Rachael Ray

If you’ve been to a farmer’s market lately-or taken a stroll by a hillside or stream-you may have noticed an edible plant with leaves that look like Lilly of the Valley and bulbs that smell like garlic on steroids. These are wild leeks, also known as ramps, and they are the pride of chefs and home cooks who know how to harness their powerful funk. Ramps start to appear throughout most of the country (they don’t grow in arid climates) as soon as the frost and snow disappear at the start of spring. They have bright green leaves, pink stems, and white bulbs that look much like scallion bulbs. The leaves can be chopped and cooked briefly, while the white bulbs [...]...

Rhubarb is back in season. I got my first bunch of it last weekend at New York’s Union Square farmer’s market. The sweet-tart smell of it cooking makes me happy. A little cinnamon, a little sugar, and in under fifteen minutes you have a tasty compote that goes beautifully with whipped cream or Greek yogurt. But have you ever tried making rhubarb as part of a main course? Rhubarb is a natural for pairing with meats like lamb, duck, and pork. The sourness of rhubarb helps to balance the richness of the meat and bring out the flavor, the same way that cranberry relish makes your Thanksgiving turkey taste better. Rhubarb originally comes from the Far East. There are references to it [...]...

Recently my doctor told me that my iron count is low, and that it was time to do something about it. She said that I could either take iron pills, which have the unpleasant side effect of making one “stopped up,” or I could start eating liver. Being an adventurous eater, I chose the latter. There are many iron-rich foods, including leafy greens, beans, and shellfish, but liver is in a class by itself. Eating a 3.5-ounce portion (that’s less than half a cup, or a little less than 1/4-pound) gives you 70 percent of the necessary iron intake for one day. For women, who are a lot more at risk of iron deficiency than men, this is good news. At my [...]...

You’ve tasted garlic roasted, steeped in olive oil, and raw in pesto. Now try the tangy, crisp sensation of garlic pickled in vinegar. If garlic is your favorite seasoning, like it is mine, this way of preparing it might be a revelation for you. Pickling garlic is simple. The most important ingredient is good quality garlic. Choose garlic that is young and fresh. Some ways to tell if garlic is old are if the cloves are coming apart, there are brown spots, the smell is unpleasant, or if the garlic has begun to sprout. The best place to get good quality garlic is at the farmer’s market or at your favorite trusted supermarket. Generally, garlic is harvested in the fall, so [...]...

Ever see those fancy bottles of herb vinegar at the market, flavored with everything from chiles to garlic to fresh herbs? Well, you can make them yourself at home! The big decision you need to make is what ingredients you’ll use to flavor the vinegar. A good place to start is your herb and spice collection. Like the taste of coriander seeds or chile flakes? Then that’s what you’ll use to flavor your vinegar. Another place to look for flavorful ingredients is at your local farmer’s market, where you’ll find just-picked, locally grown treats packed with nutrients. At this time of year, you might find strawberries (indeed, they’re already in season down South!), rhubarb, and ramps (also known as wild leeks). Once you [...]...

Have you ever heard that you’re supposed to replace your dried herbs and spices after one year? Well, that’s what the experts say, but who goes through spices that quickly? The bottom line is that there are some dried seasonings that last longer than others, and there are ways to extend the shelf life of all of your herbs and spices. First off, ground spices have a longer shelf life than herbs. Spices are the dried berries, seeds, bark, and root of a plant, while herbs are the leaves or flowers. Ground spices are meant to last a few years, as opposed to the yearlong lifespan of herbs. If you want really fresh spices, it’s best to buy whole [...]...

A pizzelle is an Italian wafer cookie that’s usually flavored with anise, like many Italian cookies. Pizzelles can be eaten with a  cup of coffee or tea, smeared with jam, dipped in chocolate, or sandwiched around a scoop of ice cream to make a crisp and light ice cream sandwich. I just got a pizzelle maker so I’ve been making them non-stop. It’s so fun! I got a great old-fashioned machine that plugs in and heats up in about fifteen minutes. Here’s a pizzelle maker that Rachael recommends. You can flavor the pizzelle batter with whatever you like. Try vanilla extract, orange flower water, cocoa powder, ground cardamom, cinnamon, anise, or almond extract. Go easy on flavoring, because a little goes a [...]...

My friend Sarah Copeland (edibleliving.com) just published The Newlywed Cookbook (Chronicle Books, January 2012), a scrumptious guide to cooking for the first years of marriage. Although it’s written for couples, and contains all kinds of tips for feeding your “better half,” the book is a collection of classic recipes that anyone would want to make - newly married or not. Sarah is a veteran of the Food Network Kitchens, where she honed her cooking skills preparing the food that looks so perfect on television and in Food Network Magazine. She filled me in on how this demanding job prepared her to write a cookbook, why it’s okay to eat rich food, and why you should always set your timer for [...]...

Here is a salad to shake you out of the winter doldrums! It’s crunchy, it’s colorful, and it’s got a tangy-sweet dressing that will make even raw beets taste good. I happen to really like beets on their own, but their earthy taste benefits from being paired with fat and acid even more. For example, you will often find roasted beets in a salad with walnuts (sometimes candied) and goat cheese or blue cheese and a sherry vinaigrette dressing. The richness of the nuts and cheese at one end of the taste spectrum, and the bright flavor of the vinegar on the other lets the beets fall comfortably in the middle. This recipe has some hearty fats in it too, in the [...]...