescribable charm, this is not a world-famous model. It is me. I'm on vacation drinking a Negroni.

Despite the rugged good looks and indescribable charm, this is not a world-famous model. It is me. I'm on vacation drinking a Negroni.

Wiff and I love road trips almost as much as we love drinking cocktails while on road trips.

But it’s nearly impossible to find good quality cocktails on road trips. Hell, it can be tough to find good cocktails in major metropolitan cities. So that means we’re usually BYOB’ing it to every hotel/motel we stay in.

The first time we took a cross country road trip, we had a trunk full of booze. That may seem extreme. It was.

But we had a pretty good excuse: We were moving at the time. I didn’t want to throw away all those pretty, precious bottles!

Every stop we’d make, I’d grab the bags out of the trunk, and we’d make the decision, “What cocktail do we want tonight?” I’d then grab the appropriate bottles, my mixing equipment, and we’d be on our merry way.

But then we wisened up.

We started paring down our selection so we could pack less.

What?!? A trunk full of booze was too much?

Yeah. It got to the point where I’d skimp on clothes just to make room for bottles just in case we wanted a margarita. You can only flip your underwear inside out twice before you think there MUST be a better way!

And there is!

BATCH YOUR COCKTAILS!

As the family bartender, I usually pack premixed cocktails because the last place I want to be is standing at our room's wet bar mixing cocktails [I'd rather be drinking them].

So I premix cocktails and put them in Swell bottles.

My go to?

The Negroni.

Here’s how I rock the CWV [cocktailing whilst vacationing] lifestyle:

STEP 1: CHOOSE A COCKTAIL

You're on vacation. You don't want to think. So do the picking and choosing before you leave. Pick a cocktail (or two) that you love and will still love by the time you reach your destination.

STEP 2: SCALE UP.

Most cocktail recipes are scaled for one drink. But since the invention of math, we've had the ability to multiply things to scale up to proper vacation quantities. Dust off your first grade multiplication tables and scale up that recipe. 

My favorite drink is The Negroni. It's equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth, which makes batching quite easy.

The recipe is 1oz gin, 1oz Campari, and 1oz sweet vermouth.

A 750ml Swell bottle is 25 ounces. 25 ounces divided by 3 (1 ounce each per ingredient) is 8.33 ounces.

So I need to measure 8.33 ounces of each ingredient. 8.33 ounces is just about 1.25 cups.

Okay, Anthony, but what about a cocktail with different ingredients?

Let’s use a Manhattan as an example.

My Manhattan recipe is 2oz bourbon or rye, 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth, and 2 dashes of bitters.

THE FORMULA:

CONTAINER SIZE (in ounces) divided by TOTAL DRINK SIZE (in ounces) multiplied by EACH INGREDIENT (in ounces)

Here’s the Manhattan example for a 750ml (25 ounce) Swell bottle:

25oz / 2.75oz = about 9 cocktails

9 * 2oz bourbon = 18oz bourbon

9 * 3/4oz sweet vermouth = 6.75oz sweet vermouth

9 * 2 dashes bitters = 18 dashes bitters

One more, please. Just so I can get the math right.

Coming right up! How about the Mint Julep?

THE FORMULA:

CONTAINER SIZE (in ounces) divided by TOTAL DRINK SIZE (in ounces) multiplied by EACH INGREDIENT (in ounces)

My Mint Julep recipe is 2oz bourbon, 1/2oz simple syrup.

25oz / 2.5oz = 10 cocktails

10 * 2oz bourbon = 20oz bourbon

10 * 1/2oz simple syrup = 5oz simple syrup

STEP 3: MIX

I put everything in a Swell bottle. Why? Because they look like water bottles. Everyone carries water bottles these days [because they're going to places without potable water]. And people don't judge people carrying water as much as they do those carrying booze. 

STEP 4: POUR

When you get to your destination, pour yourself a drink. You deserve it. 

Cappuccino

Photo by Lubo Minar

I love the cappuccino.

I love everything about it. 

The froth. The foam. The elitist pretentiousness that separates cappuccino drinkers from everyone else.

Even the name is snooty. Two C’s and two P’s? You deserve it all, Cappuccino.

It’s fun to say. 

Cappuccino. 

It sounds like Italy's response to the Macarena. 

Or like the villain in an Italian opera.

Do operas even have villains?

“Did you see Verdi’s newest?
"My favorite character was Cappuccino. He seemed so dark and bitter.”

The cappuccino shares a lot in common with my favorite cocktail, the Negroni. They’re both Italian. They’re both often made incorrectly. And they both have gin.

So the next time you find yourself wanting a little pick-me-up but not a lot of milk (the latte is passé), opt for a cappuccino.

More great coffee photos from the web:

Photo by Blake Richard Verdoorn

Photo by Hans Vivek

Photo by Crew

How to Toss Salad Like a B. O. Double S.

