The Other Woman Cooks

Nobody needs convincing that a juicy grilled cheeseburger is summer’s favorite All American party meal.  One juicy bite will have them belting out America the Beautiful on this Memorial Day weekend. But anyone who thinks crafting a classic burger is as easy as slapping down ground meat on a grill has another thing coming.  My spouse AKA Farmer Paul is grill master around our house. Read on for his ten top tips for making perfect burgers and start this year’s backyard cook-out season with a surefire success. 1. Buy Good Meat Ground sirloin steak or rib-eye with a meat-to-fat ratio between 75-25 and 80-20 makes the best tasting burger ever. Never assume the leanest meat is the best. It'll be as dry as cardboard by the time you're done grilling it! 2. Chill the Meat First Before you even form the patties, put the meat in the fridge for a half hour or so.  Getting it colder helps it stay fresh while you work it into The Perfect Patty. Wash your hands th...

I've done my share of being treated to brunch at a crowded eatery, standing in a long line waiting for a table with the sounds of my family's grumbling stomachs all in the name of a Mother's Day treat. Restaurants are just too damned busy on Mother’s Day and I love to cook.  Best deal of the century is that I cook, we all eat and they clean up while I sip a second cup of tea and post this recipe, adapted from last month's issue of Food Network Magazine.   Mom's Day Brunch Puff 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed 4 tablespoons chevre (goat cheese crumbles) 2 tablespoons grated swiss cheese 4 eggs 3 strips crispy crumbled bacon 2 crisp steamed asparagus spears cut into one inch pieces Fresh ground sea salt and course ground black pepper Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut the pastry sheet into four equal squares. Scrunch the corners to form 4 rounds. Place on parchment lined sheet and prick entire pas...

I have never attempted Crepes Suzette but today was Crepes Suzette Day.  Quiet Sundays are good days to try something new, there's no real pressure to succeed. I set out the simple ingredients I needed to recreate the storied and delicate classic French dessert. The usual flambe is fueled by Grand Marnier or the equivalent orange liqueur. Roadblock number one: no orange liqueur in the cupboard. There was, however, a brand spanking new bottle of Limoncello. Second problem: Don't know about you, but I'm too nervous to go starting anything on fire in my kitchen, I leave that sort of thing to the professionals. Since I'd already tossed classic out the window with the Limoncello twist, I decided to create my own non-flaming version of the sauce. Third issue: No vanilla extract but I did have almond extract. Another ad-lib. The results were astonishing! EASY CREPES SUZETTE Batter: 1 cup flour 4 large eggs 1 1/4 cup milk 1 pinch of salt 1/2 teaspoon almond e...