Sally Schneider
Photo by Ellen Silverman
Home Cooking
Nov 18 2009, 8:18 am4 New Sides for Thanksgiving
Vegetable purees highlight the season's produce and offer fresh dishes for the traditional table.read moreRecipes
Nov 18 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Roasted Chestnuts for Cooking or Eating
This method for roasting chestnuts makes the flesh sweet and tender and the nuts easy to peel--perfect for using in recipes or serving as a marvelous winter hors d'oeuvre with drinks.read moreRecipes
Nov 18 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Chestnut Puree with Fennel Seed and Bay Leaf
Although I adore this extraordinarily rich, fragrant puree, peeling fresh chestnuts is such a time consuming job, I probably wouldn't make it as often as I do unless I could use prepared chestnuts.read moreRecipes
Nov 18 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Celery Root and Apple Puree
Cooking watery or fibrous root vegetables like celery roots, turnips, carrots, rutabagas, and beets with a little white rice before pureeing them insures they will be exceptionally creamy and have a very pure flavor.read moreRecipes
Nov 18 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Spiced Winter Squash Puree with Roasted Garlic
This fragrant puree makes a delicious departure from the usual sweet potato and pumpkin side dishes.read more
Photo by Ellen Silverman
Home Cooking
Nov 16 2009, 12:45 pmMaking Potluck Dinners Even Easier
Asking guests to contribute dishes lessens the burden of entertaining. Technology makes planning simpler.read moreRecipes
Nov 16 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Seven-Hour "Spoon" Lamb
This is my revisionist version of Paula Wolfert's famous spoon lamb recipe.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Nov 2 2009, 12:45 pm9 Ways To Enjoy Roasted Pears
The fall fruit can be used in an endless number of dishes, both sweet and savory. The author offers suggestions.read moreRecipes
Nov 2 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Essential Roasted Pears
Vanilla bean accentuates the pears perfume, but is not essential. You can also tuck sprigs of thyme among the pears.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Oct 19 2009, 12:45 pmWhat To Cook In Cold Weather
Wild mushroom ragu is an ideal base for a range of hearty dishes in the winter months, from stew to macaroni.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Recipes
Oct 19 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Wild Mushroom Ragù Macaroni
My friend's ancient Italian grandmother calls this rustic baked pasta dish "the Big Macaroni".read more
Photo by Sally Schneider
Home Cooking
Oct 6 2009, 12:45 pmOther Whipped Cream Delights
Most mix in sugar, but salt also enhances heavy cream. Other quirky combinations offer similar rewards.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Sep 28 2009, 8:17 amAn Olive Education
The author learns to love olives with the help of an "olive master" and a trip to Greece, and offers a few tasting tips of her own. read moreRecipes
Sep 28 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Nicoise Olives with Rosemary
In this recipe, Nicoise olives are marinated in flavorful rosemary oil with masses of rosemary leaves.read moreRecipes
Sep 28 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Braised Fennel (or Fennel-Scented Celery) with Olives
If you can't find fennel, this recipe transforms ordinary branch celery.read moreRecipes
Sep 28 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Warm Olivada
I devised this coarse olive paste as a way of using up several kinds of olives that were a little past their prime.read more
Photo by majcher/Flickr CC
Home Cooking
Sep 15 2009, 12:45 pmMilkshakes, All Grown Up
A dessert epiphany leads the author to update a childhood favorite with an adult twist.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Sep 4 2009, 8:18 amFruit Crumbles: The Lazy Man's Pie
Want the sweet satisfaction of a fruit pie without all of the work? Bake fresh fruit into a crunchy, buttery crumble.read more
Photo by totalAldo/Flickr CC
Recipes
Sep 4 2009, 6:45 amRecipes: Crumble Variations
Once you know the gist of the crumble, you can start to improvise your own unique combinations of fruit, nuts, and flavorings.read more
Photo by Sally Schneider
Home Cooking
Sep 1 2009, 12:45 pmIn Case of Emergency, Make Tea
A calming cup of tea helps manage life's biggest challenges. Here, how to turn verbena leaves into tea in three steps.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Aug 24 2009, 12:45 pmShellfish Stew, Italian-Style
This shellfish stew proves that sometimes the simplest recipes produce the most memorable meals.read more
Photo by Ellen Silverman
Home Cooking
Aug 17 2009, 8:02 amMaking the Most of Your Tomatoes
Because of late blight, tomatoes will be rarer than usual this year. How to enjoy the ones you have.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Aug 10 2009, 12:45 pmBeets: Sweet, Earthy Comfort Food
