Spending a little time in Japan with my wife’s family; helping Grandpa around the house, taking long walks under the cherry trees and eating some GREAT food (amid the nearly daily earthquakes!) A few pics to get you in the mood (for the blossoms and food that is…)
I was just looking at the garden and trying to decide when to clean it up and start planting, and lo and behold; last year’s asparagus is coming up nicely – woo hoo! A quick peek under the hoop house and I see the lettuces and Mizuna I planted last fall are sprouting – I’ll…
Family BBQ about 1970 My mom was a master at the fine art of leftover technology – she could cook one great supper and turn the leftovers into great meals for days – and we never knew we were eating leftovers! I didn’t know it at the time, but mom used feed a family of…
I love coffee, as a matter of fact, I drink a couple cups almost every day! I did a little math and figured out that a coffee lover can have their favorite coffee and get a free Mac Pro Laptop or two iPads at the same time, as well as a new espresso machine –…
Every month we host a family style supper in the Bistro of our Broadway Market downtown where a few of our chefs put on a fabulous five course feast for a fixed price. Chef Ben Davis (formerly of Panzano’s and The Passionate Palate Cooking School) and Chef Gerrard (our most seasoned and worldly chef –…
Few dishes are as satisfying as schnitzel, AKA breaded and pan fried cutlets. There are many styles from all over the world using anything from pork to veal, beef, chicken or turkey – topped with sauce, a squeeze of lemon or a soft cooked egg – I’ve never met one I didn’t like! Classic Schnitzel…
A great pizza is all about the crust – ideally one should be able to hold a slice without it drooping from the weight of the toppings. A great calzone is about the toppings – or should I say fillings, since a calzone is essentially a stuffed pizza. So when was the last time you…
Shepherd’s pie is simply irresistible, why? Because mom’s have been making them for centuries! No fancy chef’n tricks here, just good honest peasant food created by home cooks with more love and skill than money. Turning simple ingredients on hand into great dishes is nothing new, moms around the globe have been doing it since…
Quick searing seafood is a fabulous technique, especially if you like a brown and crusty finish. A fishes short bands of quick twitch muscles (as opposed to long, slow-twitch muscles in mammals) cook VERY quickly, so if you want a nice brown finish, you’ve got to cook it fast and hot. Quick searing in a…
Years ago an Italian chef revealed her secret ingredient to me – that little something special something (or somethings) that adds magic to a dish. While my ‘secret ingredients’ vary from dish to dish (Elaina’s was a pinch of crushed red chiles), there’s always at least one hidden ingredient that adds oomph, but can’t be…
