Pickled vegetables are all over the internet. You can learn to distinguish between salt-brine versus vinegar-based pickling. The Mesopotamians pickled cucumbers 4,000 years ago. Christopher Columbus carried them on his ship….yes, they’re good for long journeys when there is no refrigeration. You can pickle almost anything: vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, dairy and eggs. Pickled eggs […]
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Greens before Parsley
I thought of calling this post, “Parsley is for Wimps,” which may be a bit too harsh. Parsley is ubiquitous, especially with TV chefs. It is also on the plates in many restaurants, especially if the food is mostly beige. So, if it is really useful on TV and in restaurants, does that mean it […]
Read MoreThe Right Way to Cook Dried Pasta, One More Time
Full disclosure: I am not Italian. But, I make pasta dishes twice a week 52 weeks a year. The directions from so many people are so often wrong (think oil in the water and pouring the pasta into a colander and rinsing it, really?). I truly wonder that someone has not settled this once and […]
Read MoreWhite Clam Sauce
This is a “one pot” meal for the most part. But, it certainly benefits from a glass of the best, dry white wine you can afford. If you want a salad with it, I would suggest a citrus salad such as this one from the NYTimes: Winter Citrus Salad with Honey Dressing Recipe – NYT […]
Read MorePandemic Cooking, China, India, Mexico and a Tasty New Normal
After putting away breakfast things, I am standing in front of the refrigerator (yes, the door is open) staring at shelves of half-eaten take-out, containers of left-overs, eggs, milk, sauces, dressings, a forgotten set of poached pears, and bins of potatoes, carrots, celery, lemons and limes, onions, and the last pickings of greens and squash […]
Read More2 People 1 Chicken, What can we do?
There are lots of things to do with a 4 lb. chicken. But yesterday, I discovered a way to honor the chicken and, being mostly vegetarian in habit, to make vegetable-centric use of this beautiful, pasture raised, roasted chicken. We bought the chicken from a butcher, actually two butchers (husband and wife), already roasted. https://www.suttermeats.com […]
Read MoreApple Pie for a Special Breakfast
Mary, my wife, rolled over this morning and asked the ongoing question: “What’s for breakfast?” “What about pie?” Apple pie. She remembered what was in the refrigerator, left over from last night’s dessert. Can we have apple pie and coffee for breakfast? Of course, we are, after all, two consenting adults. We made coffee, warmed […]
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