For us, one of the major expressions of "comfort food" would have to be chicken schnitzel... Warm, golden and crispy on the outside, and gently cooked on the inside... with whatever type of quick, easy pan sauce that strikes our…
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Schie con Polenta (Sandy Be Damned!)
The approach of the storm and its surge got me thinking about Venice... OK... might seem a bit of a stretch, but hear me out... A magical city... an island... flooding when the water rises... made sense to me!
We…
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Thai Beef with Green Peas and Basmati Rice
I wanted to use up a number of herbs before Sandy hit... and since lemongrass was one of them, I decided to head towards Thailand...
In the processor, I buzzed up some chopped lemongrass, tons of garlic, a bunch of…
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Back to the '50s! (Homegrown Tomato Soup with Cheddar Panini)
I'm home! It's Fall!
As I think I mentioned, we have an embarrassment of tomatoes. And I was thinking the other day about my school lunches when I was a child... and calling them school lunches is a bit of…
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Christmas in October
No, not really... BUT... one of the wonderful things about Christmas is the surprise of opening presents... and this was just as good...
We had a huge crop of green tomatoes... and I really do mean green. These were not…
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Lobster Tacos
OK... One more. I just couldn't resist. I realize this sounds extravagant... and no, I'm not saying it's as cheap as a cup of ramen noodles... BUT... the recipe for Lobster Tacos serves 6 and requires only 3 frozen lobster…
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Pike Quenelles
This Old Chef is about to end a wonderful time doing O Beautiful with some great folks in Connecticut. And since it was 28° this morning (no, not a typo!!)... my mind turned to a wonderful but slightly more complex…
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Poisson Trois (Étouffée)
Étouffée.
Even the word sounds kind of magical. And crawfish (or crayfish... but I refuse to take sides in this particular war!!) is a wondrous seafood that not only combines the best of shrimp and lobster, but also brings its…
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Poisson Deux (Crab-Stuffed Poblanos)
This next idea is a take-off on the ubiquitous stuffed peppers you see everywhere... but the fun-and-taste quotient is upped considerably by the use of crab...
Now I love jumbo lump... but you usually have to mortgage the house to…
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Something Fishy... (Fried Catfish Sandwiches)
An assignment to develop some interesting ways to make complex-tasting (but not too complicated to make!) fish recipes led me to these next few posts...
I have never been a big fan of catfish... it always tasted kind of muddy…
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Hummus Deviled Eggs
I know... it's a little retro... OK, a lot retro... but I have such fond memories of deviled eggs at my parents' house that when I was asked to develop some new ways to use hummus I had one of…
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Pasta Cutting
Not sure I ever pointed out this picture. It just shows you how easy the second part of making fresh pasta is...
Take a sheet that you've rolled out to whatever thickness you want (and this is a perfect example…
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September Song
Though Fall is my favorite season... followed closely by Winter, there's still something a little bit melancholy about harvesting the last of the Summer bounty...
The habañeros will survive just fine in the freezer, to be turned into VERY hot…
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The Rejected Dip... That I Still Love (Truly Excellent Chunky Red Bean Dip)
The dip I told you about that was rejected by the major magazine: red beans, a little sour cream, some garlic, a bit of water or stock, a little smoked paprika, a pinch of cayenne or a few shots of…
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