Jack Miller

You don’t cook basil on margherita pizza. That’s right, the classic Neapolitan margherita is built on a beautiful ritual where fresh basil leaves are added after the pizza comes out of the blazing hot oven.   If you’ve been wondering whether you should cook basil on margherita pizza, the short answer is no, and the … Read more

Yes, you cook basil in pasta sauce, and doing so transforms the sauce in a way that raw basil simply cannot.   Cooking basil in pasta sauce releases its essential oils and mellows its sharp, peppery edge into a sweet, aromatic depth that infuses the entire dish.   If you’ve ever wondered whether you cook … Read more

You don’t have to blanch basil for pesto, and for most home cooks, skipping the blanching step actually delivers a brighter, more vibrant sauce.   Blanching basil is a technique some chefs use to set the green color and kill enzymes that cause browning, but it’s not a mandatory step for a classic pesto.   … Read more

Wild rabbits can eat basil and they generally love it.   If you’ve ever spotted a wild rabbit nibbling in your garden, you might have wondered whether this fragrant herb is something they truly enjoy.   Yes, wild rabbits like basil quite a bit because it’s tender, aromatic, and completely safe for them to munch … Read more

Woodchucks do eat basil, and they can wreak serious havoc on your herb garden if you’re not careful.   These hungry critters, also known as groundhogs, are notorious for munching on tender garden plants, and basil is definitely on their menu.   If you’ve ever wondered whether woodchucks eat basil or how to stop them, … Read more