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...
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Rustic Apple Galette

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...
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Glazed Strawberry Tart

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...
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Recipes from “A Colorful Dinner to Welcome Spring”

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...
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Turkey and Sweet Potato Pie

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...
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Huevos Rancheros

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...
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Bundtlettes with Strawberry Glaze

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...
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A Beautiful Beet Soup

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...
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Little Lemon Pudding Cakes

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...
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Make-Ahead Appetizers from “Cocktails in the Parlor”

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...
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Make-Ahead Brunch: Video + Recipes

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.
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Beef Stew with Dark Beer and Bittersweet Chocolate

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...
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Rice Pudding

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...
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Cabbage Pie

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...
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Rustic Beer Bread (Hand-Kneaded)

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...
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French Butter Cookies (Sablé Breton)

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...
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How I Smother Weeds with Newspaper

French Sandwich Bread (Pain de Mie)

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | 36 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 | 3 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...]

Let’s Make Eclairs!

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | 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...]

Recipe: My Very Serious Brownies

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | 4 Comments

Here's the Very Serious Brownies recipe from my "Picnic in the Garden" video. The brownies are serious indeed -- dark, decadent, and totally addicting. My only advice, beyond the printable instructions below, is to use a high quality bittersweet chocolate, such as one … [Read more...]

Falafel! (GF)

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | 19 Comments

I love falafel! I love it -- or should I say "them?" -- in pita pockets with lettuce and tahini sauce, or simply dipped, as pictured up top, in tzatziki sauce. Falafel is a fried ball made … [Read more...]

English Muffins from Scratch

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | 46 Comments

Please enjoy this English Muffin recipe from the "My Idea of Heaven" video that was recently published on my YouTube channel. The English muffins in question are blessed with a yeasty aroma and a pleasant chew that puts store-bought counterpart to shame. And no yeast … [Read more...]

Sweet Potato & Black Black Bean Chili

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | 3 Comments

Here is the chili recipe from the "Filling My Freezer with Breakfasts and Dinners" video that was recently published on YouTube.  Made with sweet potatoes, black beans, and simple spices, this vegan chili is healthy, hearty, and beyond delicious. As the title of the … [Read more...]

Matcha Tea Cookies

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | 1 Comment

Here's the printable recipe for the Matcha Tea Cookies that were featured in my YouTube video "Afternoon Tea with Matcha Cookies and Piano Duets!" The cookies are light, crisp, and exquisitely perfumed with vanilla and lemon. But more importantly, they are a delightful … [Read more...]

Chicken Francese

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | 16 Comments

Ah, Chicken Francese. Are you familiar with this 1950s Italian-American dish? The lightly breaded chicken cutlets are dressed in a shimmering lemon-and-wine sauce. The dinner smells as wonderful as it tastes. And it comes together in a single skillet in about 15 … [Read more...]