When I first tried these cakes, I was rewarded with a wonderful moist mouthful, with just the perfect amount of cake to complement the almonds! I ate the whole thing! Not in one sitting of course, maybe in a day.

The best thing about these cakes is that they are super-simple, with beautifully balanced flavor, and can be enjoyed as is, right out of the box, or garnished with whipped cream, crème fraiche, or a frosting of your choice. And don't forget the fruit...cherry season is coming!

Shop Now for Biscuiterie de Provence!

Sorghum is a sweetener. When a customer asked us to find it, we went looking. Up here in the north it’s just not a common desire. In the world, sorghum is the 3rd largest grain crop! Grown to make flour, cooked like millet, and the green stalk is squeezed to make a thick sweetener.

Finding a sorghum syrup, particuarily one that a chef would use, is not easy. We spent a bunch of time asking around and following up on leads only to come up empty.

That's where the farmer's daughter comes into play. My sister-in-law grew up in Iowa, she’s the daughter in this story, and she knew about sorghum (what’s the big deal she says with her eyes) and her mom uses it every day.

I asked if the one they used was the best there was? She always gives me that incredulous look when I ask her questions like that, and answers, “I don't know but this is the one we always use from the neighbor down-the-road.” Keep in mind, my sister-in-law is a great cook, she has that knack to make everything taste homegrown great! So I trust her opinion.

So, that was the impetus to try this sorghum. And who better to ask for a second opinion than Chef Pam, who loves sorghum. She went on and on about how it worked perfectly for certain recipes and how she was a big fan. I asked her to try the sample that we had acquired. Pam tasted it, her eyes lit up, and she said, “Now that's good!”

Sorghum! The new old-fashioned sweetener from the heartland of the United States.

Shop now for Sorghum Syrup!

I have been thinking about fat as winter wanes and spring bounces in.

We have rain and sun these days and it seems like every hour it switches between one or the other.

I find myself also switching back and forth, mimicking the weather, between two fats. Both are wonderful. One I have loved my whole life, butter. The other is one I have loved before, but we are getting reacquainted and I am learning how to cook with it again.

My new "friend" pours easily from our latest “oil can” next to the stove, clear as day when the sun shines, and a little bit goes a long way. I never worry if it is bad ‘cause it’s just not that kind of fat. Stored hot or cold it rebounds to its perfect state when it meets with heat.

It has a higher smoke point and flash point than other oils, like peanut or grape seed. Imparting virtually no flavor to your food, it seems to roll off whatever you cook, leaving the pure essence of your dish to sing out.

If you cook hamburgers or steaks, fish or fowl, vegetables or grains, it’s a healthy match. Filled with good LDLs, it doesn’t change when you heat it like olive oil which can turn mean. And, quite simply, a half gallon of Rice Bran Oil has to be one of the most inexpensive oils you can love!

Shop Here for Rice Bran Oil!

Making beans is pretty easy. Soak and cook. Thinking ahead and planning ahead is the toughest part.

Tina says she never soaks her beans. She just (cooks them without soaking) makes them.

See the Master Bean Recipe here!

I love pureed soups; they are easy to make and uncomplicated. When food is so simple, if the ingredients are the best, so is the soup! Freshly dried split peas for example are exceptional and make a soup like this worth sipping every spoonful. It's the blending of the starch and other ingredients that give this soup its wonderful body. Use a food mill, food processor or your stick blender to achieve different consistencies.

Start with the very best split peas and don’t forget the mustard powder!

See the Split Pea and Ham Soup Recipe here!

The mung bean. It is a bean that is everywhere, except perhaps in your pantry. History tells us that India was the first to cultivate the bean in 1500 AD. The bean then spread to the diets of East and Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

Today, it is widespread, although not common here in the animal-protein dominant US.

Moong dal is the mung bean split in two, either with or without its skin. With the skin the bean is green, and without it, it is pale yellow. Either can be used in recipes, with the cooking times adjusted for the difference.

In Indian cooking, Moong dal is perhaps the most popular of all beans. Considered to be easily digestible, according to Ayurveda, the Mung bean is “tridoshic”, (a quality that is a supremely rare quality in a human). Tridoshic is described as an equal balance of Vata, Pitta and Kapha doshas, the elements responsible for mental, emotional and physiological health.

Though my knowledge of Ayurveda is minimal, I find it quite interesting. Food as a key ingredient to one's health; what’s not to like about that?

This weekend we are sharing classic recipes that use Moong dal as the base. An extra benefit is that these recipes include some of my favorite nostril-filling spices.

You get the potential benefits of Moong dal mixed with spices that also have wonderful health properties! (Keep in mind, I think all food is good for you, especially salty and sweet!)

Shop now for Organic Moong Dal - Split Mung Beans!

Perfection!
"I live in WA and, yes, even Kroger here has good cherries. But Chef’s Shop has GREAT cherries. Huge, perfect, delicious. We eat a lot fresh, and we make a lot of cherry clafoutis! Both ways are fabulous. Worth every penny."
-- rhoda

""When I tasted the Bing cherries from ... [ChefShop.com], I thought I had died and gone to Heaven." "
-- Marian Burros, The New York Times

Preorder Sweet Washington Cherries here!

WOW!!
" I have been a fan of Valharona Cocoa for years, but this may have replaced it as my Favorite! It has an incredible taste, I could smell it thru the double bagging. It is just GREAT! I would highly recommend it and for 2.2 lbs it really is quite a bargain! "
-- ellen

The Top Cocoa Ever!
"It makes a decadent hot chocolate, and I use it in brownies and Martha Stewart's one-bowl chocolate cake recipe. Really wonderful....."
-- donna

Best Cocoa on the Planet!
"I have been using this exclusively for years now. I have a 'secret' brownie recipe that I make with this cocoa, syrup made from the cocoa and only the best ingredients. Everyone goes ga-ga over them. Syrup - so easy to make - anything that calls for cocoa I use this. Sometimes I mix just a touch into my coffee for a treat. If you have not tried this yet you need to. You WILL NOT be disappointed!!!"
-- ellie

Shop now for ChefShop Cocoa Powder!




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Egg Scramble with Ramps Recipe

A traditional recipe for Ramps.

Macadamia & Coconut Sprinkle Recipe

Adapted from Susan Hermann Loomis' new cookbook, Nuts in the Kitchen. She recommends it as an addition to both sweet and savory dishes. Suggestions include: breakfast cereal, hot oatmeal, pancakes, atop rice - or just eat it by the spoonful.

Whole Honey-Glazed Onions Recipe

Oignons Glaces au Miel

Adapted from "From a Breton Garden" by Josephine Araldo and Robert Reynolds (Addison Wesley Press).

Whole caramelized onions are used as a garnish for roasted meats or birds, served with sauteed potatoes and a comforting red wine from a sunny place, a Chateauneuf-du-Pape, for example. The key to successfully caramelizing onions is to take your time. The end result is amazing - and a wonderful side, especially if you like sweet onions.