Choosing Shellfish (Shrimp, Scallops, etc.)

(This post is part of a guest article by Erica. See the Scallops in Orange Butter (Escalopes au beurre a l’orange) post for details about her and a recipe that applies these techniques. -William)
I must say Alton Brown’s Good Eats episode Crustacean Nation does a fine job explaining what all those funny numbers are when [...]

Vanilla Crème Brûlée

 
When I think of dessert, one of the first things that comes to mind is Crème Brûlée.  I can’t resist the contrast between the cool, creamy custard and the crisp, carmelized sugar.  Luckily this dessert is actually quite simple to make once you master a couple of basic cooking techniques (as well as wielding a [...]