Kevin Lee Jacobs – Gardening, Recipes & Home Décor Tips

Rustic Apple Galette

I made this apple galette the other day, and it was everything I'd hoped it would be: delicious, dramatic, and downright addicting. A brushing of melted red currant jelly gives the tender apple slices a sexy sheen. And oh, the crust! It's crunchy, buttery, Pâte Brisée Sucrée. Need some easy elegance in...

Glazed Strawberry Tart

I love this seasonal tart. I made it last Saturday, when my cousin Heath was visiting. I also made it on Tuesday, as part of a live cooking-demonstration for the Kinderhook Garden Club. And this morning, I whipped up the tart yet again, in order to photograph the step-by-step recipe for...

Recipes from “A Colorful Dinner to Welcome Spring”

Here, for your convenience, are the printable recipes from my "A Colorful Dinner to Welcome Spring" video that was recently published on YouTube. Each dinner course -- Roasted Bell Pepper Salad, Penne with Parsley, Peas, Bacon and Mint and Mixed Berry Crumble -- is very easy to do. I hope...

Turkey and Sweet Potato Pie

I made this Turkey and Sweet Potato Pie the other day, and it was love at first bite. Below a golden blanket of mashed, cinnamon-scented sweet potato is a satisfying symphony of ground turkey, leek, tomato paste, and peas. Need a comforting dinner dish that you can make ahead of...

Huevos Rancheros

I love Huevos Rancheros. I love the crisp corn tortilla base. I love the spicy black bean center. I love the colorfully-garnished egg that sits on top. Do you love what I love? Here's the recipe for this Mexican magic that comes together in about 15 minutes: Tip! To watch...

Bundtlettes with Strawberry Glaze

I love these mini Lemon Pound Cakes, or "Bundtlettes." I love how they look. I love how they smell. I love how they taste! The ornate cakes have a moist but tight crumb that is downright addicting. You can enjoy them as-is, or top them, as I did for a...

A Beautiful Beet Soup

Please enjoy this Beet Soup recipe from my "Romantic Make-Ahead Dinner | Recipes | Flowers | Setting the Table" video that was recently published on YouTube. Brilliantly-hued, the soup is the ideal first-course for a Valentine's Day dinner. It's earthy with beets, bright with lemon, and exquisitely perfumed with dried...

Little Lemon Pudding Cakes

Little Lemon Pudding Cakes are dreamy-delicious for afternoon tea. They are made from a simple custard batter to which a small amount of flour and some softly beaten egg whites are added. When the batter is poured into ramekins and baked in a water bath, or "Bain Marie," the egg...

Make-Ahead Appetizers from “Cocktails in the Parlor”

Love cocktails? Appetizers? Stress-free entertaining? Then you will love the appetizers from my latest YouTube video, "Cocktails in the Parlor. " The appetizers in question can all be made ahead of time. This means that you, the host who might also have to wear the hats of cook, butler, and...

Make-Ahead Brunch: Video + Recipes

Thinking of hosting a brunch party for Father's Day or any ole day? I think you'll enjoy my latest YouTube video. Please join me as I set the table, make a flower arrangement, and prepare several cook-friendly recipes for an elegant make-ahead brunch! I hope the above video is useful...

Beef Stew with Dark Beer and Bittersweet Chocolate

Holy shamrock, Batman! I made this stew the other day, and it totally rocked my world. It's a symphony of carrots, parsnips, and seriously-tender beef, all gloriously perfumed with dark beer, strong coffee, and bittersweet chocolate. In other words, it's...The Most Delicious Stew In The World.

Rice Pudding

Here's the printable recipe from my latest YouTube episode, "Classic Rice Pudding." This long-forgotten dessert deserves a comeback. Why? Because it's creamy-dreamy delicious. It's gluten-free, too, if that dietary aspect is important to you. And few desserts of silken custardy-ness require so little effort to make. All you need is...

Cabbage Pie

Here's the printable recipe from the "Cabbage Pie" video that was recently published on my YouTube channel. The pie is delicious at any temperature -- hot, warm, or even cold from the fridge. And nothing could be easier to make. Make this vegetarian masterpiece once, and I promise you will...

