The Kitchen Counter - Home Cooking Tips and Inspiration

Jeff Mauro stops by the show today to talk about his new cookbook "Come On Over" and share tips for cooking for a crowd. We also had a lot of fun talking about the world-famous Lake Michigan smelt harvest, the malaise that is banana-flavored popsicles, and the great filbert vs. hazelnut debate. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  https://kitchencounterpodcast.com/183 Connect with the s...

On today's smorgasbord episode we head down to New Orleans to talk with Liz Williams at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, pick up a couple of tips for find gear and organizing recipes from a listener, take a closer look at fenugreek, and wrap everything up with a new cookbook giveaway. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  https://kitchencounterpodcast.com/182 Connect with the show...

Today I get back into the kitchen for a "Let's Cook" episode! This will be my first time cooking Butter Chicken. I've had it several times at Indian Restaurants, but I have never cooked it myself (for the record, I have not made Chicken Tikka Masala either, and these dishes are closely related). I was thrilled with how it turned out and will definitely be adding this to my recipe rotation. For com...

On today's episode I welcome Josephine Caminos Oría, author and founder of La Dorita Cooks, to talk about her new book "Sobremesa: A Memoir of Food and Love in Thirteen Courses." Josephine talks about her Argentine-American upbringing, sharing stories around the family table, passing recipes through the generations (culinary time travel), and some of her favorite Argentine recipes. For complete sh...

Today on the show I welcome food journalist and artist extraordinaire Stacy Michelson to talk about her super-cool new book "Eat This Book: Knowledge to Feed Your Appetite + Inspire Your Next Meal." If you like funky hand-drawn art, food, and factoids then you are going to LOVE this book. I am finding crazy new food facts and useful cooking tips on every single page, and having a ton of fun doing...

On today's show I welcome back Eatsperience Madrid co-founder and cooking coach, Isotta Peira , to talk about a recipe that is near and dear to her heart: pesto. Growing up in the birthplace of basil pesto and having learned the recipe from her Nonna, Isotta shares just what makes it special along with some easy and fun variations. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  https://kitchencou...

Today I welcome my friend Jairo back to the show to talk about one of his newfound labors of love: empanadas. We focus on the Colombian style of empanada, notably with a crust made of corn masa and then fried. In the first part we talk about our experience with and history of empanadas and in the second half we head to the kitchen where Jairo teaches me to make the masa crust. For complete show no...

Kate Johnson, cheesemaking guru and founder of The Art of Cheese, joins us today to give us all the basics for making your own cheese at home. Learn about the three general types of cheese, varieties of milk and other special ingredients, and equipment you need to get started. Whether you've never attempted your own cheese, or have dabbled a bit, I promise you are going to learn a lot today. For c...

On today's smorgasbord episode we tackle a couple of Instant Pot questions, I share my new favorite pie crust recipe, and I talk about the new giveaway system for the show. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  https://kitchencounterpodcast.com/175 Connect with the show at: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kitchencounterpodcast Twitter:  @TKCpodcast Email:  feedback@kitchencounterpodc...

Today on the show, Natasha Ho, master-trained chef and founder of The Well-Traveled Palate , stops by to chat about a perennial hot topic for home cooks. How do we take smart risks with our cooking so we can become better improvisers in the kitchen? Natasha and I bond over our fondness for left-over fat, talk about simple ingredient swaps you can make to branch out into new directions, and so much...

Today on the show we are traveling to the Middle East to explore one of the most iconic and culturally significant dishes of the region: hummus. Chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, garlic and olive combine to make a universally acclaimed food that equally at home at the lunch table as it is in the supermarket aisle. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  https://kitchencounterpodcast.com/173...

Welp. We made it to 2021. Should you be cooking at home in 2021? Uh, yes. Yes you should. Time for a smorgasbord! For complete show notes on this episode, visit  https://kitchencounterpodcast.com/172 Connect with the show at: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kitchencounterpodcast Twitter:  @TKCpodcast Email:  feedback@kitchencounterpodcast.com

Let's hop into the kitchen to do a little baking today. One of my favorite special occasion treats is homemade cinnamon rolls. With the holidays upon us what better time to roll up our sleeves and get some flour all over the place? We also talk a little about the star of the show, cinnamon, for a spice deep dive. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  https://kitchencounterpodcast.com/171...

