I've been fortunate in my life to live in a lot of wonderful places, but I must say, I find the spring season to be so beautiful here in Pennsylvania! The magnolias and forsythia are in full bloom. The birds are nesting and the sun is warm. The earth is changing and awakening a little more each day all around us.
And speaking of change, there are so many exciting things to share with all of you! It won’t be long before I move from my current home that sits by the river to a 6.5-acre property—complete with a mid-century, modern, mostly glass house with a view of the pastoral countryside, and enough room for my dream garden and orchard. In fact, I hope to be all settled in before summer arrives! Hello, boxes everywhere!
This new place has everything I was looking for and more. I've always wanted a big summer garden where I could grow fresh organic fruits and vegetables to complement my cooking. I'm thrilled to be able to say my dream of having an “heirloom orchard” is already underway, with three old apple trees beginning to bloom! The new property also features an upper slope for more heirloom-type trees and a lower slope for a vineyard. (I'm also looking forward to a trip to Monticello, Virginia to purchase some seeds from the Thomas Jefferson estate.) How about a glass of red to go with your Slow Food Fast pot roast?
Best of all, I'm going to convert one of the “out buildings” on the property into a new state-of-the-art test kitchen. You can imagine all the time, love, and tasting that goes into putting together my cookbooks and on-air presentations for everything we create for the
Cook’s Essentials line. Sometimes I don’t see my kitchen counters for months on end, so I'm definitely looking forward to having a separate personal and business kitchen. I expect the new home kitchen to have plenty of room for my family and friends, while the test kitchen team bustles with recipes for you!
And now for some delicious updates. First of all, thanks to everyone who supported the launch of my new line of
Great Flavors Cookbook with Flavor Concentrates on
In the Kitchen with David earlier this February. I knew it'd be popular, but a sellout in 6 minutes? Fantastic! I guess I'm not the only one who needs this product! I created this out of my love for shortcut cooking—the ability to create simple and delicious dishes in a snap. A lot of chefs rely on this method when making sauces. All you need is a concentrated flavor base made from stock. The best kinds are low in salt, have no MSG, and are gluten-free, all while tasting great. During my search for the perfect stock, I found myself reading the ingredient labels on many store brands and wondering, “Hey, where’s the beef?” That challenge took me all the way to New Orleans where I found a company that creates flavor concentrates for top chefs and restaurants around the world. We're now in a full partnership. Only the best for QVC customers!
And so,
Great Flavors Concentrates were created…all natural, made from scratch. Beef, chicken, and vegetables are the first ingredient on every label. And of course they're low sodium, contain no MSG, and gluten-free. You couldn't make these better yourself! The reviews are pouring in and you LOVE them! The good news is that they'll return for another appearance on
In the Kitchen with David on
Easter Sunday, April 8. The same three flavors will be featured, but I can let you in on a little secret—more flavors are in development! Stay tuned!
I couldn't end this without also sending out a "thank you" to the over 90,000 of you who have purchased
Great Food Fast in the last four months. You've honored this book by making it a Customer Top Rated item. I'm so proud of the work we put into it. And just so you know, I
do read the reviews that you write on QVC.com, in fact, this new book was put together
based on your input. So keep those ideas coming! I’d love for you to let me know what kind of kitchen shortcuts you need help with. We're always looking for new ways to make your life in the kitchen easier and more enjoyable, or as we like to say, providing you with “a shortcut to great food.”
The
Cook’s Essentials line of pressure cookers, cookware, and slow cookers are great tools for making delicious, hearty meals, soups, sides, and desserts with little effort. And this time of year, when the sun is shining and the days are longer and warmer, everyone wants to get a great meal fast and get back to the great outdoors.
So please send us your recipes and tips. We love hearing from you!
—Bob Warden
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