I don’t remember every great meal I’ve ever enjoyed, but some meals are more memorable than others. The Wisconsin Corn Chowder I enjoyed at the home of my sister Maria’s in-laws, Arlene and Edward Oliver on a fall day decades ago in Albany, Wisconsin made a lasting impression and I’ve often tried to replicate it …
This Tomato Goat Cheese Tart is my home lockdown project. During the pandemic lockdown, I expanded our small low-maintenance, urban perennial and shrub garden in Chicago by tucking in a few pots of tomatoes and herbs. This small pot enhancement to our garden provided a welcome diversion between streams of on-line activities. The herbs — …
I recently enjoyed Yucatecan Grilled Pork –poc chuc (which means “toast over wood coals”) at a restaurant serving regional cooking (comida regional) in Playa del Carmen on Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula. The complex salty-sour flavors of this dish was quite a surprise. After having visited several Mexican regions and its restaurants for many years, I thought I’d …
Preparation of Vietnamese summer rolls, also called fresh spring rolls, is not as simple as it appears. These flavorful, transparent bundles of vegetables, rice noodles, a few bits of shrimp or pork with spicy sauces which often set the tone for a wonderful Vietnamese meal are difficult to assemble. I tried my hand at making …
Several years ago, as I was searching through youtube’s food videos in the middle of the night during a bout of insomnia, I stumbled upon a Pizza Rustica recipe on Silvia Colloca’s Cook Like an Italian channel. What caught my attention was that this pizza was not the usual red-sauced, mozzarella-covered disk, but a crispy-crusted …
Mulligatawny, an Anglo-Indian dish, comes in many guises. For some cooks it is a spicy broth, for others a soup of various densities and for still others a stew. For me, mulligatawny is a silky curried soup with a garnish of chicken, vegetables and herbs, a perfect warming meal on a snowy night. Mulligatawny was …
Sou Fassum is a sublime stuffed cabbage, a creation of French peasant cuisine. I found it while researching alternative methods of stuffing cabbage. I knew I had to try it as soon as I saw it. Stuffed cabbage rolls, a classic comfort food, were a beloved dinner of my immigrant childhood. We had them at …
Sou Fassum –Sublime Stuffed Cabbage, French Style Read More »
On a recent visit to my daughter Sophia in New Orleans, I discovered in her pantry nine tiny tins of anchovies she purchased several months ago to add rich umami flavor to certain savory dishes but she was unsure how to use the remaining tins. Various recipes came to mind for sauces, dressings and pasta– …
Pissaladière – French Onion, Anchovy and Olive Tart Read More »
This Portuguese Monkfish and Shrimp Rice — Arroz de tamboril com gambas — is a perfect fall dish. As the weather is slowly cooling and leaves are coloring, I long for warmer fare, but I’m not yet ready for meat stews and braises that bring comfort in colder months. So, I turned for inspiration to …
Monkfish and Shrimp Rice — Arroz de tamboril com gambas Read More »
In exploring the cultural histories of diverse foodways, it’s fascinating to discover how common ingredients traveled across the planet from their place of origin to distant locations, opening new vistas for cooks worldwide. This Torta Polenta is a product of such migration and is one of my beloved fall dishes. Its elegant preparation brings together …