French Onion Soup Dumplings

The Famous French Onion Soup Dumplings

(Photo Credit: Quentin Bacon) This is the dish that made Chris Santos famous. The longtime judge on CHOPPED is known ...
Read More

Italian Rainbow Cookies

I know cookies.  So, when I post a recipe, you can be sure it is a winner.  I have so ...
Read More

Spicy Wings for Super Bowl

No one has ever accused me of being a sports fan.  I'm the guy in the group who could care ...
Read More

Zeppole for St. Joesph’s Day

I'm not Italian. Not a drop. But I have worked with some incredible (one might even say iconic) Italian cooks, ...
Read More

Tommy Bahama’s Famous Piña Colada Cake

Photo by Peden + Monk. Recipe from FLAVORS OF ALOHA, available only at Tommy Bahama stores, restaurants, and www.tommybahama.com. My ...
Read More

Lemon Meringue Cake

When winter has dug in its heels, it is time to enjoy citrus desserts.  My family had a lemon tree ...
Read More

Salt-n-Pepa’s The Ultimate Super Bowl Spinach Dip

You may think that calling ANYTHING "the ultimate" is just hyperbole.  Nope.  How do I know? Personal experience.  This was ...
Read More

Limoncello Pound Cake from Frankie Avalon

The Frankie Avalon Italian Family Cookbook (which I cowrote with a man who can truly be called an American show ...
Read More

Moist and Cakey Cornbread with Fresh Corn

I often swap (swipe?) recipes with (from?) my dear friend Beth Hensperger, who has written almost as many recipes as ...
Read More

Berry Meringue Slices

It's been over a dozen years since I first had this perfect summer dessert while researching my KAFFEEHAUS book in Vienna ...
Read More

Portuguese Pork and Garlic

I am the human equivalent of a mutt, with roots in Hawaii, Portugal, Ireland, and...Liechtenstein. Each branch of the family ...
Read More

Chicken Savoy

Chicken Savoy is a popular dish at many Italian restaurants in my area.  How popular? There are people who call ...
Read More

Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding

When you have lemons, make lemonade. When you have beautiful, fresh-off-the-farm, golden yolked eggs with gorgeous, naturally hued, make…rice pudding ...
Read More

“Divorced” Sicilian Pizza

Mixing culinary metaphors isn’t really my thing, and I like my cooking straight-up authentic (and tasty).  But, last night I ...
Read More

Easter Meat and Cheese Pie

Here's another Italian specialty that I've learned to make in the last few years.  It is meat and cheese pie, ...
Read More

From-Scratch Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole

I belong to a Facebook group of cookbook lovers.  Recently, someone there started a post about making green bean casserole--the ...
Read More

Bourbon Gravy 101 with Video

(Recipe from THE BIG BOOK OF SIDES; photo by Ben Fink.) I have shared my recipe for making perfect gravy ...
Read More

Concord Grape Pie

What is it about autumn that makes people think of pie?  Apple, pumpkin, and mincemeat are the Thanksgiving triumvirate. (Although ...
Read More
Lemon Sweet Potatoes with Meringue Topping

Lemon Sweet Potatoes with Meringue Topping

(Recipe from The Big Book of Sides, published by Ballantine Books.  Photo by Ben Fink.) Every autumn, I hear heated ...
Read More
Stuffed Artichokes with Romano and Oregano

Stuffed Artichokes with Romano and Oregano

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, artichokes were everywhere--we even had them growing in my grandparents' garden.  There ...
Read More
Chocolate-Orange Macarons

Chocolate-Orange Macarons

I have been baking professionally for a long time.  How long?  Let's just say that when I started, my age ...
Read More
Warm Cheese Strudel with Vanilla Custard

Warm Cheese Strudel with Vanilla Custard

This is one of my very favorite recipes from my book KAFFEEHAUS, which is quite a comment considering the treasure ...
Read More

Viennese Sachertorte

Sachertorte has been famous almost since its conception almost 200 years ago. It made its inventor so famous that he ...
Read More

Seeded Bread Twists

When I was a caterer, I learned one of the most important rules of setting up a buffet table: Tall ...
Read More
Homemade Potato Rolls

Homemade Potato Rolls

(Photo by Ben Fink.) During the holiday season, even those of us who already love cooking seem to expend a ...
Read More
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple and Bacon

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple and Bacon

(Photo by Ben Fink.) It is easy to say: "This is the perfect cold weather side dish."  The truth is ...
Read More
Baked Ham with Pineapple-Mustard Seed Glaze

Baked Ham with Pineapple-Mustard Seed Glaze

Whether you are planning a buffet or a sit-down dinner, baked ham is a great main course.  I have created ...
Read More
Manhattan Clam Chowder

Manhattan Clam Chowder

At the request of my buddy Guy Bower (I love being on his radio show at KNSS AM Wichita), here ...
Read More
The Perfect Manhattan Cocktail

The Perfect Manhattan Cocktail

The Manhattan is a retro cocktail that is re-establishing itself.  It has long been one of my favorites, but in ...
Read More
Cherries Jubilee

Cherries Jubilee for Your Mad Men Party

On March 25, the long awaited (and long delayed) Season Five premiere of Mad Men will occur, and many fans ...
Read More