Monthly Archives: August 2011

Halibut a la Provencal

Earlier this summer, I was excited to be featured in an article about Davidson College alumni making careers in the food industry for my school’s alumni magazine: the Davidson Journal.   As part of the article, titled “Main Courses,” they asked me to share a recipe that I thought alumni might enjoy.

I wanted to pick a recipe that was approachable, but also taught a technique that could easily be applied to other meals.  My two most frequent requests from clients seeking private cooking lessons is that they want to learn how  to cook fish and that they want to cook healthy, yet still delicious, food.  This recipe for Halibut a la Provencal is perfect on both counts.

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Panna Cotta with Summer Berries

Panna Cotta with Summer Berries

When it comes to dinner parties, I tend to overdo it.   A week before the event, my list includes plans to bake my own bread, churn my own butter, and kill my own chicken (I exaggerate, but you get my point).   In my defense, it’s the cooking part that I love best.  To me, nothing is better than getting ready for a big meal.  I love planning what I’m going to make and then working to make sure that each aspect is perfect.  From the obsessively rolled sushi upon everyone’s arrival to the painstakingly baked tuile bowls that will cradle a scoop of homemade ice cream for dessert, I want to make sure that everything is exceptional. Unfortunately this slightly delusional behavior means that when the doorbell announces the arrival of my first guests, I often find myself stifling a yawn as I battle the urge to crawl in bed with a good book.

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Grilled Flank Steak with Watermelon Salsa

When it’s this hot, easy and refreshing are my two qualifications when it comes to preparing dinner. This recipe qualifies on both counts.  It also uses one of my favorite cuts of meat: the flank steak.  Lean and flavorful flank steak is an economical alternative to the prime cuts yet still a step up from the humble skirt steak.  Yes, some might say that flank steak has a reputation for being tough, but I promise that cooking it to medium-rare and slicing it against the grain will eliminate any gnashing of the teeth around your dinner table.

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Cooking with Kids: Back to School Breakfast Parfaits


Where have I been?  It’s August and my last post was back at the beginning of June.  Since I last posted, I’ve taught over 30 cooking classes.  The bulk of these classes were Kids Classes that I taught at Cooking Uptown here in Charlotte.  In June, we offered four week-long courses for 9-13 year olds and then in July, we offered three week-long courses for 14-17 year olds.  The courses were a great success  (check out the press on WSOC-TV,  WCNC, and in Southpark Magazine) and I have a new-found respect for parents everywhere.  I have a better understanding of how you do it, but I still am in awe over how you do anything else!

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