Binny's Blog

If you love food but are a little work-shy in the kitchen, we have an easy and delicious three-course meal for your Galentine's Day or Valentine's Day, along with wine, beer and cocktail pairings for each course.

It is the beginning of summer and the long-awaited return of strawberry season in the Midwest, which is reason enough to celebrate. If you feel the need for another excuse to make this perfectly rustic summer dessert, June 14 is National Strawberry Shortcake Day. But who needs excuses when it comes to strawberry shortcake? It is THE dessert you should be serving to put an exclamation point on every June cookout and picnic you host.

The Flank Steak Salad is definitely a hearty meal, and a delightfully simple one to prepare. Just bear in mind that salting is essential to the recipe. Salting and seasoning the steak 30 minutes prior to grilling ensures that the meat absorbs the flavorful seasoning and remains juicy when served.

The key to achieving that crispy texture and luxuriously creamy center is to set yourself up for success. Allow the filet to come to room temperature. Pat the surface dry before cooking.

Crème brûlée is not simply about intensely satisfying vanilla notes. The joy of crème brûlée is tasting the contrasts - the hot/savory note of burnt sugar and the cool/sweet interior, and above all the the audible crack of its hard shell giving way to the luxuriantly velvet-textured custard underneath.

Though this decadent recipe is a study in simplicity, be sure to use quality ingredients. Your better half will appreciate your efforts.

There's nothing like a hearty shrimp appetizer to really start your dinner party off right. Chef Scott's grilled shrimp with caramelized pineapple salsa will leave your guests with the most fulfilling sweet and savory experience they've ever had.

This flavorful, low fat recipe is all about method. The technique known as en papillote is often used with seasoned, delicate proteins (such as chicken breasts and seafood) whose flavors mingle and intensify as they cook in their own steam.

Everyone knows the classic cocktail Kir. It's a mix of sparkling wine and raspberry liquor such as Chambord. Use Champagne and you have a Kir Royale. We are taking it a step further with the inclusion of one of our favorite herbal liquors, St. Germain Elderflower.