The Culinary Institute of America

In this interview, Ana Sortun discusses the versatility of olive oil, how she approaches olive oil as an ingredient, and the role of olive oil in Spanish cuisine.  Ana Sortun is the executive chef and co-owner of Oleana Restaurant and Sofra Bakery and Café, in Cambridge, MA. She is also the co-owner of Sarma Restaurant in Somerville, MA, which is modeled after a Turkish meyhane or meze restaurant....

This baked sweet potato stuffed with goat cheese, roasted red Grapes from California, walnuts and thyme is vegetarian comfort food. Your guests will love the combination of creamy, whipped goat cheese, sweet-tart roasted red grapes, and savory walnuts. This video was produced by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service for Grapes from California. Get the Baked Sweet Potato recipe h...

These Grilled Chicken & Green Grape Skewers are served with a vibrant green grape chimichurri sauce. Adding Grapes from California to the skewers provides a juicy taste and texture to complement the spiced chicken. Chimichurri is an herbaceous sauce that originated in Argentina, and is now beloved the world over. Grapes are a fabulous carrier for these flavors and add body to the chimichurri. This...

For a refreshing margarita with a twist try this Spicy Green Grape Margarita! To make this drink, Chef Toni Sakaguchi from The Culinary Institute of America blends frozen green Grapes from California and jalapeños. She then rims the margarita glass with chili-lime seasoning and adds a garnish of frozen green grapes, a lime wedge and a slice of jalapeño. It’s fruity sweet, tart, spicy, and refreshi...

Here’s a fun new take on peanut butter and jelly: Peanut Butter Toast with Maple-Pepper Bacon and Caramelized Red Grapes! Roasting Grapes from California caramelizes their natural sugars, intensifies their flavor, and makes them almost jam-like. Adults and kids alike will enjoy this fun, sophisticated take on PB&J—perfect for breakfast or brunch service! This video was produced by The Culinary Ins...

This upgraded oatmeal bowl is topped with crunchy, seedy granola, maple-roasted red grapes, and fresh green grapes for a pleasing burst of flavor and texture. This dish is packed with fiber, whole grains, and antioxidants. The Maple-Roasted Grapes from California add sweetness, depth of flavor, and color to our dish, while the green add bright flavor accents. Your guests will love this comforting,...

This dish is delicious as it is beautiful. The savory and nutty black and white tahini sauces are served topped with the creamy braised eggplant, sweet peppers, and earthy black garlic. This light but comforting dish can be served as a delicious vegan entree. Get the recipe here !   This recipe and video were produced by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service, thanks to the gener...

This plant-based Sweet Potato Tagine with Chermoula is inspired by the flavors of Morocco. Served with spiced apricot couscous, this tagine is bursting with the flavors of cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, and extra virgin olive oil. The plate is finished with a drizzle of a chermoula vinaigrette and topped with fried walnuts. Spicy and savory, sweet and flavorful, this is a fabulous vegetarian dish...

Tarator is a Middle Eastern sauce that is delicious with meats, vegetables, and seafood — or just on its own dipped with pita! Recipes differ from country to country. In Lebanon and Syria, tarator refers to a sauce that contains tahini, while Turkish tarator refers to a walnut sauce.  In this recipe, we are preparing a Turkish-inspired Tarator recipe — a creamy, sharp dip made with walnuts, garlic...

This healthy Mediterranean Falafel Bowl is packed with produce, and is a fun way to serve falafel. Chef Rebecca Peizer from the Culinary Institute of America shows us her Israeli mom’s recipe for making falafel. First, she soaks chickpeas overnight, then places the chickpeas, onions, parsley, cilantro and spices in a food processor. The falafel balls are fried in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and served...

Socca is a gluten-free flatbread beloved as a traditional street food from Nice, France. Made with chickpea flour and olive oil, socca is a cross between a rustic flatbread and a pancake, with a crispy exterior and soft interior. In this recipe, the chickpea socca is served with a smoky eggplant tapenade and wilted spinach. This rustic street food makes a delicious plant-forward shared appetizer....

This fresh, light Shaved Fennel, Artichoke Salad with Garrotxa Cheese is bursting with flavor. Garrotxa cheese is a traditional Catalan goat cheese. Tossed with lemon juice and an extra virgin olive oil with an intense green fruitiness, this unique salad is a wonderful addition to any menu. Get the Shaved Fennel, Artichoke Salad recipe here ! This recipe and video were produced by The Culinary Ins...

