Stabilized Whipped Cream

Yes, that's whipped cream on those cupcakes - that is not frosting. And that whipped cream will look just as nice the next day and the day after that. How? Because it's stabilized whipped cream and if you've ever wondered how professional bakers get whipped cream desserts to look nice for so long, you will want to read this post.

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Six Pasta Rules

Let's have a review of pasta rules, shall we?  I still hear far too many people ask whether they should rinse their cooked pasta or not.  Really?  Haven't we settled this long ago?  I guess some myths still remain. So let's just touch on some helpful rules of cooking pasta:

Six Rules of Pasta

1.  Weigh your pasta.  Over the years, I got tired of making way too much pasta or trying to eyeball how much to cook.  Now, I just weigh my pasta.  It's accurate and easy.  Get yourself a nice little scale - you will use it for a hundred tasks in the kitchen - and weigh your pasta.  Determine how much pasta you eat for a main dish or a side dish.  We usually eat 2 ounces each as a main dish.  It's so much better to just weigh it and know exactly how much you are cooking. 

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Blueberry Hand Pies

A few years ago I made Slab Pie, which could feed a crowd because it was baked in a rimmed baking pan.  I made a blueberry Slab Pie for Labor Day weekend and it's still a great way to make a lot pie.  But what if you didn't want to have to slice and serve the pie from a pan?  Hand pies are all over the place now on food blogs and in cooking magazines and they make serving up pie a breeze, especially at cookouts and picnics. 

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