Prep School (Glossary)

‘Tis the holiday season, and that means it’s time for lots and lots of cocktail parties. While we usually spend more time tending to our finger food than what’s on top of the bar when we’re hosting, there’s nothing like a specialty drink to make your guests extra merry. In today’s prep school video, Phoebe makes a classic eggnog with rum that is sure to get your bells jingling.

We’re entering pie territory here. It’s fall heading into winter, and we can’t be alone in having our thoughts turn to pumpkin, pecan, or pumpkin-pecan pie.

But for some (or so we’ve heard), making pie crust is one of the most daunting of kitchen tasks. The butter at the right temperature! Some liquid-but not too much! Rolling out the dough!

A a dull knife in the kitchen is an accident waiting to happen. We used to think using a knife sharpener at home was intimidating—I’m sure a lot of you still feel that way! But our friends at Edgeware (fan them on facebook here) have shown us the light. Tune in to this week’s Prep School video for some knife sharpening tips and three great, small-kitchen friendly products that make knife maintenance a breeze.

Did you think we would leave you empty-handed? We’re also giving away these three great knife sharpeners!

To enter the Edgeware Knife Sharpener Giveaway, you …

It’s October, and the time for great weekday fall dinners is upon us. And what better to add a little protein to a butternut squash tartine or spaghetti with spicy red sauce? That’s right, an olive oil fried egg.

In this week’s prep school, as a counterpart to Cara’s slow scrambled eggs, I’m showing you how to whip up the ultimate fried egg, the way my mother has always done it: with lots of olive oil.

I’ve described the process and the deliciousness in the book. But if you’re not sold, tune in and see how it’s really done.

For …

This video shows the way Cara’s mom always made scrambled eggs—long cooking over very low heat that creates soft curd. And it’s how we always make eggs now, because it’s just the best way. Yet no matter how many times we tell you (and ourselves) to not get impatient, to keep the flame low, we’re always liable to forget, to try to speed things up, and to wind up with eggs that aren’t soft and rich.

Today, the next installment in your summer “prep” school lessons: how to remove corn kernels from the cob, without making a big old mess.

Anyone who’s ever tried to do this simple task on a cutting board knows how those kernels can go flying. I eat a lot of summer corn and tend to find the kernels in every corner of my apartment after performing what should be a simple procedure. So I perfected my technique, and found an easier, cleaner, better way to shave them cobs.

As the fresh corn abounds, try using up your kernels in one of our favorite recipes from In the Small Kitchen–our Corn and Barley Salad with Chive Vinaigrette!

We’ve given you How To Devein Shrimp, Brown Meat, and Make a Vinaigrette. Today, an essential technique for making delicious savory food: how to make garlic paste.

It may sound simple, but it’s important to extract and diffuse the flavor from your garlic, especially when you’re serving the garlic raw, in guacamole or salad dressings. We also use garlic paste in our of our favorite recipes from In the Small Kitchen-our Provençal Baked Chicken, an addictive (and cheap) dinner party main.