Pasta Basics 101

Looking for a fast food alternatives? Think Pasta. Pasta is fast-fix, affordable crowd pleaser that offers a variety of options that can make everyday fall suppers super.

Fast food doesn’t necessary have to mean a bag of burgers and fries. If you’re in a crunch for time turn to pasta. From start to finish most pastas can be cooked, sauced and served in less than 30 minutes. “ It’s doesn’t take long to cook pasta but you have to cook it right,” said Michael Viviano, owner of Viviano’s Festa Italiano. “The secret to making good pasta is easy - don’t over cook it. It has to be al dente, which means it’s a little firm on the inside and a little soft on the outside.” Cooking times will vary depending on the pasta cut (shape). Pasta made with whole-wheat will take longer to cook than traditional pasta produced from semolina flour. No matter the cut or flour type, pasta producers recommend using 2 quarts of water …

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Master Muffin Recipe and Baking Therapy

Learn the basics to making muffins and quick breads. Buy your favorite ingredients at your local grocer.

Baking can be a therapeutic and relaxing endeavor, especially when it comes to muffins and quick breads. One school of thought I would like to share with budding culinarians is: It is not the individual recipes, but the technique that makes the difference. Using one technique, or master recipe, and then interchanging ingredients creates a large repertoire of recipes. It allows cooks to use their imaginations and simplifies recipes that initially seem complicated. Once the pressure is off to create a specific recipe, the therapy can begin. The scent of sweets baking in the oven brings on a comforting sensation. The act of measuring, mixing, creating and baking is reminiscent of playing with Play Doh, an Easy-Bake Oven or even mud pies. It's…

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Culinary Corner

Mangoes, Vinaigrettes and the Gifts of Spring

Learn the basic recipe for vinaigrette to make your own variation and find out which refreshing vegetables are making an appearance at your local markets.

We are in the throws of spring. With buds bursting, vegetables are waiting for that warm breeze and drowning spring shower to allow them to blossom and provide fruit. Walking through Whole Foods Market and Schnucks in Town and Country and Walmart, Dierbergs and Schnucks in Manchester, the vegetable bins are brimming with artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, varieties of lettuces, snow peas, sweet onions, mangoes, oranges, lemons, limes, strawberries and much more. This is the time to let our stoves cool, shed the blanket of warm winter stews and begin to enjoy the gifts of spring. This time of year evokes a yearning for salad, renewal and freshness. It is a thirst as opposed to a hunger, a longing for the crisp and burgeoning elixirs offered …

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