Having already submitted strong opinions about a variety of sandwiches, it should be of no surprise that I have a certain mindset when it comes to the BLT. The beauty of this classic sandwich is that it is unassailably straightforward: bread, mayo, bacon, lettuce, tomato. One night a few years ago, I came home to […]
On a recent road trip through West Virginia with my sister Kim, I had a life-changing experience. This is somewhat hyperbolic but not entirely. Though I grew up in nearby Ohio, I hadn’t given the food of West Virginia even one moment’s thought. But I reflected quite a lot, as we weaved through […]
As it turns out 2015 was a year in which I fell short on my writing goals. I began to study French in earnest during the summer, and I am somewhat frustrated to say that this seemed to exhaust whatever energy I had for creative, intellectual work. My hope for 2016 (you’ll notice I […]
I’ve been working on a general piece about Paris for months now, largely because I suspected I’d have nothing new to add to what’s already been said about this grand place, and this made me reluctant to commit. Finally I realized this: despite the reputation that precedes the City of Light, I arrived there […]
My first impression of Strasbourg was one of ease, accessibility, and relaxation. Strasbourg, after the sprawl and bustle of Paris, was a welcome relief. I was staying with a friend who has an apartment in the central neighborhood of Petite France, so I was close to everything. From one side of the surrounding canal to […]
I’d eaten tarte flambée years ago, at a restaurant in downtown San Francisco that no longer exists (though I believe that space now houses Kokkari). It really made an impression on me, because it was unlike anything I’d ever had before. A thin crispy crust smeared with something creamy, covered with bacon and onions, and […]
My friends in Paris had warned me that true French éclairs* were very different from the ones I make, which contain a vanilla bean pastry cream lightened with whipped cream, and are dipped in bittersweet chocolate ganache. The classic éclair does double duty with its flavor profile: a chocolate éclair has chocolate pastry cream, a […]
I don’t typically make resolutions, but given the spirit of the New Year surrounding us all, I thought that setting a few cooking goals for 2015 would be in order. Several of these have been on my mind for years, and I’m hoping that committing them to writing, and sharing them here, might inspire me […]
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.”
It would be fair to say that I have strong opinions about sandwiches. These opinions have their origins in my youth, when my lunches were spent blissfully eating peanut butter and jelly with Mike-Sells potato chips wedged between the slices of bread. This was perfect happiness and a fine reward to having completed another morning […]
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