[Warning. This article is tongue-in-cheek...]

Tossing salad is one of my favorite midday tasks. It's easy, quick, and everyone can do it.

But most people are terrible salad tossers. [Amateurs.]

Here are my tips to lead to a more enjoyable salad tossing experience.

Greens First

Nothing crazy, just great tasting Bibb/Boston/Butter lettuce, or frissee/chicory, or any lettuce that goes by several names and thus requires a "/", and dressing.

Because we're using so few ingredients, each ingredient has to taste awesome. 

1. Use Flavorful Greens

Bibb/Boston/Butter lettuce, Radicchio [less a green, more a purple], or Kale* are my recommendations. Flavorful also means fresh. Nothing brown or wilted.

*make sure to chop kale VERY thinly. Otherwise it's like chewing linen. Also, you can tenderize it by massaging it with your hands and/or pre-tossing it with a little bit of acid (vinegar, lemon juice). 

2. Use Flavorful Dressing [No Bottles Allowed]

You don't want the dressing overpowering those beautiful greens. One way to ensure you don't overpower is to not use shitty dressing. Shitty is defined as anything out of a bottle [I'm not even kidding.]

Briefly whisk together some good olive oil or even canola oil, a little bit of acid, Dijon mustard, and salt. 

Why mustard? 

Because it's an emulsifier. Which basically means it helps keep the oil and vinegar mixed together. And because it tastes good.

Why Dijon? 

Because you're an adult. Next question.

Why Salt? 

Because we like flavorful things.

3. Toss Well

We've got flavorful greens, now what? 

Toss them well. You better make sure every last one of those pretty little leaves is lightly glistening. They gave their life for this. Don't mess it up.

Drizzle the dressing into a large mixing bowl - get it all up on the sides; don't focus on just the bottom - add lettuce(s), and Toss. That. Salad!

TOSS LIKE A BOSS TIP: Do this right before serving. The greens will wilt as they sit covered in dressing.

Adding "Other Stuff"?

Prep Each Ingredient Individually

Adding haricot vert? Blanch or roast them separately first. Salt and dress. THEN mix. 

Potatoes? Ditto. Boil, roast, whatever, THEN oil and salt. And THEN? 

You guessed it. Mix it all together.

Why?

Because we want to make sure each individual ingredient is perfect before conducting the final toss.

Essentially, we're tossing a few mini salads first, and then we're mixing to combine at the end.

Anyway...

These are just a few gansta salad tossing tips from a pro salad tosser. Let me know what you think in the comments below. 

Best of luck, you tossers!

Pistachio Coffee Daiquiri

...coming soon!...

5 Ways to Cheeseplate [It's a Verb Now...]

The LeDonne/Layne household cheeseplates 2-3 times a week. Sometimes we even cheeseplate for dinner. 

It's so pretentious.

But so sexy.

Cheeseplates are like catnip for women. 

A glass of wine. A few slices of good cheese. Crackers. Wine... What's not to like?

That said, there are right and wrong ways to cheeseplate. Here are a few words to the wise for proper cheeseplating:

Here we go. 

Cheeseplate 101: 1) Cut the cheese, 2) Sparkling wine's always a good choice, 3) Crackers are key, 4) Include other nibbles, 5) Arrange it!

5 ways to Cheeseplate:

1. Cut the cheese [teehee!]

I used to set out a wedge of cheese and call it good. [I also used to wear Axe Body Spray.]

There's something sexy about preparing a cheese plate. And it only takes a minute. 

Slice the cheeses. 

Depending on the mood and the cheese I'll slice off 1-2 slices of each cheese. If I want a "let's accidentally touch cheese knives instead of playing footsie" kind of vibe, then I'll only do one thicker slice. 

2. Crackers are key

Unless you're only serving Parmagiano-reggiano, which is dry enough to eat with your fingers, use crackers. They provide a nice crunch to an otherwise one-texture meal, and they'll keep your fingers from smelling like cheese.

They don't have to be fancy. My faves are water crackers. The blandness is in the name. You can go nuts and get crackers with seeds [and nuts]. 

3. Include other nibbles

Add a few slices of something apple to mix it up a bit. Tart things contrast well with creamy cheeses. Jammy type things can be found at fancy grocery stores. I'd consider those extra credit... they're nice but aren't necessary. I like fig jam and onion marmalades.

4. Arrange it.

Let your inner florist out and arrange it on a board. Or a plate. Make it purdy. 

5. Sparkling wine's ALWAYS a good choice

This Cava is my new favorite sparkler. It's $12. Cava, for the uninitiated [no iniciados], is sparkling wine from Spain. It's made in the same method as Champagne, without the snootiness. 

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You may enjoy my food and cocktail pictures because you like nice things.

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