Chef Bill’s Blog

I’m not one to pile on.  Nor am I one to kick someone when they’re down.  But I am quite bothered by the announcement that celebrity chef Paula Dean has type 2 diabetes.  Well, I’m not bothered by the actual announcement.  I’m bothered by t...

4 cups chicken stock or broth 4 cups water 8-10 (approx) bone-in (skin-off) chicken thighs or 2-3 bone-in (skin-off) chicken breast halves 4 carrots, peeled and diced small 5 stalks celery, diced small 3 onions, peeled and diced 6 oz ...

1-2 tablespoons canola oil 1 cup cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (approximately equivalent to one chicken breast half) 2 carrots, peeled and chopped 1 celery stalks, chopped 1 onions, peeled and chopped 1 quart chicken stock (organic a...

Danger Will Robinson! It’s that most wonderful time of the year, when we all hang out in our kitchens and create some (hopefully) great food.  Okay, maybe not all of us do it.  But this is the time of year when new and semi-experienced cooks can...

  [caption id="attachment_748" align="aligncenter" width="206" caption="Almost a Turkey"][/caption] Soon, we’ll all be sitting around a table with our families and loved ones.  Hopefully even both. But the big star of the day, unless yo...

Apples are everywhere right now.  If you’re lucky enough to live near an apple orchard, you can pick your own.  Or, even just for a fun outing, you can go there, with the apples already picked for you, and you can enjoy some great, freshly pres...

[caption id="attachment_698" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Making pancakes (not from a mix!) with Jaelene"][/caption] In case you missed my Facebook postings last week (how could that be possible?), here’s what I was up to: I spent the ...

So there I was, out our CSA farm, Brookfield Farm, when I had the chance to grab some collard greens.  In case you missed it, a CSA farm is a farm where you can buy shares, and pick up all kinds of fruits and vegetables from spring until fall.  It’...

The Taste of Amherst is this weekend, until Sunday June 19. Come by to see me doing a food demo at noon on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s demo will be pesto, featuring the basil of the Swartz Family Farm in Amherst. See you there!

  Yes, I have a new gluten and nut-free chocolate cake that’s terrific.  It’s easy to make, and has an almost fudgy texture.  I found the recipe online, and had to mess around with it around a bit.  My biggest change was to add some ...

Spring has barely sprung, but it’s time to start thinking of the fresh produce that will be here before we know it.  Out here in the wilds of Western Massachusetts, we have some of the best, most fertile farmland in the country.  As I was roaming a...

It’s been a great travel week.  Albany.  Weston.  Longmeadow.  Lunenburg.  Swampscott.  And more to come.  The common thread in all of these has been chocolate.  Okay.  Almost all of these.  I’ve been making lots of chocolate desserts.  ...

1 package no-boil lasagna noodles 2 15 oz cans black beans, drained 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, rinsed and minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced salt Tabasco (or your favorite semi-hot sauce) 2 16 oz jars salsa (mild or me...

Holy smokes!  My cooking brain shut down, and I just realized that I never posted about my Valentine’s Day Romantic Dinner for Two.  I’d auction it to the highest bidder, with all of the money going to Reader to Reader’s project to build a scho...

I had a great time last night at Stonewall Kitchen in York, ME, teaching another cooking class.  It wasn’t quite sold-out, but that was entirely my fault.  A few months ago, when I was planning the class, I came up with the semi-brilliant idea of d...

We had almost two feet of snow this week.  That means one thing: making a pot of soup.  But with all that snow, I felt compelled to make three soups.  Well actually, it was two soups and a chili.  But one was a classic, almost-garbage soup.  Garba...

Valentines Day this year is Tuesday, Feb 14.  I’m auctioning a Romantic Dinner for Two, with all proceeds going to Reader to Reader. So what will this mean for the lucky couple for the evening of Valentine’s Day?  In their kitchen, I’ll prep...

[caption id="attachment_371" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Turkey stock!"][/caption] Just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend:  I’ve posted my pea soup and turkey stock recipes on my recipe page here on the website.  Both of these go w...

I did a dinner this past week, for these folks who live north of Boston.  I truly love cooking for them.  But the day started out as a train wreck.  I arrived in their kitchen 45 minutes late, due to 4 road construction sites, and two accidents.  A...

So, what have I been up to lately?  Well, besides cooking a lot (always a good sign), I’ve been spending quality time with my laptop, working on spreadsheets and proposals.  For what, you might ask?  Cooking classes.  I’m putting together ideas...

On August 30, I’ll be biting the bullet (not usually considered a food item) and going to NYC to (drum roll, please) audition to be The Next Network Food Star on the Food Network.  Why am I telling you this, rather than just sneaking into the Big Ap...

[caption id="attachment_281" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Me (on the left) with Ian Hongell, Sr. Winemaker at Peter Lehman Wines"][/caption] So what do YOU do when you have a rare Saturday night off?  For me, it was going to a wine tastin...

