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What's an Empanada? Hand pies from Argentina and its Latin American neighbors—portable, customizable, and pure comfort food. When done right, they're the perfect combination of flaky crust and bold filling. Over the summer, I started making 70 a week, split between two farmers' markets. Now I'm making 200 weekly for one market (plus special orders) ,and I sell out weekly. Sometimes very early. I start with local ingredients and don't cut corners. Here's how I make them. The D

For a lot of autistic people, our senses are always on. Sounds, textures, smells, lights—they don't fade into the background the way they do for most people. It's not bad, it's just louder, closer, and more constant. And for me, that's carried right into how I cook. I can smell when yeast has bloomed before the timer goes off. I can feel when pizza dough isn't right, even if it looks fine. After cutting a few pieces, I can tell by touch when a dough ball is within half an oun

Why Oven Ribs? Love ribs but don't want to babysit a grill for six hours? Same. Yesterday it was a little rainy and drizzly, but I wanted ribs. I really wanted ribs. So, I pivoted and did something I rarely do. I did baby back ribs in the oven at 250. Yes, in the oven! When I make ribs they're usually St. Louis style, but when I can find baby back ribs for a good price, I'll grab a rack. Yesterday I scored some baby backs, rubbed them with Grounded (my smoky coffee rub), and

This might sound bold coming from someone who makes BBQ sauce for a living, but here's the truth: most people are using BBQ sauce all wrong. The problem?  They pour it on like it's going out of style—and watch half of it run off into the grill. I grew up the same way. My dad would drown ribs in sauce, and I thought that's just how you did it. I even worked in restaurants where cooks were way too generous with the bottle. But here's what I learned after years in the kitchen: p