Once upon a time, I was the proud owner of a bistro and catering business in Milford, Connecticut, called La Petite Gourmet . Sounds fancy, right? Like I was serving soufflés to royalty or something. So, I got this gig to cater a Sweet 16 party for 15 teenagers. Piece of cake, I thought! The menu was simple: lasagna, chicken cacciatore, pizza, and a celebration cake. Saturday was my prep day, because, honestly, who doesn’t love a little weekend hustle? Now, juggling this busi

Welcome to the wacky world of baking! It's like a science experiment gone wrong, filled with unexpected outcomes and plenty of room for hilarious mishaps that can turn a simple kitchen into a chaotic laboratory. I've had my fair share of attempts at baking perfection, only to end up looking like a mad scientist covered in flour, with my hair standing on end and an apron that resembles a canvas of culinary chaos. I’d follow the instructions to a T, meticulously measuring out e

Here, I outline in detail the 12 steps used by professional bakers around the world

When you quiz most Americans on which state wears the potato crown, they'll likely yell, "Idaho!" And they'd be spot on! Idaho cranks out an eye-popping 6 million metric tons of taters every year, snagging the nickname "The Potato State"—though "Spudtacular State" sounds pretty a-peel-ing too! HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT POTATO IN RECIPES Potatoes are the Swiss Army knife of veggies, with three main personalities: starchy, waxy, and all-purpose. Meet Russets and King Edwards, th

Brace yourselves for a tasty showdown! We're about to plunge fork-first into the realm of prosciutto to uncover why authentic Italian prosciutto is the culinary rock star that it is—and how it measures up against its American copycats. From ancient rituals to that glorious melt-in-your-mouth magic, let's find out why the Italian classic is the undefeated champ. Why Prosciutto di Parma? Picture this: I waltzed into a classic salumeria in Milan like I owned the place, ready to

When you think of Sicily, do you hear the theme from The Godfather playing in your head? Thanks to Hollywood, this island has a reputation for being more dangerous than a porcupine in a balloon factory. But fear not, the days of Dons and Mafiosos are as outdated as dial-up internet! Back when Sicilians first made their grand entrance to the USA in the late 1800s, only about 56% could actually read the menu. As they set up camp in Boston and New York City, they decided to pass