Secrets of the Best Chefs

Then he has me repeat the process with several more tomatoes, after which I dice them. I ask questions and Waxman tells me I wor ...

we’re done, I feel empowered and remarkably capable. By trusting me to do everything, Waxman makes me a better cook. ...

“Cooking’s the opposite of science: it’s alchemy.” Waxman’s Kitchen Know-How ...

WHEN YOU’RE FINISHED chopping something, like a tomato, don’t lift it into a bowl; place the bowl beneath the cutting board and ...

Gnocchi with Eggplant and Tomatoes ...

Serves 4 ...

Summer ingredients rarely want to be cooked, but this is the dish to make when you want to coax deep flavor out of the eggplant ...

After a few more minutes, when the eggplant is golden brown on all sides, take a large piece out and cut into it. Taste it: if i ...

Arugula Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes Serves 4 “People are too scared when they make salad,” Waxman told me. “You have to relax, ...

completely upside down. Drizzle a generous amount of oil over everything until it’s lightly coated. Squeeze the lemon into the b ...

Fish Stew with Cod, Swordfish, and Mussels Serves 4 The first time I ever made a seafood stew, it was a disaster. I overloaded a ...

1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Heat the olive oil in a medium pot on medium heat and add the garlic and shallot. Cook briefl ...

Angelish Wilson Chef-owner, Wilson’s Soul Food Athens, Georgia In 1981, when she was twenty-nine years old, chef Angelish Wilson ...

green beans, all of which Wilson makes from scratch. “We knew when we opened that we wanted to serve a home-cooked meal,” says W ...

Wilson, who hasn’t had the easiest life—her fiancé passed away and her son was recently declared legally blind—proves that food ...

“You’re gonna ask me, ‘How long does it cook?’ and I’m gonna say, ’Til it looks pretty.’” ...

Wilson’s Kitchen Know-How IF YOU WANT to impart chicken flavor to a recipe but don’t want to use stock, save the juices from the ...

Vegetarian Collard Greens Serves 2 to 4 Collard greens are almost always flavored with some kind of pork product (usually a ham ...

off). Fill a large pot with water (about 8 cups) and bring it to a boil. Add all the seasonings—both salts, the pepper, the red ...

Chowchow Makes a very big batch (good for sharing with friends!) This isn’t so much a recipe as it is a formula, a way to turn p ...