liv bites

I never intended to blog about this dinner.   It started innocently enough, with a few items I picked up at the farmer’s market over the weekend but shunned Saturday night in favor of going out to a fancy dinner. No shame.   By the time I did get around to these ingredients, I had [...]

  Sometimes I wonder if it’s even fair to post recipes as simple as the one I’m sharing today. So let’s call this one a technique, shall we?   The sous-chef has become a true master of the grill this summer. His bison burgers are truly the Best I’ve Ever Had (hint: add minced garlic [...]

… And you probably thought I missed it! But since March I’ve been working diligently on that other blog that’s taking up a big chunk of my time. Thanks to any readers who haven’t given up on me yet, because my heart will always be here at Liv Bites.   And I can assure you [...]

I’ve joked before to my classmates that I often feel like I’m a Top Chef contestant at school. We have two minutes left until the main course has to be up, my sauce still hasn’t reduced enough, and I forgot to chop the parsley for garnish. The plates hit the counter not a second too [...]

I mentioned in my last post that my classmates and I each had to come up with our own full restaurant menu for a recent assignment. Now you know all about the Rabbit and Wild Mushroom Ragout, but I thought it might be fun to post the rest of my fantasy restaurant items. Think of [...]

Before I started culinary school and thought I knew what I was doing in the kitchen, I used to love posting my own recipes on my blog. For the past six months, I’ve been learning the correct way to do things — the “techniques” — and I’m happy to say I’m having more fun in [...]

I murdered a lobster in class this week. If it sounds dramatic, it was. Most people take the easy way out when it comes to crustaceans — submerge them while they’re still alive in boiling water, and they die instantly. But according to my culinary instructor, there’s actually a more humane way to go about [...]

When it comes to food, my assistant and I agree on most things. He’s turned me on to his loves like olives and peppers, and I introduced him to the wonderful world of Greek yogurt. But there is nothing he loves more than meat — especially sausage. It constantly impresses me how he can sneak [...]

My cooking course is as traditionally French as it gets, so I have to admit I feel a little thrill when we make something that’s not covered in cream and cheese. Last week’s workshop was a truly special treat: Antipasti and Stuffed Pasta, two of my favorite foods to eat with a big glass of [...]

Not every dish we make at school is one I’m rushing home to recreate. Culinary school teaches you all the basic, French techniques that made food taste good back when ingredients weren’t so ripe — meaning they usually benefited from a good smothering of cream, cheese and breadcrumbs. And more cream, apparently. These days, of [...]