Dinner
Mmmm Mofongo
The first time I heard about mofongo was on the Food Network. The host was interviewing the chef at Benny’s Seafood (I’m guessing it was Benny) in Miami, famous for their authentic Puerto Rican fare. What struck me about Benny’s take on mofongo wasn’t the flavors, or colors, or textures — it was the way he put … Continue reading
Cooking Up Some Kimchi
Kimchi is a controversial dish around my house. It all started about 4 years ago — the first time I attempted homemade kimchi. You see, kimchi, more than just about any other food I know, seems to be designed from the beginning to to be pungent. Start with cabbage, no olfactory picnic on its own, … Continue reading
Valentine’s Day Roasted Duck with Duck Fat Spaetzle
Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite days to cook. It’s a great excuse to make something extravagant, while avoiding the mobbed, amateur-hour restaurant prix fixe meals. It’s a time to break out that special bottle of wine you’ve been saving, try a complicated new recipe (or dig out an old favorite), and enjoy a … Continue reading
Monster From the Deep
I’ve always been a little apprehensive to cook octopus. Read about it on web, and mostly what you’ll find are remedies to make the meat tender. Some advocate hitting it exactly 73 times against a rock near the water front (yes, has to be along the water front). Others say you have to leave it … Continue reading
My Favorite Chicken
Some of my favorite kinds of recipes are the ones that don’t require a lot of effort, but taste like they’ve been in the works all day. Mussels definitely fit the bill, but when I’m looking for an entire dinner, my go to is a chicken recipe that I made up a few years ago … Continue reading
Showin’ Off Your Mussels
Mussels are a special occasion food — the best I’ve ever had was at the Auberge du Soleil hotel bar in Napa, California. The Auberge bar is perched on a hill, overlooking the entire valley. The cocktails were great, the mussels were spectacular. Sure, a big part of the experience was the view and the … Continue reading
The Chicken to Beat
You’d never think to order it, but one of the best things on the menu at The Publican in Chicago is the farm chicken. Starting with a fresh, local, organic chicken, Publican chefs marinade the bird in a sweet, lemony, peppery glaze and grill it until the skin is lightly charred and crispy. What comes … Continue reading
Paella Night
Last night, Sara and I hosted 6 of our friends for a Spanish-themed dinner party. It was the biggest full-on dinner party we’ve had so far, and I had promised paella for the crowd. I’ve made paella several times, but this was the most people I’ve ever cooked a full dinner for, so it was … Continue reading
Cool Ingredient: Romanesco Broccoli
There aren’t a lot of ingredients as visually stunning as Romanesco broccoli. Its shape is a fractal — a self-repeating collection of florets that seem to swirl on, tinier and tinier, forever. I don’t often see it at the store (we get it from time to time in our weekly farm box), but I’m sure … Continue reading