We entered the grocery store for staples: bread, cheese, eggs. The plan was get in get out.
Then I spotted the shelled peas which unleashed a desire for Spring vegetables, and I stuffed the basket with the peas, pretty red endive, a bunch of ruby red radishes, a zucchini, a couple heavy glossy lemons, and a wedge of Parmesan.
Dirty secret: I keep imported Betty Crocker cake mix stashed in my cupboard for emergency cakes and cupcakes. I spend the time saved by the mix making fancy icings.
Continue reading “Banana bread, jacked up, adapted, interpreted”
Left with a pot of cooked chicken wings after making stock and too lazy to pick off the meat for salad, I decided the best and easiest way to use them would be to fry them up. And since I had been craving Mark Bittman’s Sweet Garlic Soy Sauce, I decided that would make the perfect glaze. I was right.
You must try these. Just fry up the wings as you would for Buffalo wings and toss them in the sauce. A little goes a long way since the sauce is basically a sticky sweet and salty caramel. Next time I think I’ll add a bit of orange juice or rice wine vinegar. Or I’ll use the sauce from David Chang’s wing recipe. Here’s a simplified version. The original calls for brining, cold-smoking and confiting the wings, then browing and pressing them in a cast-iron pan, and then glazing them.
Last April, we took our clients to Spaghetti Western. One of my colleagues ordered the special — a pasta with liver and red wine tomato sauce. I was intrigued. He asked if I wanted to taste it. I did want to, and so I did taste it.
Wow.
I go to Spaghetti Western often, but I’ve never seen it on the menu again. The taste has been haunting me. I’ve thought about trying to replicate it , and earlier this week I decided that today would be the day. Continue reading “Liver and red wine tomato sauce”
Necessity is the mother of invention. You may think it is excessive to suggest that coffee — moreover freshly ground coffee — is a necessity. If you do, than you must not be a coffee drinker.
Continue reading “Not everything works: hand-crushed coffee”
Sara is visiting from Zurich this weekend. According to my sources, meat in Switzerland is as varied as it is expensive. For fun, Sara brought along ostrich and horse meats for us to experiment with.
Deciding what to make for dinner can often be an indecisive circling that ends with frustration and spaghetti with pesto. Some people plan their meals a week ahead. Once in a blue moon I get myself together enough to do that. My pantry however is fairly well stocked and once I do decide on something I usually only need to pick up an extra thing or two, usually fresh vegetables or meat. Continue reading “Inspired by Sweet Potatoes”
So, it should come as no surprise to those who know me that I’m an excellent procrastinator and that much of my procrastinating time is spent looking at recipes. Lately I’ve been running across a lot of recipes that use oranges and olives. Probably because I’ve been looking for ways to use up all the oranges I keep buying. Continue reading “Clearing-out-the-Fridge Pork with Oranges, Tomatoes, Olives and Capers”
Last night I and seven guests enjoyed the traditional recipe for bolognese. It was pretty good, and I recommend it.
The “dinner party” itself was also a success, in that I provided pasta with sauce, but salad, wine, bread and dessert magically presented themselves by way of guests. My investment in food and time was repaid in fine company and leftover wine, which is what we all hope for in a successful dinner party.
Continue reading “Sauce al Leftovers From Making Bolognese for 10. Serves 1.”
VIVRE POUR MANGER 