I still remember the first time I bought a butternut squash and brought it home for dinner. Mainly because I had absolutely no idea what to do with it to get it into a remotely edible form. Turns out the transformation from gourd to food takes quite a lot of doing and can be pretty tricky, particularly if you aren’t familiar with this lovely fall vegetable. The good news is… Continue Reading
How to . . . Caramelize a Plantain
If you’re looking for something to add an extra layer of flavor and complexity to any dish (without completely overpowering all the other flavors), then look no further than the humble plantain. I admittedly had no idea what a plantain was, let alone what to do with one, until I was in college. But after making the discovery, plantains quickly became one of my all-time favorite add-in ingredients. The catch,… Continue Reading
How to. . . Make Browned Butter
I LOVE browned butter. Browning butter is super easy, and using it (rather than regular butter) adds a rich, nutty flavor to any dish. The idea is to melt the butter and cook it until – you guessed it – it starts to brown. The trick is that while it will take a few minutes for the butter to go from gold to brown, it takes almost no time at… Continue Reading