Three ways to cook beets, plus a recipe for a sauce that makes the most of summer's matchless garlic and potatoes.read moreRecipes
Aug 10 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Beets with Garlic Sauce
Cooked giant white lima beans are another classic accompaniment to beets with garlic sauce.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Jul 31 2009, 8:37 amThe Equation for an Ideal Dessert
Warm fruit, pastry dough, and cream combine to create a simple, satisfying way to end a meal.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Recipes
Jul 31 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Essential Warm Stovetop Fruit
This method works wonderfully for a many kinds of fruits such as pears, apples, peaches, nectarines, mangoes, plums, cherries, figs, and berries such as strawberries, raspberries or blackberries.read more
Photo by ginnerobot/Flickr CC
Recipes
Jul 31 2009, 6:45 amHow to Roll and Cut Pastry Dough
An alternative to pressing pastry dough into a tart tin or pie plate is to cut the rolled out dough into shapes to bake and use as lids and platforms to make freeform tarts.read more
Photo by The Bitten Word/Flickr CC
Recipes
Jul 31 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Easy Butter Dough
This is an easy to make crust that is flaky, tender and buttery. Some of the usual butter has been replaced with sour cream, which makes the dough easier to work and increases the tenderness and richness of the crust. read more
Photo by House of Sims/Flickr CC
Recipes
Jul 31 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Essential Roasted Fruit
This method works for many kinds of fruit including plums, apricots, peaches and extremely soft, skinless fruits like bananas, figs or strawberries, which need no water at all. Combine them with a fruit sauce or filling, or serve with vanilla ice cream.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Jul 22 2009, 12:45 pmCaesar Salad As It's Meant to Be
This summery sauce livens up the classic salad--and goes well with pasta, polenta, and more.read more
Photo by Andreanna/Flickr CC
Recipes
Jul 22 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Spaghetti with Garlic, Anchovy, and Chili
All-Purpose Garlic, Olive Oil, and Anchovy Sauce contains all the elements necessary to make this classic pasta in perfect proportion.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Recipes
Jul 22 2009, 6:45 amRecipe: Deconstructed Caesar Salad
Lemon juice is essential when this sauce is used to dress salads, providing the perfect bridge between green and dressing.read more
Photo by jlastras/Flickr CC
Home Cooking
Jul 13 2009, 8:28 amThe Magic of Spain's Smoky Paprika
Pimenton de la vera spices up everything from pork chops to grilled cheese and is particularly good with shrimp.read more
Photo by chez pim/Flickr CC
Home Cooking
Jun 26 2009, 8:19 amFrance's Versatile Pancake
Socca, a pancake made with water, chickpea flour, and oil, can be a snack, hors d'oeuvre, or breakfast food.read more
Photo by professor evil/Flickr CC
Home Cooking
Jun 25 2009, 12:45 pmBacon and Chocolate: The Backstory
Blending bacon and chocolate, one chef examines the slow, mysterious routes of inspiration in the kitchen.read more
Photo by Sally Schneider
Home Cooking
Jun 12 2009, 7:10 amCherry Season Made Simpler
No more removing pits from cherries: This recipe allows you to keep pits and stems on the fruit for an easier, memorable dessert. Here, the story of how the author discovered this easy method of preparing cherries and guidelines for how to create it yourself in your own kitchen.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Jun 5 2009, 8:21 amThe Formula for a Satisfying Breakfast
All you need is a savory base, a fried egg, and some grated Parmigiano for a meal that works all day--but especially for breakfast. Includes a recipe that offers a roadmap for how to make countless variations on the same culinary concept.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
May 29 2009, 12:45 pmHow Cell Phones Saved the Onion Dip
A phone call from a panicked novice chef ends with a revelation: Cell phones and computers make excellent teaching tools. The author offers her ideas for how technology can help even more people become comfortable in the kitchen; she also provides her recipe for the onion dip that inspired it all.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
May 29 2009, 12:44 pmRecipe: Real Onion Dip
This real version of classic onion dip is made with caramelized pan-fried onions instead of salty, flavor-enhanced dried onion soup mix. Served with excellent potato chips, it is the ultimate cocktail party food.read more
Photo by Dano272/Flickr CC
Home Cooking
May 7 2009, 8:14 amRamps: The True Sign of Spring
Ramps, wild leeks that appear at the start of spring, bring back a flood of memories to the author, reminding her of when she first encountered the plant--and why she continues to seek out wild foods and country living even though she spends most of her time in a city.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Apr 29 2009, 8:07 amHow to Improvise in the Kitchen
