Chef Paul Prudhomme makes Egg Nog

WHY BUY IT, WHEN YOU CAN MAKE IT?

My obsession with Nigella Lawson continues...

Dear Santa,

I've been good all year. Please take me to Nigella's house for Christmas supper.

Cookies and Milk,
Myrna

p.s. Jumbleberry Crumble...what else is there to say ?

Banana Pudding with a British accent

I made banana pudding this past Thanksgiving for both sides of the family. I accidentally dropped the one I made for my mom's side upside down. She literally had 10-13 desserts on this table and I was trying to fit this in and SPLAT! Foti and my brother were the only ones who were able to try my pudding. Everyone else was sad they didn't get a scoop in time!

Foti's family gobbled theirs all up. Luckily, they managed to eat theirs, instead of spill it everywhere. I usually make more extravagant desserts for the holidays. Mainly because I enjoy it, but when you're a chef, many family expect to be dazzled with a sinful treat on the holidays. Who can blame them ?

This recipe isn't my own, but this lady does make most of her banana pudding from scratch. Plus, she's got a British accent to boot. My favorite! Therefore, she's blog-worthy!

Jacques Pepin makes it easy!

There are so many wonderful and informative culinary instructors in the world today. Unfortunately, most of them aren't on the Food Network. Don't get me wrong, I love Barefoot Contessa, just like the rest of us, but there is something to be said about being taught by a trained chef.

Watching Sara Moulton prepare food from scratch on "Cooking Live" was the highlight of my day. Although that was many, many years ago, I still get a thrill from watching an enthusiastic, knowledgeable chef prepare food his/her own way.

If you live in Napa Valley, John Ash is a great instructor. When I was at a culinary workshop in Seattle, he spoke about how to peel a shrimp properly for almost 20 minutes. Sure that included an anecdote of how he went to a restaurant and they peeled their shrimp in haste and he had to leave, but the man clearly has a passion for food and how it's prepared. In Houston(although she teaches all over the country),Suneeta Vaswani has a world of information on spices, technique and the history of Indian food. You feel like your a small child and your Indian grandmother is teaching you about her family heritage.

Point is, there are great chefs all around. There are people that are really good cooks that never went to culinary school. I think there is a certain security and respect that I have for someone who has either gone to culinary school or worked in a professional kitchen for the better part of their life. I still enjoy learning from chefs all around the world. I can never learn enough.

Below is a perfect example of making easy appetizers yourself. Jacques Pepin is a phenomenal instructor and dean at the French Culinary Institute. My old assistant turned dear friend, Ashley, graduated there and actually worked with this culinary hero of mine. I strive to develop and teach recipes people can enjoy without intimidation. Bon Appetit!