Many people wonder what is in the secret sauce of a McDonald’s Big Mac sandwich. Others figure they know exactly what is in the sauce: ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard. Still others figure it’s just a doctored-up Thousand Island dressing. They are not far off, except for the ketchup. The actual ingredients in the special sauce … Read more
The word puttanesca refers to an Italian sauce dating back to the early 1900s and composed of tomatoes, black olives, capers, anchovies, and garlic. Alla puttanesca is used to refer to a pasta or any other food that is served with this sauce. This bold and briny sauce is easy to prepare but offers lots … Read more
The most famous French dish that uses the term ‘au poivre’ is Steak Au Poivre. It means steak with a whole lot of poivre! In this term, ‘au’ is a preposition that means ‘with’ or ‘in the manner of’ and poivre means black pepper. A dish that is ‘au poivre’ is a dish with pepper, … Read more
Funeral Potatoes are a cheesy casserole of potatoes that seems to have originated in Utah. This dish is all but expected at post-funeral meals and is also used during religious events or holidays. I have a friend, whose family is Mormon, that makes these potatoes every Thanksgiving, although I did not, at first, realize the … Read more
Fried rice can be a quick and satisfying meal, especially for those who love anything rice. Indeed, if you only equate fried rice with the soy sauce spiked stuff you get from carryout Chinese places, you have the wrong idea, entirely. Fried rice can be a quick and comforting meal you throw together, with nothing … Read more
Au gratin is one of many fancy-sounding French culinary terms to enter English during the 19th century, when a taste for French food, especially among the wealthy, developed in America. When you cook something au gratin or simply gratin, you are not, in reality, doing anything fancy at all. While most Americans think of au gratin … Read more