I love potatoes, which might not surprise because you know me as a lover of food. There are dozens of ways to prepare potatoes–here’s one of my recent favorites: Braised, Pan-roasted Potatoes (serves 2, or double or triple it) 3 smallish Red potatoes 1 teaspoon Chicken base to make 2 cups weak broth (will cook …
Someone forgot, or didn’t have time, to bake the cookies? With a few minutes of set-up, we whipped up four batches of old-fashioned cookies (grandmother Ida’s recipes, b. 1903) in less than 3 hours. Here’s the chef’s strategy for putting out a feast of impressive treats in a hurry. Review the following recipes to make …
Old-fashioned cookies for Christmas–it's not too late! Read More »
I’ve given myself permission to love what I love, without guilt. I love fried food more than any other treat. MMMMM, french fries, onion rings, jalapeno poppers, cheese curds, beer-battered mushrooms. Do I indulge in what I love? You bet, with moderation. Treats make life a whole lot more fun; and fun is essential for …
I’m not talking to fools; I’m talking about them. Fools are those delightfully simple and comforting fruit & cream desserts, cleverly named by the English. For reasons I know nothing about, they come up with fanciful monikers for what they eat at dinner. Sausages and potatoes (Bangers and Mash), soup (Cock-a-leekie) and desserts (trifles and fools) . The recipe for fools is simple, puree some fruit …
Soufflé Glacé au Grand Marnier is a classic French frozen ice cream souffle (“au Grand Marnier” is optional, it means “scented with orange liquor.”) This is rich and delicious ice cream. The churning/whipping happens before freezing, eliminating the need for an ice cream maker. I used both a hand mixer (a Braun handheld with the whip …
I have no idea what inspired me to throw together a batch of hoppin’ john this morning. And I don’t know why it’s called that dumb name. If you want to make this, you’ll need: Black-eyed peas (preferably dried, canned are all right, too); Some fresh vegetables, minced. Choose from: red or green sweet pepper, jalapeno …
Well almost all. In pie, filling and crust are co-dependent. Co-dependency is not always neurotic. What would a pie be without the crust? It might be pudding or jam but it would definitely not be pie. What would a poem be without simile or metaphor or rhythm? It might be a story or a rhyme …
If you want them to eat it, don’t call it sauerkraut. When it’s prepared the way it’s supposed to be (as in Germany and France, and not just served American-style, cold out of the can on top of a mushy hot dog), it isn’t sour. Call it Choucroute Garni, its French name because everything French seems …
Sauerkraut–serve it with a French accent and they’ll eat it Read More »
I ate, and actually liked, mudbugs at Bro’s Cajun Cuisine in Nashville (mudbugs, by the way, are crawfish). Bro’s food is authentic and tasty–gumbo, etoufee, jambalaya, red beans & rice, shrimp creole. Chef/Owner Darrell Breaux (featured on Guy Fierri’s Diner’s Drive-ins and Dives) also makes his own smoked sausage in his own smokehouse (out back …
Mudbugs and Orange-Cornbread Pudding, Bro's Cajun Cuisine Read More »
Art is the means we have of undoing the damage of haste. It’s what everything else isn’t. Theodore Roethke When I discovered Sieglinde (Sissi) Shattuck’s art, I found a place of quiet attentiveness, leisurely breathing space, respite from a hasty, noisy world. Because her paintings moved me so deeply, they made me curious about who she …