Okay, so I’ve been a wee bit lax in writing lately.  But I have the best excuse ever.  I’ve been cooking.  A lot.  I’m hoping I’ll be able to get some AmEx frequent driver points, because I’ve been cooking all over New England lately.  Y...

This was a good cooking night.  Actually, a great one.  With summer almost here, and rain definitely here, it was time to put on the foul weather gear and do some grilling.  It was a fun dinner, with 6 guests. I stared with guacamole and salsa and c...

This is turning into a nifty day.  Nice walk with the dogs this morning.  And I’m heading out the door shortly to do a dinner with regular clients this evening.  The dinner has gone from being for 4 adults to 4 adults and 4 kids.  With 4 entrees....

[caption id="attachment_248" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Zesting a lime"][/caption] I just got back from tonight’s class at Stonewall Kitchen in York, ME.  Is it worth it for me to drive 4½ hours to do a 1½ class?  YES!!!!  These c...

I spent today recovering from three jobs in two days.  I did a personal chef all day, cook-a-thon in Weston on Monday, followed by a fun Romantic Dinner for Two that night in Milford, MA, followed by another personal chef day cook-a-thon yesterday in ...

The 1980’s were a time best remembered for, well, not a lot.  But they did have their own food revolution.  This one had an impact that outlived the big hair that everone had then.  It was led by two caterers in Manhattan, who called their shop �...

[gallery] I was talking to Carolyn Broughton-Willett, at AJ Hastings.  Hastings is a classic, center-of-town store in Amherst, MA that has everything.  Carolyn and I often (okay, always) talk about food when I'm there.  Two weeks ago, she was rav...

Well, the new site is up and running.  We're still adding recipes, and bringing over previous blog postings, and updating the cooking class schedules.  Do you like the site?  Let me know what you think by clicking on my email up there on the left, a...

As you might have noticed, my blog entries have been a wee bit light lately.  Why?  Two reasons:  one reason is that I'm editing the 2nd draft of my cookbook. But the real reason (that was just a lame one) is that Janet Merriman, from Theatrium ...

[caption id="attachment_88" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="This is fresh corned beef"][/caption] St. Patrick's Day is upon us. It's a holiday that somehow escaped my culinary childhood, and one that I continued to forget to celebrate until ...

I'm always a bit surprised when Monday mornings get away from me. How often does this happen? Usually, not more then once per week. And it's been a busy morning. I'm thrilled that I've just arranged two new classes for this summer at Different Drummer'...

So, where have I been this last month? It’s more like, where haven’t I been? There was the launch party for Michael Palmer’s new book, The Last Surgeon, which hit #15 in the NY Times bestseller list in it’s first week. That was during a heav...

Okay, look up. No, not literally. I don't mean that you should look at the ceiling, the sky, or whoever is sitting across from you. I mean, if you're reading this on my website, then by looking up, you'll see I have a new feature on the site. I'm c...

This all started from a picture on my Facebook page of me and my first souffle since, well, a long time... Chocolate soufflé? Really? Isn’t that the dish that makes professional chefs annoyed, and amateur chefs insane? Well, no, not really. A...

Today was demo day at the Boston Home Show, for (and with!) the folks from Stonewall Kitchen. It was so well run, I’m still giddy with excitement. I arrived two hours before my demo. All of the ingredients for my dish, Shrimp Pad Thai, were alread...

My week in the public eye is coming to a big close on Saturday.  Last week, I did the Jimmy Fund event in Agawam, then the Boston Wine Expo.  Both went well.  On Saturday and Sunday, at the Expo, I made over 20 pounds of a warm-smoked salmon and pas...

Tonight, I’ll be at the Chefs for Jimmy event at Chez Josef in Agawam.  This is the big fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund, part of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  Last year, over $100,000 was raised at the event, all for cancer research.  I partici...

It’s just a few hours late, but my New Year has finally begun.  In a holiday week unlike any other in the eight-plus years of Chef Bill (that is, Chef Bill the business.  I’m much older than eight-plus years), I did three events, including two co...

Yeah, I've been quiet on the blog.  I've also been cooking up a storm, including eight of the last nine days.  So before I dive into the writing again, it's time to bring up a great gift idea... I’m being hounded.  Okay, maybe not hounded, alth...

Do you get nervous when it comes to turkey carving?  Well, fret no more!  My video on carving will not only answer all of your questions, everyone at your Thanksgiving table will "ooh" and "aah" at your knife-wielding skills.  Even the turkey will b...

This has been a crazy-busy food week, with no end in sight for 10 more days.  Which is a VERY good thing, BTW.  Tonight, I made pad Thai for 200 people in Sturbidge, at the Publick House (no, it's not a typo.  It's historical...).  It was part of...

