Media, Technique

I’m moving!

Haven’t and won’t post for awhile until I get settled into an independent living retirement community. It’s a large apartment in a retired military service affiliated non-profit facility located in Loudoun County, Virginia, about 25 minutes from my home of 38 years in Mclean. Not excited about the move but age is a reality, so …

Spices, Technique

DRIZZLES

Think of a drizzle as a liquid garnish.  Something distinct added at the last minute to the top of a dish to impart a contrasting taste of richness, sweetness or depth.  Here we have the usual liquors, maple syrup and ice cream syrups and less usual–high quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and aged balsamic …

Food

Thanksgiving Dinner

The menu:2 10-12 pound turkeysChicken stock (for gravy, stuffings and carrots) Day ahead gravy (your recipe, my stock)Cranberries with roasted jalapenosTwo stuffingsMashed potatoes (your recipe)Glazed CarrotsBrussels sprouts with bacon lardons or Spicy sproutsPies and Gelatos CHICKEN STOCK If you worked for French or Italian chefs in high-end kitchens, they had you made stocks a couple …

Fish Recipes

Cioppino

The origin and the essential ingredients of cioppino (chuh-PEE-noh) remain obscure even after reading Thorne, McClane, Herbst and others in the bibliography.   For sure, it ain’t La Bouillabaisse De L’Atlantique, but rather an unpretentious fish stew, resident of San Francisco, with probable origins in the galleys of fishing boats operating out of San Diego, Monterrey …

Tools

Universal Lids

Save for my popcorn popper and double boiler, these two so called universal lids are all I have, the rest, seven or eight, have been tossed as unneeded. It’s fine if a new pot or pan you’re looking at comes with a matching lid, but don’t pay for one. Buy a universal lid instead. Al …

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Who Knew?

I have a taco salad maybe twice a month. And of course, I make it with iceberg lettuce. Never seen a recipe that called for any other kind. So, I sliced some shallots and cherry tomatoes, shredded the cheddar and then reached into the fridge only to discover that there was no iceberg lettuce hiding …