I seem to have failed at my blogging goals for December, but I did manage to bake a round or two of Christmas cookies this year. I have a standard cookie that the holiday would not be complete without, though we’ve never settled on a name for them. My husband alone can eat half a […]
My first trip to K’s Hamburger Shop was a momentous one imbued with confusion. In fairness, it doesn’t take much to stir things up at K’s because things are as they have always been and will forever be. A quick glance at the menu speaks volumes: fruit or vegetable jello ($1.25); biscuit and gravy […]
There are as many opinions in the world about hamburgers as there are people who eat them. No doubt you’ll disagree with my own favorite, but that is as it should be. We are each as unique as the burgers we eat. My father’s secret recipe involves horseradish and red wine. My friend Gideon’s burgers […]
When I was quite small, maybe 6 or 7 years old, one of my favorite things was getting a good whiff of the jar of fresh nutmeg my Mom kept on the counter. It didn’t get used all that often, so this was a treat: a heady, spicy, citrusy scent that I absolutely loved. (Nutmeg […]
Yesterday I opened a can of navy beans and was greeted by a strong, cheesy smell. This followed the spray of carbonation that zinged out when I began opening the can—a sure warning sign. But the smell! It was unmistakeably wrong. When I looked at the beans, their liquid was creamy white, not clear. I […]
There are few things more satisfying than a bowl of long-simmered beans, drizzled with a little olive oil and grated parmigiano-reggiano, and served with a few slices of crusty bread for dipping. On a cold night this will take away a deep chill; and for a drained and despondent soul, this will soothe and nourish. […]
Much has been made about the idea of “aging” chocolate chip cookie dough. A NYT article highlighting this very thing swept the web a few years back, and this practice has since become the new trend in the world of chocolate chip cookies. I made their sited Jacques Torres recipe, even using the prescribed cake […]
Chocolate chip cookies, like fried chicken, are another of those foods that everyone makes, but are hard to make consistently well. Even when I measure the flour by weight, I don’t think I’ve made the same cookie twice. In 10 years of professional baking, during which time I baked the same recipe again and again, […]
Cabbage is a modest vegetable with a long history of keeping people fed. China, India and Russia are its top producers, though Russians are off the charts in their 44-pound per-person consumption of this vegetable. (Americans consume only about 8-1/2 pounds per person.) In the U.S. men apparently eat 25% more cabbage than women do, […]
I just watched this movie for the first time. I found myself quite taken with Rocky Balboa as a young man in generic grey sweats and Chuck Taylors. Using sides of beef as a punching bag is an interesting training tactic. Gives a whole new meaning to the term “ground chuck.”
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