ArcaMax

For many of us, Easter is the perfect spring holiday; a celebration of rebirth and a beloved time for families to gather together around the table. I'm sure many people are reading this and thinking about what to cook for a holiday brunch, so I'd like to offer one of my favorite classic recipes for the most symbolic Easter ingredient in the ...Read more

One of the happiest benefits of the farmers market revolution is the fact that food lovers get to discover products that not so long ago were unknown or unavailable. Seeing beautiful piles of produce in a market stall and talking with the people who grew them encourages cooks to try vegetables or fruits that they may once have been wary of ...Read more

I know fans of frozen desserts that will go out in a snowstorm for a scoop of their favorite flavor. If you love ice cream, you'll eat it no matter what the weather is like. So, even though summer is still months away, it's ice cream season now (and always).

The same doesn't always go for ice cream flavors based on fruit. Sure, you can go into ...Read more

Almost every day, guests in my restaurants tell me they're following the paleo diet, a way of eating based on the belief that the way our bodies digest the foods we eat has evolved very little in the past couple of million years. So, the best way to maintain optimum health and weight, paleo fans say, is to eat whatever cavemen could hunt, catch ...Read more

Spring is on the horizon. For many of us, it has seemed like a long time coming. So, when the weather starts warming up even a little, it really does feel miraculous -- especially when new seasonal vegetables begin appearing in farmers markets, from locally grown asparagus to peas to the first fresh fava beans to tender, young leafy greens.

In ...Read more

Spring is on the horizon. For many of us, it has seemed like a long time coming. So, when the weather starts warming up even a little, it really does feel miraculous -- especially when new seasonal vegetables begin appearing in farmers markets, from locally grown asparagus to peas to the first fresh fava beans to tender, young leafy greens.

In ...Read more

I recently learned that, from the earliest days of the U.S. space program, astronauts were served a breakfast of steak and eggs before blasting off on their mission. That made sense to me. Combining a sensible portion of meat with some eggs and a few vegetables gives you a protein-rich, energy-packed start to your day. No wonder the great boxer ...Read more

Nowadays, pizza is more than just an Italian specialty. You'll find people enjoying it wherever you travel around the world, from America to England to Japan to Qatar and beyond.

I'm happy to have played some part in spreading that popularity, since I first began giving pizzas a new contemporary California spin at the first location of Spago I ...Read more

It can be a challenge when Valentine's Day falls on a weekday. If you have a job or other demanding activities but want to cook for your Valentine, as many people wish to do, how do you prepare something special after what will probably be a busy day?

The simple answer is to do some planning, and at least a little bit of cooking,...Read more

If you have read any of my cookbooks, or eaten in my restaurants, you may have noticed that I have a certain fondness for dried fruit. You'll find them in my desserts, of course. But you'll also find them turning up in many savory dishes, from stews braises, and sautes to appetizers and side dishes, to salads and soups.

Some of those guest ...Read more

If you have read any of my cookbooks, or eaten in my restaurants, you may have noticed that I have a certain fondness for dried fruit. You'll find them in my desserts, of course. But you'll also find them turning up in many savory dishes, from stews braises, and sautes to appetizers and side dishes, to salads and soups.

Some of those guest ...Read more

In the middle of winter, summer can seem like a very long time away. As you read this, you're probably hearing of record snowfall somewhere, possibly right where you live.

It's only natural for many home cooks to want to combat the chilly surroundings by cooking foods that are robust and warming, including thick soups, slow-simmered braises and...Read more

So many people think of sourdough as an all-American -- or at least North American -- phenomenon. Credit that to the fact that sourdough starters (wild yeast cultures regularly fed and nurtured to keep available for leavening bread) were mainstays not only of pioneering life but also among the miners who made sourdough the reliable daily bread ...Read more

It seems to me that people who love to cook at home often have two separate styles of recipes that they rely on. First come the everyday dishes that they make week after week for their family and any close friends who might drop by -- simple, straightforward, delicious food they can cook quickly and easily with minimal fuss. And then there are ...Read more

Anyone who has dined in one of my restaurants, read one of my books or articles, seen me on TV, or cooked or eaten with me personally knows that I think of the whole world as my pantry.

I love discovering ingredients and ways of cooking them that are new to me, and then mastering and sharing them with others. In the process, I'll often combine ...Read more

Anyone who has dined in one of my restaurants, read one of my books or articles, seen me on TV, or cooked or eaten with me personally knows that I think of the whole world as my pantry.

I love discovering ingredients and ways of cooking them that are new to me, and then mastering and sharing them with others. In the process, I'll often combine ...Read more