Variations on a chocolate cake show just how much fun--and how good--an improvised recipe can be. Here, guidelines on how to play a little culinary jazz, and the chocolate cake recipe that inspired it all.read more
Photo by Ellen Silverman
Home Cooking
Apr 20 2009, 8:40 amAmaretti: Seven-Layer Cake for One
A late-night craving demands something wildly good--and easy. A leaning tower of crème fraiche-smeared amaretti soothes the beast just fine.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Apr 10 2009, 8:01 amEaster at the Next-to-Last Minute
The days fly by so fast, so much so that suddenly we find ourselves in April with trees in bud and the holiday upon us. Easter is suddenly here. Simple recipes for herb-scented lamb, vegetable ragout, and more will welcome spring the right way.read moreHome Cooking
Apr 10 2009, 7:45 amRecipe: Fragrant Olive Oil Cake
This is a lovely cake yet without an overtly olive oil flavor; rather, the oil, along with orange and lemon zest, contributes to its unique floral-herbal fragrance and delicate texture.read moreHome Cooking
Apr 10 2009, 7:45 amRecipe: Crushed New Potatoes
The crushed new potatoes are mixed with crème fraiche, chives, and cracked coriander for something simple yet truly memorable.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Apr 10 2009, 7:45 amHerb-Scented Roast Leg of Lamb
This method produces lamb that is truly, uniformly tender. The rosemary-thyme-and-lavender salt is a fragrant seasoning that carries the mellow Provençal flavors into the flesh.read moreHome Cooking
Apr 10 2009, 7:44 amRecipe: Crushed Olives with Herbs
In addition to being a great seasoning for lamb, this paste, made of coarsely crushed olives with lemon and herbs, also makes a great tapenade-like hors d'oeuvre spooned onto toasted peasant bread.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Apr 10 2009, 7:43 amRecipe: Spring Vegetable Ragout
This vibrant ragout is made of spring vegetables whose flavors have an extraordinary affinity for each other--asparagus, peas, fava beans, spring onions, artichokes, morels, tiny new potatoes. This ragout would also be terrific with rendered bacon or pancetta fat instead of olive oil.read more
Photo by Sally Schneider
Home Cooking
Mar 27 2009, 12:45 pmSayulita, Haven of Coastal Mexican Food
In this fishing village 35 miles north of Puerto Vallarta, tourists mingle with jovial locals over boiled corn, homemade flan, and oysters cooked on makeshift grills. Everywhere there are soft tacos made with pork, marlin, shrimp, and, often, birria -- stewed goat in a rich, red chile-based sauceread more
Photo by stevelyon/Flickr CC
Home Cooking
Mar 27 2009, 12:43 pmRecipe: Corn With Crème Fraiche, Lime, and Chili
Inspired by a street food offering in Sayulita, Mexico, this revisionist version is a great use for less-than-perfect summer corn or leftover grilled or boiled corn on the cob. An intense version of creamed corn, it makes a terrific side dish.read more
Photo by mroach/FlickrCC
Home Cooking
Mar 27 2009, 12:38 pmRecipe: Soft Tacos With Roasted Meat
Shredded meats, slow-cooked or roasted, warmed in their juices, make perfect fillings for soft tacos. I usually eat these at the stove, one-by-one as they come out of the pan. This is less a recipe than a rough method, distilled from several trips to Mexico.read more
Photo by Maria Robledo
Home Cooking
Mar 23 2009, 1:00 pmMaking Your Own Flavored Oils
Flavors like tender herb, garlic, and citrus are easy to make, and vastly improve any dish that uses olive oil. All you need is olive oil, salt, an appropriate flavoring and a little imagination. Your reward is a wonderful addition to any dish that uses olive oil.read more
Photo by lauriesmithphoto.com
Home Cooking
Mar 18 2009, 8:45 amButter Like You've Never Tasted
In times of stress and anxiety, creamy, hand-churned butter can be a wonderful comfort food. In fact, Good butter is like a perfect cheese but better in these moments: purer, simpler, direct, and voluptuous. And in a pinch, you can make your own. read more
Photo by Ellen Silverman
Home Cooking
Mar 14 2009, 12:50 pmRocks in My Kitchen (With Recipe)
Surprised? The classic technique of cooking with stones produces succulent chicken and crisp skin without the fuss, and make satisfying dishes on the fly. Rocks can be a great impromptu solution in the kitchen. Plus, they double as a doorstop. Includes an original recipe.read more
SHOP THE ATLANTIC FOOD MARKETPLACE
Sally Schneider
Sally Schneider recently launched the improvised life, a lifestyle blog about making and creating with whatever is at hand. She is a regular contributor to "The Splendid Table" on NPR; a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist; and author of the award winning cookbooks The Improvisational Cook and A New Way to Cook. full bio
Books by Sally Schneider
Subscribe to Atlantic FoodThe Atlantic Food Channel on Facebook
Weekly