On today's show I welcome Eatsperience Madrid co-founder and cooking coach, Isotta Peira, to talk about fusion cuisine for home cooks. Isotta and I have quite a lot in common, not least of which is a passion to help people get in their kitchens and cook. We sit down for a trans-Atlantic conversation about how to start cooking "fusion" in your home kitchen, improvising recipes, one of the most famo...

We are knee-deep in comfort food season here at the Kitchen Counter, so I am going to chat about an oft-requested recipe, chicken pot pie. I also know there is a lot of interest in spices in general, so for our second segment I do a deeper dive into one particular spice: cloves. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  http://kitchencounterpodcast.com/169 Connect with the show at: Facebook:...

It's time for another Kitchen Counter Podcast Halloween special! Let me ask you a question: what's the weirdest sandwich you've ever eaten, or even heard of? Yeah? Let me tell you, it's got nothing on the monstrosities we brought to life for this episode. I think I'm going to bury that diabolical sandwich machine where no one can find it again... For complete show notes on this episode, visit  htt...

Fish lovers rejoice! Rich and Sena Wheeler of Sena Sea join me on the show to give their best tips for cooking up salmon, black cod, and halibut. They also share their background as a third-generation fishing family. You know if anyone knows how to cook fish up right, it's the people that catch it for a living and eat it all year round. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  http://kitche...

On today's episode we are touching on several topics in true smorgasbord form! We've got instant pot, tomato soup, an update on the Halloween episode, listener feedback, and more.  For complete show notes on this episode, visit  http://kitchencounterpodcast.com/167 Connect with the show at: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kitchencounterpodcast Twitter:  @TKCpodcast Email:  feedback@kitchencoun...

On today's episode I am joined by Sophia DeSantis, the force behind the Veggies Don't Bite website, cookbook author, and self-proclaimed "Sauce Queen." Sophia is also mother to three boys so she understand what it's like to try to make healthy food for your kids and get more veggies on their plates (and in their tummies). For complete show notes on this episode, visit  http://kitchencounterpodcast...

Grab some semolina flour and dust off your pasta rollers, today we are diving into fresh homemade pasta, Italian style! Valeria and Benedetta Bianchini, sisters and founders of Local Aromas (a food and wine experience company based in Rome), give you everything you need to know to start turning out fantastic fettuccine and killer cavatelli. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  http://ki...

Today on the show I welcome Chef Joel Gamoran , one of the nation's most well-known sustainability-focused chefs and food scrap user extraordinaire! Joel is one of my favorite guests that I've ever had on the show for a couple of reasons: he's incredibly passionate about what he does (his enthusiasm is contagious), and he drops some serious knowledge bombs on what you can do with the food scraps y...

Today we tackle that staple of brunch menus everywhere: quiche. Listen along for tips on blind baking pie crusts and how to turn out a rich, custardy "egg pie" featuring your favorite add-ins. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  http://kitchencounterpodcast.com/163 Connect with the show at: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kitchencounterpodcast Twitter:  @TKCpodcast Email:  feedback...

Today's episode is the first part in a "Let's Cook" series. The theme? You guessed it! Recipes that use a pie crust. So naturally we should begin at the beginning and put together a good all purpose crust you can use for your sweet and savory experiments.  For complete show notes on this episode, visit  http://kitchencounterpodcast.com/162 Connect with the show at: Facebook:  https://www.facebook....

Grilling season in nigh upon us. Let's turn our attention to that most finicky of grill fare: chicken. Versatile and popular but easy to mess up, chicken takes more TLC than say, your average burger or hot dog. Today I'm sharing seven tips to make your chicken grilling adventures more successful. For complete show notes on this episode, visit  http://kitchencounterpodcast.com/161 Connect with the...

Welcome back to the kitchen! Today I am doing a live cook-through of Chicken Marsala. This version is easy and quick, and you can even pull it off on a weeknight if you have the ingredients on hand. Is it perfectly authentic? Nah. Is it damn tasty? Yep.  For complete show notes on this episode, visit  http://kitchencounterpodcast.com/160 Connect with the show at: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.co...