Miela Tahril

Because I grew up listening to baseball on the radio, whenever I heard the word “rhubarb,” I wouldn’t think of something edible and delicious like this amazing Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, I’d think of fights.Back in the early days of radio, when they wanted to get the sound effect of an angry mob, they’d tell the performers to repeat the word “rhubarb,” over and over. It sounds heated and contentious, yet the listener doesn’t hear any specific words.Baseball announcers of the same era began to call...

I’m calling this chicken and “dumplings” for search engine purposes, but these came out so well that internally we going with chicken and “dumplins.” That’s right, if your dumplings really rock, you’re allowed to drop the “g.” It’s the highest honor one can bestow on this humble dish.The wonderful thing about this dumpling recipe, besides its ease, is how truly versatile it is. I’m not even referring to the actual dumpling batter, which of course can be tweaked with various herb and/or dairy substitutions,...

Photo (c) Flickr user Vince AlongiOn this Memorial Day, as we honor those who gave their lives serving our country, let’s take an extra moment to remember all the countless military cooks and chefs that made the ultimate sacrifice feeding our troops in times of war. They say an army travels on its stomach, but more than simply providing calories, these brave souls are serving up a visceral connection to home. We have a lot of servicemen and women that visit the blog from around the globe, and the...

I hope you're all headed toward a fun and festive Memorial Day weekend! Here are 12 of my favorite grilled recipes, just in case burgers and hot dogs aren't going to cut it this year. And don't forget the side dishes! Everyone knows they're the real secret behind any epic cookout. That, and beer. Enjoy!!Santa Maria Tri-Tip Grilled Lamb Chops Grilled Pickled Veggies Grilled Korean Short Ribs Grilled Flank Steak Grilled Lemon Chicken Cornell Chicken Grilled Barbecue Chicken Grilled Pork Tenderloin...

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I was enjoying some barbecued beef brisket recently, and as I went to stick my fork into the potato salad that accompanied it, I could see something looked very different. The salad was chock full of what appeared to be some kind of chopped, dark, leafy greens. I took a bite, and quickly realized it was mustard greens. What a great idea! The greens not only added an interesting heat, but provided texture as well. I made up my mind right then and there that I’d borrow this idea, and share it before...

On Saturday, I attended a photography workshop led by acclaimed New York Times' food photographer, Andrew Scrivani. I thoroughly enjoyed the class, and left enthused to show off my new skills. That was until I remembered my next post was a mussels recipe.So what? Well, during the class intro, Andrew did a slide show to illustrate various keys concepts and strategies, and the bowl of mussels you see below was used to demonstrate how a simple, eye-catching prop, like a vintage fork, could help draw...

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I received an email the other day from someone wanting to know how they can make ice cream without the machine I demonstrated in our vanilla ice cream video. I replied that you really can’t, since it’s the churning of the mixture while it freezes that gives you the desired texture. Then, the very next day, I saw this video from my friend Johnathan Lynch, showing how to make a berry ice cream with no ice cream machine. Technically it’s frozen yogurt, but still. You do need to find a food processor,...

I did it. I made macarons. Finally, I can apply for my food blogger merit badge! Hold on, I’m being told I still need to make mini-cupcakes and a quinoa salad to qualify. Oh well, I’ve waited this long. Anyway, this was my first attempt at macarons, and for not having any clue what I was doing, I was quite happy with the results. They looked fine, and the texture was almost identical to the ones sold at Chantal Guillon, a famous macaron bar here in San Francisco.So, was it beginners luck? Yes. You...

One of my favorite things about the Internet is how you can make outrageous claims with complete impunity. For example, I’m claiming that this is the world’s fastest meatball recipe, and while I have plenty of evidence to support my claim, I really like knowing that I’ll never need to. In related news, I’m one of the world’s strongest men.Anyway, these meatballs are significantly faster than a traditional recipe for three main reasons: First, there’s no chopping and sauteing to make the base mixture....

A happiest of happy Mother's Day to all the moms, and mom-like followers of this blog. I've posted this clip before, but it never fails to make me chuckle, so here you go again. Have a wonderful day, and as always, enj...

It feels like we’ve been swimming up river the last few days, as our small, but traumatic kitchen remodel takes place. I’m sure the project will come in well under budget, and way ahead of schedule, but for now, everything takes twice as long to do.Happily, wanting to keep things simple is what spawned this very tasty salmon and leek pasta sauce. This recipe features two of my favorite foods; wild salmon and crème fraiche. These types of seafood sauces are usually made with straight cream, or a...

Finally, an appropriate use of the Plastic Wrap filter in Photoshop! Or maybe not. Anyway, we're on Day 1 of a little kitchen remolding project, so if I get a bit quiet on the blog over the next few days, that will be the very good reason. Regardless, the show must go on, and I should still have a brand new video for you sometime tomorrow. Wish us luck, and stay tuned!...

There are so many food-related ways to show mom love this Mother’s Day weekend, but none will be more delicious than this creamy quiche Lorraine! What are your plans? Breakfast in bed? Great idea, until you consider the crumbs and numb legs. Maybe brunch out? Sure, less clean up, but a mediocre meal at the local casual dining complex says, “we like you, mom,” more than it says, “we love you.” That brings us to the best option; cooking brunch for mom at home. Of course you’ll need something...

Every once in a great while, I get a food wish from someone I admire and respect so much that I just can’t say no. This “Pad Thai” popcorn recipe was their latest request, and as always, I was more than thrilled to make this very influential person’s snack dream come true. Who is this mystery foodie? Me! I was channel surfing late one night, and caught the very tail end of a show featuring a hot spot in Charleston, SC, called The Gin Joint. The theme was unique bar eats, and the host was talking...

I’m not sure exactly when it’ll happen, but at some point this spring or summer, you’re going to start hating every one of your go-to grilled chicken recipes. Those recipes are delicious, but after decades of the same old, same old, you just get fatigued. Hopefully when that happens, you’ll remember this spicy, tarragon yogurt chicken recipe. And you don’t even need to remember the specific ingredients. Except for the plain yogurt, the other components are completely adaptable. The endless varieties...

Cinco de Mayo, or as I like to call it "Mexican St. Patrick’s Day," is almost here, and as everyone knows, the cornerstone of any great CDM celebration is the salsa cruda. It has to be homemade, and it has to be awesome. Actually, if you serve enough margaritas you could get away with store-bought, but for the sake of this post, let’s just go with it. Salsa cruda simply means a raw sauce, and that’s really the only rule. This is also commonly called “pico de gallo,” which means “rooster's beak,”...