Recipes, stories & kitchen wisdom from Bia Rich

Large roasted meat joint with charred crust and pink interior resting on a rack, warm kitchen background
Close-up plate with sliced meat, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions and gravy, warm brown tones
Bowl of sautéed kale with corn kernels and caramelized onions, dark green and yellow tones


Warm, inviting food blog logo with rich amber and cream tones, elegant serif lettering

Meet Bia Rich
Cook, gardener, storyteller

Bia Rich spent 20 years in the NYC restaurant business before moving to the countryside of North Carolina. Now she cooks, gardens, and shares the recipes she loves — drawing on restaurant experience, family canning traditions, and a belief that too much of a good thing can be wonderful.

Hearty bowl of vegetable soup with rustic bread, deep green and earthy brown tones Soups & Breads
Plate with sliced meat, roasted potatoes, and caramelized onions with gravy Entrees
Bowl of sautéed kale with corn and caramelized onions Sides & Sauces

Blog

  1. The easiest way to deseed a pomegranate without a messPomegranates are one of those ingredients that look wonderfully festive until the juice starts spraying across the counter. The ruby-red arils are worth the…
  2. The four mother sauces and how to use themFrench cooking has a reputation for precision, yet its most useful lessons are remarkably practical. A small group of foundational sauces teaches cooks how to…
  3. Roasted Carrot and Tahini Salad With Toasted CuminSweet roasted carrots, creamy tahini, and warm toasted cumin make a salad with remarkable depth for such a short ingredient list. The carrots become tender and…
  4. How to Grate Your Own Fresh Nutmeg and Why It MattersNutmeg is a small seed with an outsized effect on food. A few delicate shavings can warm a pot of béchamel, deepen a holiday dessert, or give a creamy soup a…
  5. Spiced pear and ginger upside-down cake for fall bakingWhen autumn pears arrive with their soft perfume and pale green skin, they deserve more than a place in the fruit bowl. Baked beneath a layer of buttery brown…
  6. Bia’s Tips for Fixing Over-Salted Soups and SaucesA heavy hand with the salt can happen to anyone, including cooks who have spent years tasting as they go. A stock reduces more than expected, a salted…
  7. A bright and spicy Thai green papaya salad for hot summer daysWhen summer settles over the garden, the best meals often come from ingredients that need very little cooking. Thai green papaya salad, or som tam, is one of…
  8. The Technique Behind a Silky, Lump-Free Béchamel SauceA good béchamel is one of the quiet triumphs of home cooking. Its ingredients are simple—butter, flour, milk, salt, and a little seasoning—yet the finished…
  9. How to make authentic Southern cornbread without sugarAuthentic Southern cornbread is direct, savory, and deeply tied to the ingredients available in the pantry. It should taste unmistakably of corn, with crisp,…
  10. Building A Better Sandwich With Sourdough Aioli And Slow-Roasted PorkA memorable sandwich is built in layers, but its success depends on how those layers work together. The bread needs enough character to stand up to a generous…