Sam’s Grilling 101 – The Perfect Hamburger

July 3, 2017 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

Get ready for the 4th of July BBQ. Here are a few simple tips and tactics that take your burgers, and whatever else you throw on the grill, to the next level! No more bland, burned or over-cooked foods when you follow these basic rules. Have the right tools. You don’t need very many tools to…

Sam’s Weekend Brunch 101 – Perfect Eggs and Home Fries

November 5, 2016 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

This post, originally published in May 2012, is back by popular demand for great weekend brunch recipes. I love eggs in all their diverse, delicious glory. There is an old story about the origin of the pleated folds in our chef hats, or Toques, that claims the 100 pleats represent the 100 ways to cook an egg.…

Sam’s Fall Sausage and Lentil Stew

September 20, 2013 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

To celebrate the first day of autumn, embrace the warm, earthy flavors of the fall and share with your friends this easy, comforting meal. Sausage and Lentil Stew with Acorn Squash and Kale Serves 6 2 pounds, green lentils, dry 1 1/2 pounds, sweet Italian sausage links, whole 1 each, large yellow onion, sliced 1/8”…

Sam’s 5 Pro Tips To Make You A Better Cook

August 11, 2013 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

Ask yourself: Does cooking seem like too much of a hassle? Do you think of dinner as an event that requires hours of tedious preparation? Do you not cook because the food you make just isn’t very tasty? Do you wait until your chef friends come around to suggest a group dinner? Well, the latter…

Sam’s Tips About Moving Abroad

July 27, 2013 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

For years I fantasized about picking up and shipping off across the sea to Europe; a one way ticket and an unforgettable experience. People would ask me, “Where do you want to go after (culinary) school?” “To Spain!” I would reply. This all started years ago before ever going to the Culinary Institute of America.…

Sam’s Simple Spanish Picnic

July 12, 2013 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

As the summer weather and city-wide events have begun to take full effect in NYC (as well as in my current local of Barcelona, Spain!), the sun, music, outdoor film showings, and plush green grass are far too inviting to spend your evenings indoors. For that matter, summer is a time where it feels like…

Beat the Cold with Sam’s Five Onion Soup

January 10, 2013 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

With the winter weather closing in, soup sales are up and salad sales are down at the on-campus restaurants here are the Culinary Institute of America. Nothing is better on a cold day than a hearty, heart-warming bowl of homemade soup! The best thing about making soup at home is that you can use leftover…

Sam’s Halloween Party 101

October 25, 2012 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

So, it’s almost Halloween; the holiday that once meant cruising your neighborhood with a pillowcase full of candy and that now, at least for me and my friends, means a party; dressing up, having drinks, and letting loose! In my opinion, a successful party doesn’t have to have extensive decorations, elaborate menus, expensive drinks, or an…

Sam’s Tips for Finding a Roommate Share Long Distance

August 25, 2012 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

One of the hardest things to deal with when moving across the country (or even to another state) is procuring housing before you arrive. Typically, the prospective renters that my housemates and I have interviewed (mainly from Craigslist) were already conveniently located in our area. We set a time, they came over, we asked them…

Sam’s Grilling 101 – The Perfect Hamburger

July 1, 2012 | By Sam AuthorMy First Apartment

Get ready for the 4th of July BBQ. Here are a few simple tips and tactics that take your burgers, and whatever else you throw on the grill, to the next level! No more bland, burned or over-cooked foods when you follow these basic rules. 1) Have the right tools. You don’t need very many…