Hi everyone, Just a reminder about my cooking class at Harbor Sweets in Salem, MA this Saturday, Nov 7, from noon-2:00.  The class is filling up, so make sure you reserve a seat ASAP.  I've created four new recipes with Sweet Sloops Crunch®.  Ar...

Tonight was pizza night.  I made a triple dough recipe, enough for six pizzas.  We ended up with five.  And I (with a visiting sous chef from Chicago, Chef MollyG) made a few new ones, with everyone’s wine-induced suggestions.  One of them was a ...

I’ve just finished a culinary Iditarod. No sled dogs were involved, and I was nowhere near Alaska.  And there was definitely no mush.   But I cooked for something like 11 out of 13 days.  It was a blast, and now I need a nap. It started with a...

At this very moment, the flourless chocolate cake that’s posted in my recipe section is in the oven.  It’s much easier to make than it looks.  The technique takes a lot of describing, but it’s nothing exotic.  It’s a great cake, and it’s ...

On Saturday, Nov 7, from noon to 2:00, I’ll be teaching a really different class in  a really different place.  I’ll be at Harbor Sweets, right on the waterfront in Salem, MA.  But wait.  It gets better. In case you don’t know Harbor Sweet...

Had a fun (and full!) class tonight at Different Drummer’s Kitchen in Northampton (yeah, the locals call it NoHo.  Gee, is there another NoHo somewhere...?).  It was a lively class, so lively that when I was showing how to make a traditional risot...

Chicken Soup as a stir fry?  Yup, that’s the one.  Of course, I’m sure a zillion questions are coming to your mind as you try to picture this:, with the main one being, “why?”  Why change a classic soup, arguably the best cure for the common...

My favorite food in the whole wide world is corn.  Really.  It’s great on the cob.  Frozen (the Trader Joe’s organic frozen is amazing).  Even canned.  When I have it on the cob, I like it without salt or butter.  Just the corn.  And I try t...

I can’t eat another BLT.  Well, that’s not true.  I’m down to (barely) less than one per day.  I can’t help it. It happens around this time every year.  It’s not my fault.  It’s the tomato’s fault. First of all, I grew up in a dep...

I’ve been getting lots of comments about my comment last weekend on Facebook about a salad that I made for a dinner on Saturday, which is a variation of the classic Caprese Salad. For those of you who might not know it by it’s name, a Caprese Sa...

I slept until 10:30 yesterday morning.  I even missed a bike ride.  Not my usual habit, but my body needed the downtime.  Why?  This has been a great week for cooking lessons (and cooking lesson parties!).  Especially for August, when things are a...

In this rainy season that’s rumored to be summer, there are two crops which seem to be doing well.  The first one is corn.  In case you were wondering, fresh, local corn on the cob is my favorite food in the whole wide world.  Even more than pizza...

It seems that Julia Child is back.  And she didn't even get top billing, either.  "Julie and Julia," the new food and date-night movie, has brought Julia back to the front pages and tv screens.  Yes, she was the first big name tv chef.  But what ma...

Beer can chicken is a new American Classic.  Okay, so maybe new is a relative term. But it's the perfect dish for your outdoor grill.  In less than an hour and a half (and not a lot of effort), you can have a moist, crspy-skinned roast chicken that's...

Well, I survived today’s Chili Contest. In case you missed hearing about it (how is that possible?), I was in the Amherst Chamber of Commerce’s Winterfest Chili Contest. It. was held at a golf course, but we were, thankfully, inside. The winner, sa...

This week has been a wild, culinary Iditarod. No two days were alike. And it was food, food, food from Monday morning at 9:30 until last night at 5:30. Then I came home, ate dinner, and slept for 12 hours. I wish I had one of these weeks ever month. It...

I’m in the middle of a very busy time of public appearances. Oh sure, it’s all limousines, glamour, and Food Network appearance. Well, it’s more like quality time in the minivan, washing even more dishes, and doing cooking classes. The classes I ...

I’ve become kinda/sorta obsessed with a new dish that I found in a favorite cookbook, Jewish Cooking in America, by Joan Nathan. I was actually looking for a recipe for a classic cabbage soup. Now, before the gas jokes begin (can we ever have enough ...

It’s been a while since I last blogged. Okay, so it’s been more than a little while. But I have a really good reason. One which is foolproof: I forgot. To blog, that is. But I won’t anymore. Really. Okay, so maybe I didn’t forget. But I’m ...

Many moons ago, I thought Crème Brulée was one of life’s mysteries. It always looked hard to make. And then there was that burnt (allegedly caramelized) crusty bit on the top. How did THAT happen? After cooking school, I never gave it much thoug...

Tonight was a wild night at the cooking class. It started out as a raucous affair, and got silly from there. I checked on the way home, and there wasn’t a full moon. Go figure… So what was the source of such giddiness? Tomatoes. I led off the Fa...