Tag Archives: food

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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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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Char Siu Pork

I love char siu, Cantonese barbecued pork. Unfortunately, it’s not often prepared well, usually presented as sticky-sweet neon pink “boneless spare ribs.” So when I saw this recipe for making char siu at home, I had to give it a … Continue reading

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Lobster Bisque

After gorging ourselves on cheap lobster on New Year’s Eve, I dealt with the leftovers. I removed the meat from the knuckles (the sections between the claws and body), then set the shells and cleaned bodies in water to simmer … Continue reading

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