Salmorejo is the lesser-known Andalusian cousin of gazpacho— it’s thicker, smoother, creamier, and super simple to make! This purée of tomatoes, bread, garlic, and vinegar is garnished with sliced egg, crispy fried chorizo (with a little of the rendered fat), a drizzle of olive oil, a dust of black pepper, and some grilled bread. Perfect for a hot summer night, this refreshing tomato bread soup wi...

This Paella Mixta is a fun, shareable, one-pan meal that will wow your guests when it arrives at the table. This classic Spanish dish includes chorizo, pork, chicken, mussels, clams, artichokes and peas. Serve the paella in the same paella pan it was cooked in, garnished with lemon juice, lemon wedges, chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Get the Paella Mixta recipe here ! This...

Your guests will be transported to the South of France with this healthy and delicious plant-forward dish: Provençal Tartine with Ratatouille and Goat Cheese. A drizzle of ripe fruity olive oil to finish this dish enhances the flavors of the vegetables. This dish is really the essence of summer! Get the Provencal Tartine recipe here ! This recipe and video were produced by The Culinary Institute o...

Ful medames, also called mudammas or simply fūl, is a delicious stew of braised fava beans made with olive oil, spices, garlic, onion, and lemon juice. The dish is traditionally enjoyed for breakfast in Egypt and many other Middle Eastern countries.  Matbucha is a sauce popular around the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, made with red peppers, tomatoes, and aromatics cooked in olive oil. Mat...

Jammir Gray, executive chef at Compline Restaurant and Wine Shop, in Napa, CA, shows us how she makes Merguez Lamb Roll with Date Chutney. While Chef Jammir enjoys highlighting locally produced foods like lamb on her menu, she wants her dishes to showcase authentic world flavors. Merguez is a North African sausage traditionally made with lamb. In this recipe, she wraps spiced American Lamb patties...

Jammir Gray, executive chef at Compline Restaurant and Wine Shop, in Napa, CA, was inspired to make this dish by her Southern roots. Chef uses frenched racks of American-raised lamb, known for their beautiful, large, and tender ribeyes, for maximum flavor and impressive presentation. This video was produced by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service to the American Lamb Board. Get...

This Pomegranate-Glazed Lamb Shank with Creamed Kale and Garlic Confit Potatoes is a comforting fall dish. Slow cooking turns American Lamb hind shanks into the most tender, succulent, fall-off-the-bone meat, while also creating a luxurious sauce. Jammir Gray, executive chef at Compline Restaurant and Wine Shop, in Napa, CA, loves pairing lamb with tart and fruity pomegranate in this dish. This vi...

Jammir Gray, executive chef at Compline Restaurant and Wine Shop, in Napa, CA, prepares Smoked Leg of American Lamb with Toum, extra virgin olive oil flatbread, and herb fennel salad. This dish can be prepared using bone-in or boneless lamb leg, but in this case, chef uses a short cut: American Lamb bone-in leg. Toum is a Lebanese garlic sauce with an aioli-like texture that provides a creamy coun...

This Lamb Paprikash with hand-cut pappardelle pasta uses locally raised boneless lamb shoulder – one of the most economical and succulent cuts of American Lamb, and well-suited for use in  stews and braised dishes. Jammir Gray, executive chef at Compline Restaurant and Wine Shop, in Napa, CA, shows us how she prepares this popular Hungarian dish. This video was produced by The Culinary Institute o...

Stuck at home and looking for some cooking inspiration? Watch the CIA's new series of videos all about BBQ! What better time to learn about cooking low and slow comfort food? Pork steaks are trending on menus across America. Chefs are discovering these tasty and versatile cuts from the shoulder of the hog, which cook up perfectly in the pan or on the grill. Chef Barbara Alexander from The Culinary...

Stuck at home and looking for some cooking inspiration? Watch the CIA's new series of videos all about BBQ! What better time to learn about cooking low and slow comfort food? Spice up your BBQ with these sticky and sweet Korean spare ribs. Chef Barbara Alexander from The Culinary Institute of America sprinkles the ribs with crispy garlic, peanuts, and scallions, and serves them with Korean slaw an...

Stuck at home and looking for some cooking inspiration? Watch the CIA's new series of videos all about BBQ! What better time to learn about cooking low and slow comfort food? Many chefs avoid roasting and barbecuing pork loins because they’re lean and easy to overcook. Traditional brining and larding techniques maximize marbling, tenderness, and moisture, delivering a great flavor experience. Char...

Stuck at home and looking for some cooking inspiration? Watch the CIA's new series of videos all about BBQ! What better time to learn about cooking low and slow comfort food? Most BBQ aficionados know that smoke adds flavor, but did you know that too much smoke, or the wrong kind of smoke, can ruin the flavor of your BBQ? And while most sausages and meats like a little smoke, every chef needs to k...