White-hot pork dogs, Northern apples and other signs of the season.   By Judi Gallagher   I always find it amusing when people are concerned about inviting me to a dinner party. I can see them wondering: “Are you sure you want to have a professional chef in your home?” or “You can’t serve [...]

My new favorite appliance, the bagged spinach scare, and more.   by Judi Gallagher   Recently we purchased a new range. (More on that later in an upcoming issue of SARASOTA Magazine.) My favorite feature is the bridge burner, a cooktop element that evenly heats a large, oblong griddle. I bought a $99 Circulon griddle [...]

By Judi Gallagher   Friday afternoon I felt the warning signs of an impending cold, or even worse, a bit of the flu. Maybe I was just overtired, I thought, since I’d been out to client dinners (I work as a consultant to several restaurants, and part of the job involves helping to host food [...]

I find it ironic that I owned a successful dessert company in Boston for five years, because I loathe baking. I’m the kind of chef who does not like to measure or knead or roll out. I like a bit of managed chaos—throw in some seasoning, add a little more port than last time, omit [...]