I used chicken stock to help liquefy a marinade that I made, and I mentioned it to Tommy, of the justifiably famous tommy:eats. He commented that he has become more inclined to move away from commercial stock, in part because of his taste tests Continue reading “Homemade Or Commercial Stock? You Shouldn’t Even Ask!”
December 25, 2010
Ridge 2002 Zinfandel Paso Robles
Wow. WOW. WOW!
Every once in a while, a wine is everything one expects. And, rarely, it is even more. Well, last night, Paul Draper made me a very happy man. He has been making Ridge wines for more than 40 years, and I have been drinking them for about 30 of those. He knows what he is doing, Continue reading “Ridge 2002 Zinfandel Paso Robles”
A Good Tomato Season?
I got an e-mail recently from a friend who berated me for not writing about the excellent produce season. While I am not the biggest fan of fruits and vegetables as anything other than a supporting cast to the lead actor: meat, I love tomatoes. But not those silly ersatz tomatoes from the supermarket. I mean those glorious, sweet, juicy intensely flavored beasts that show up occasionally in farmers markets and vegetable stands. But this year, while certainly better than last year’s awfulness, was not noteworthy. We had some good, and a few excellent batches, but I haven’t had a truly great tomato in several years. What has happened?
Another Recipe Theft: From Ina Garten This Time
I have to give her credit — she knows her stuff. How to cook a potato is not something that I have worried about in a very long time, but I noticed a different technique in one of Ina’s recipes for potato salad. Instead of boiling the little buggers Continue reading “Another Recipe Theft: From Ina Garten This Time”
Pizza: It’s Not Rocket Science
I was bullied by another blogger into trying to make pizza in the privacy of my own kitchen. And…my lovely wife suggested it too, so I was stuck. And you know what? While it isn’t easy, it is certainly not difficult. Oh, I had a few missteps — among them a large quantity of melted mozzarella dripping onto the floor of my oven and a pizza stone that cracked in half after three uses. But the end result is that I can make a very nice pizza, with fresh ingredients I choose, without any trouble. I have no particular skill or special technique. For that you should do your research on-line or talk to someone who has done it before. In fact, it has become clear that this post is content free, other than the photo of my lunch!
September 11th, 2010
Eat Bugs: They’re Good For You!
So the UN wants us to replace our current protein sources with insect and other invertebrate protein. Okay, but oh, about 30 years ago, I tried, and it was a resounding failure. In my student housing lived a grad student in entomology named Doug Whitman. He was of the opinion Continue reading “Eat Bugs: They’re Good For You!”
Water, Water Everywhere!
Harold McGee is no slouch when it comes to the science of cooking and the chemistry of food. He wrote what many consider to be the source for accessible information on the science behind cooking and food, unsurprisingly called On Food And Cooking. He also writes Continue reading “Water, Water Everywhere!”
Boston, Barbara Lynch And The Red Sox (Part 2)
…I saw the plan clearly. She lures people from across the street by carefully leaving open a door to her very interesting prep kitchen, and when they wander in, she immobilizes them with cheerful banter about food. When they are relaxed and unable to defend themselves, she pounces! We were being forced Continue reading “Boston, Barbara Lynch And The Red Sox (Part 2)”