Ciabatta Bread

Have you ever noticed how many of your memories are tied to a specific smell? For me it seems like the majority of my most vivid memories are tied to some kind of smell, usually from something great being cooked in the kitchen. Maybe that is one of the reasons I love to cook so much. Each time I do, I am usually reminded of some experience of cooking or spending time with friends and family. Homemade bread is certainly no exception and I believe that anyone that makes their own bread will agree that there is no better smell than walking in to your home after baking a fresh batch of bread.

Baked Potatoes with Rib-Eye Steak Hash

I found this recipe a few years ago as I was browsing my Bon Appetit magazines and it's become one of my favorite's. It's a fun way to combine steak and potatoes and is fairly easy to put together making it a great weeknight meal that even the kids will enjoy.

Potato Gnocchi with Roasted Tomatoes and Gorgonzola Cream

Late last fall I had the opportunity to see Chef Tom Douglas do a cooking demonstration in Minneapolis as part of the Macy's Culinary Council. He's a great chef and owns multiple restaurants in the Seattle area so I was excited to see him and also participate in my first chef demo. I really enjoyed his presentation and ended up buying one of his cookbooks titled "Seattle Kitchen" that features many of the recipes from his restaurants.

French Macarons vs. Whoopie Pies

***Featured in Bon Appetit's "What People Are Cooking" on January 21st 2011***

The January issue of Bon Appetit staged a challenge between the French Macaron and the up and coming Whoopie Pie. I had decided I wanted to make the macaron and then thought why not stage my own challenge to determine the true winner?

Mustard-Seed-Crusted Ribeye Roast with Dijon Créme Fraîche and Roasted Balsamic Onions

We've been in Seattle for the last two weeks with my wife's family for the holidays. I think by now they think I am trying to take over their kitchen but I swear I wasn't planning on doing this much cooking while I was out here. I even had a list of things I had already cooked at home that I could keep the blog going with but they just keep having such great ideas of things to make and I just can't say no.