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Stock, and why you should bother to make it
“Madame! Madame! There can be NO pate without cornichon!” I was shopping for enough cheese and pate to feed an army, or at least 25 adults, and the French counterman at my Greenwich Village cheese shop was quite firm in the conviction that I would be remiss if guests were not offered tiny pickles ( Read more... ) -
ROAST CHICKEN: THE QUINTESSENTIAL HOME COOKED MEAL
One of the best meals I ever ate was not in a restaurant or cooked by professionals, and was eaten sans garnish and sans utensils. It was a roast chicken, and the diners just pulled the meat off the bone with their fingers. Some things may be hard to cook at home on a budget and without a sous chef, but happily, roast chicken is not among them. ( Read more... ) -
Pasta Puttanesca
It’s not that I don’t understand time constraints; I really just don’t understand jarred spaghetti sauce. I need to tell you that I am not a full-time mom and have never been, except for two months in 1997. Neither am I a single career woman. Like many, I balance a career, kids, and the rest of life. So while it’s true that on weekends I’ll ( Read more... ) -
Chili Casa El
Nothing fancy here. No pictures. No funny or personal stories. Just Chili ( Read more... ) -
Hazelnut Snowballs
X-Posted to EleanorThere’s this family tradition: birthdays, like executions, entitle the celebrant to the meal of his or her choice. Well, except that there is no cost restriction and the person isn’t shot, gassed, hung or injected after dessert. To be more exact, this is a relatively new tradition of my own design; the only person in my family of ( Read more... ) -
Shiny! Red! Yummy!
X-Posted to EleanorI’m more accomplished as a cook than a baker, mostly because the two things reward very different skill sets and patience and trust, both necessary for great baking, are not in mine. Also, I don’t love cake. Most of it tends to be too dry and floury and sweet; I don’t like pancakes either, for much the same reason. Red Velvet Cake, ( Read more... ) -
About the strawberries
Strawberries and whipped cream is just about the easiest company dessert you can serve, and there isn’t much to tell. Hull and slice (or quarter) strawberries, toss them with a little bit of triple sec and sugar, let sit while you make your whipped cream. And yes, make the whipped cream from heavy cream with some sugar and some vanilla if you ( Read more... ) -
FISH WRAPPED IN BANANA LEAVES
This recipe is very forgiving. If you can’t find banana leaves (Asian and tropical markets usually have them, frozen) you can use grape leaves. Can’t find those? Parchment paper or aluminum foil will work just fine, although the presentation won’t be as stunning. Like it hotter? Add another chili. Like more ginger? Add it. If you are vegan ( Read more... ) -
Green Soup, sans photo
This is very refreshing and (unless you dress it up) very mild, so it’s an excellent first course for a spicy or highly seasoned meal. If you’re feeding your family, you can serve it along with some crusty bread and a salad, and you have a summer dinner. If you are having company, you can ladle it into small, pretty bowls and garnish it with ( Read more... )