Rustic Beer Bread (Hand-Kneaded)

This is my own, original recipe for Rustic Beer Bread. The bread -- actually, it's a "boule" -- has a deep, fermented flavor and a crackling-crisp crust. Its crumb is delightfully chewy and baguette-like. Looking for a loaf that goes with everything, and that you can easily mix and knead...

French Butter Cookies (Sablé Breton)

French Butter Cookies -- Sablés Breton -- originated in the northwest region of Brittany, France. In France and elsewhere in Europe, the cookies are instantly recognized for their fluted edges, crosshatch markings, and brilliant sheen. To me, the buttery biscuits taste like a trip to Paris without the jetlag. They...

How I Smother Weeds with Newspaper

WHEN WEEDS INVADE MY PERENNIAL BEDS, I don't get mad -- I get newspaper. Newspaper-mulching, as we have discussed before, makes weeds disappear instantly. And it prevents them from re-emerging for an entire season, if not longer. I newspaper-mulched one of my weed-choked beds just this morning. Would you like...

Tex-Mex Baked Potato!

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | September 13, 2024 Leave a Comment

Take a Kennebec or Russet potato, bake it until tender, top it with chili, Cheddar cheese, salsa, red onion, sour cream and cilantro, and what will you have? Pure bliss! Here's the recipe for this "Tex-Mex" Baked Potato -- a dazzling lunch or dinner main course that … [Read more...]

September Dinner Party Recipes!

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | September 8, 2024 2 Comments

Hello, dear friends! Please enjoy these recipes from my "September Dinner Party" video that was published on YouTube today. If you wear the hats of host, cook and scullery maid, then you will be glad to know that all three dinner courses can be prepared well ahead of … [Read more...]

Cheddar and Beer Onion Soup

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | September 6, 2024 1 Comment

Please enjoy this Cheddar and Beer Onion Soup recipe from the "I Could Eat This Every Day!" video that was recently published on my YouTube channel. The soup was inspired by one that I was served at Ye Olde Tavern in Manchester, Vermont. It is deeply flavored with … [Read more...]

Marinated Chicken with Herbes de Provence

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | August 1, 2024 3 Comments

Here's the Marinated Chicken with Herbes de Provence recipe from my "Keeping House and Making a Delicious Three Course Dinner" video that was recently published on YouTube. The chicken in question is moist, tender, and exquisitely perfumed. It's cook-friendly, too. … [Read more...]

A French Vegetable Tian

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | July 28, 2024 77 Comments

A tian is a shallow, earthenware baking dish of French origin. The word also refers to the contents of the … [Read more...]

French Sandwich Bread (Pain de Mie)

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | July 18, 2024 34 Comments

Pain de Mie (French sandwich bread) is the aristocrat of breads. I love it for tea sandwiches, French toast, Melba toast, croutons, chic cocktail canapes, and more. I first wrote about this lovely loaf [Read more...]

Puff Pastry with Jam and Brie

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | June 20, 2024 2 Comments

Puff Pastry with Jam and Brie has is one of my "signature" appetizers for cocktail parties. You can make this savory-sweet beauty in no time at all. Almost any jam will do the trick here -- I usually rely on fig, apricot, or strawberry. And you can swap the Brie for … [Read more...]

Classic Stuffed Mushrooms

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | June 20, 2024 2 Comments

Please enjoy this Classic Stuffed Mushrooms recipe from the "Five Make-Ahead Party Appetizers for Stress-Free Hosting" video that was recently published on my YouTube channel (click here to watch). The mushrooms in question … [Read more...]

Let’s Make Eclairs!

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | June 16, 2024 Leave a Comment

Here's the printable recipe from the "Making Chocolate Éclairs from Scratch" video that was recently published on my YouTube channel. Composed of choux pastry, vanilla pastry cream and chocolate ganache, Éclairs are exquisite in every way imaginable. Lucky for us, these … [Read more...]