I grew up in the South, and something that was always at my churches dinner parties was chicken parmesan. Several women had to help with that dish, because everyone wanted some. My grandmother was one of those women and we were spoiled with the best chicken Parmesan long after we switched churches. It is aFIND OUT MORE |

Photo via Flickr member saaleha When it comes to brownies, just about everyone will agree that they are great. But few people will agree on what makes them great. There are endless preferences which play into people’s definition of a great brownie: is it cakey, chewy, or fudgy? With nuts or without? Is icing orFIND OUT MORE |

Sustainability is becoming more and more important in the restaurant world. People want to know more and more about the origin of their food and to keep them in your restaurant and out of their own kitchen, you have to have some transparency. Even Chipotle restaurant is trying to use organic ingredients whenever possible. ToFIND OUT MORE |

Photo via Flickr member johnnystiletto I’ll just come out and say it: I grew up in a bland pork chop zone. My mother has many talents, but making perfect pork chops was not one of them: her creations tended toward dry, stringy, and flavorless. But I don’t think it’s her fault: it’s more a resultFIND OUT MORE |

If you have the dream of opening a restaurant, you may feel that nothing can hold you back. Even those staggering statistics that are not in your favor. The whole “60% will close in the first three years of business” thing. (Oh, that.) Beth Casey, restaurant owner and manager says that you have to qualifyFIND OUT MORE |

Photo via Flickr member Christina Claßen I was a fan of dried fruit from a very young age. Of course, at that time my tastes ran to the super sweet: fruit that was flat and rolled up in a tight snack pack. As I got older and wiser, my tastes became more mature, and myFIND OUT MORE |

Artisan cheese is handmade in small batches that are given plenty of care and attention. As a result, artisan cheese typically has more complex and greater variety of flavors. Artisan cheese can come from any type of milk such as cow and sheep to goat and buffalo. Different regions of the world have mastered different types ofFIND OUT MORE |

There is nothing I enjoy more than having my mother stop by and cook for me. Your mom always seems to know the best way to make your favorite dish. For me, that means her famous poached eggs over challah. This was a dish that spawned out of necessity and became a family favorite. OneFIND OUT MORE |

Photo via Flickr member icrontic I consider fresh herbs one of the most powerful flavor tools in a chef’s repertoire. Fresh herbs add a sense of place, rich aroma, and delicious flavor to any food. But if the chef is a superhero, there comes a kryptonite with the use of fresh herbs: they’re not availableFIND OUT MORE |

There are the rare people who approach cleaning with zest. The “whistle while you work” types who approach tackling a pile of grime with joy. The rest of us know it has to be done, but don’t exactly relish the experience. Having a spic and span restaurant not only makes it easier to work butFIND OUT MORE |