Category Archives: food & cooking

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, a Cooking Tip, and a New Snack

Before he became the catchphrase-shouting, product-shilling Ewok-like face of the Food Network, Emeril Lagasse was television chef who made good food. I still refer to his Every Day’s A Party cookbook when I’m looking for something new to try. I’ve … Continue reading

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Fresh Pasta

My most vivid memory of my Italian grandmother – my mother’s mother – is watching her make pasta. She had a board and rolling pin she used to roll out paper-thin pasta dough, which she would then cut into different … Continue reading

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Spam Musubi for Lunch

Diane’s sister Cathy and her family spent a year in Hawaii. Her husband, Ben, who is a painter, got a job laying mosaic tile. His co-workers introduced him to some of the local food favorites, including Spam musubi, a snack … Continue reading

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Burns Night

Today is the birthday of the great Scots poet Robert Burns. It will be celebrated by true Scots everywhere with the traditional Burns night supper, a meal that features a haggis for the main course. Although I will not be … Continue reading

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Hainan Chicken Rice, and a Bonus Recipe

I’m a big fan of Anthony Bourdain in general, and of his show No Reservations in particular. The Singapore show, which aired last year, begins with this scene in a food court: After watching this, I remembered there was a … Continue reading

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About Recipes

On the advice of my trained attack attorney (Diane), I need to state this blog’s policy about publishing recipes. Recipes that I write about come from many sources: cookbooks, newspapers, magazines, online, and from my own collection. I will often … Continue reading

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Mom’s Tomato Sauce, and the Magic Spoon Theory

Heh, come over here, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for twenty guys someday. You see, you start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some garlic. Then you throw in some … Continue reading

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Boston Molasses Disaster

Today is the 90th anniversary of the Boston Molasses Disaster, in which a large molasses tank burst and a wave of molasses rushed through the streets of the North End at an estimated 35 mph, killing 21 and injuring 150. Remember, … Continue reading

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Pantry Purge

Mark Bittman’s Minimalist column last week was about getting rid of unused and unneccesary items in the fridge and pantry. Many of his suggestions (e.g. “OUT – imitation vanilla, OUT – canned vegetables, OUT – grated imitation ‘Parmesan’”) were easy … Continue reading

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Poulet en Cocotte, Modified

I’ve made this dish at least a dozen times since I first saw the recipe in Cook’s Illustrated a year ago. It’s a very simple, set-and-forget procedure: Lightly brown a whole chicken in a dutch oven with a little olive … Continue reading

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