Kevin Lee Jacobs – Page 3 of 127 – Gardening, Recipes & Home Décor Tips

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...

Apple Brown Betty

Yesterday, just for the joy of it, I made Apple Brown Betty. Do you know this autumn-scented 19th-century dessert? It's easier to make than Apple Crisp. It's economical, too, as the only primary ingredients are apples and whatever bread you happen to have on hand. Join me in the kitchen,...

Chicken Francese

Yesterday, to celebrate the brief burst of cool weather, I served Chicken Francese for dinner. 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...

Perfect Blueberry Tart

Here's the recipe from the "A Perfect Blueberry Tart" video that was recently published on my YouTube channel. The tart is perfectly perfect in every way, from the tender-crisp pastry shell to the azure filling that contains both cooked and uncooked blueberries. You might like to serve the dessert for...

Friselle (Crunchy Italian Bread)

Holy mother of yeast doughs -- I have fallen madly/passionately/hopelessly in love with Friselle. Are you familiar with this centuries-old Italian bread? It's crunchy-munchy delicious. It's sturdy enough to support a mountain of olive oil-drenched cherry tomatoes and other juicy toppings. Few breads are so ridiculously fun to make. Make...

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...

Linguine with Vegetables and Wine Sauce

Topped with smoked mozzarella cheese and fragrant basil, this Linguine with Vegetables and Wine Sauce is about as wonderful as wonderful can be. It's healthy to eat. It's fast to make, and therefore, perfect for a weeknight. And of course it's powerfully delicious, which is why I filmed and wrote...

Crispy Corn Fritters

May I offer you some Crispy Corn Fritters? These munchy wonders are made with lots of healthy veggies (besides corn), and just enough batter to hold everything together. Kids love the fritters as much as adults do. Looking for a fabulous first course, a casual main course, or a dazzling...

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

CAN I TELL YOU A LITTLE SECRET? I'm crazy about Blue Cheese Dressing. It's my favorite dipping-sauce for everything from raw veggies to French fries. I prefer it to vinaigrette for dressing lettuce greens, especially if I'm drinking wine while eating those greens. (Unlike vinaigrette, blue cheese doesn't kill the...

Classic Banana Pudding

Honk if you love Classic Banana Pudding! This timeless treasure features cookies, bananas, and vanilla custard, all of which are lovingly layered beneath a mountain of meringue. I make the dessert from scratch, just as my mother did in the 1960s. Here's the video how-to along with a handy printable...

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...

Chocolate-Cabernet Sauvignon Cake

If only you could visit me today, I'd gladly offer you a slice of this Chocolate-Cabernet Sauvignon Cake. It's as rich and decadent as you'd expect it to be. It's exquisitely perfumed, too. It's the kind of cake that says "Be My Valentine."

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...

May 2022 Garden Chores

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | May 1, 2022 5 Comments

Take a tip from the nesting robins – May isn’t the month to snooze! Garden work we accomplish now will determine our success for the remainder of the growing season. Not sure what to do for your perennials, annuals, and vegetables? Maybe I can help: Perennials Weed, … [Read more...]

My Best Scones

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | April 24, 2022 3 Comments

Here's the printable recipe from the "My Best Scones" video that was recently published on YouTube. The scones are nearly identical to the ones that I was served, on many occasions, at [Read more...]

French Meringue Cookies

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | April 14, 2022 8 Comments

Happy Easter week, everyone! To celebrate, we're making -- and eating -- oodles of French Meringue Cookies. Are you familiar with these gluten-free treats? They are crispy on the outside, and soft and pavlova-like on the inside. You can pipe the egg white batter into … [Read more...]

Linguine with Vegetables and Wine Sauce

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | April 14, 2022 9 Comments

April Garden Work

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | April 2, 2022 5 Comments

Hello, April! This is the month when the garden requires us to move in 10 directions at once. Still, spring is too beautiful not to keep a few hours for savoring. Between planting, … [Read more...]

Crispy Corn Fritters

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | April 2, 2022 11 Comments

Coffee-and-Spice Drop Cookies

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 30, 2022 3 Comments

I made these 1940s-era Coffee-and-Spice Drop Cookies the other day, and they blew me away, man. I love the cookies' crisp edge, soft middle, and tantalizing coffee-nutmeg-cinnamon aroma. Sadly, for those of us who lack any degree of will-power, the cookies are extremely … [Read more...]

Your Refrigerator Recommendations

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 25, 2022 80 Comments

Once again, a friend in need is a friend indeed! Over the years you've helped me to select a new washing machine, a [Read more...]

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 19, 2022 39 Comments

MAY I TELL YOU A LITTLE SECRET? I'm crazy about Blue Cheese Dressing. It's my favorite dipping-sauce for everything from raw veggies to French fries. I prefer it to vinaigrette for dressing lettuce greens, especially if I'm drinking wine while eating those greens. … [Read more...]

Bubble and Squeak with Mushroom Gravy

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 18, 2022 82 Comments

I made Bubble and Squeak the other day, and it comforted my soul. It comforted Brenda Johnsons's soul, too, because I made up a plate for her to taste-test. Here's my version of this British classic, along with the answer to your burning question: "What the heck is … [Read more...]