techniques

Taking Stock, Revisited

May 23, 2011
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I have a short list of classic cooking techniques that I feel obligated to attempt, if for no other reason than to be able to say “I know how to do that.” Until a few weeks ago the technique at the top of the list was making consommé, a process that requires floating a “raft” [...]

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Roulade of Pekin Duck Breast with Creamed Sweet White Corn and Morel Mushroom Sauce

May 14, 2009

For previous birthday dinners I’ve relied on some serious meat for the main course: beef filet, short ribs, pork belly. I decided to try duck this year for a change of pace. The recipe looked like a good combination — duck, corn, mushrooms — and it didn’t look too difficult… …until I began the prep [...]

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Gruyère Cheese Gougères

May 11, 2009

I wanted to cook something to go with the usual cheese assortment I serve while waiting for guests to arrive. These gougères (that’s French for cheese puffs y’all) looked like the perfect accompaniment. They’re not difficult to make even though I had never prepared a pâte à choux — cream puff dough — before. Since [...]

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Easter Dinner for 25

April 7, 2009

My mother’s parents hosted dinners for our entire extended Italian family on Easter, Thanksgiving, and Xmas. When my grandmother died, her three children — my mom, her brother, and her sister — each took on the responsibility of hosting one of the holiday dinners. Mom took Easter, and has been hosting it for more than [...]

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The return of when gadgets mate

January 14, 2009

As promised in an earlier post, I tried my hand at making some generative music with my small collection of musical gadgets. Here’s what I came up with: The result is more ambient/drone-like than the Japanese original, mostly due to my not knowing how to program the Korg DS-10 synth and having to settle for [...]

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