Literary phenom David Foster Wallace passed away this weekend, an apparent suicide and a great loss to American fiction. Reading his work is like being offered a glimpse into the mind of a mad genius — complex, overwrought, brilliant, disturbing, raw, wickedly funny. His 2004 essay for Gourmet magazine, “Consider the Lobster” — a sly […]
Category Archives: Recipes
Sugar snap peas
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
When I was a kid, my grandmother lived with us for several years and planted a little garden that ran along the perimeter of our house. She was an incredibly capable woman who grew a large variety of vegetables for her own family of eight children back in Taiwan, so it was easy for her […]
The emperor’s new candy
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
London artist Greetje van Helmond creates lovely jewelry out of sugar crystals like the chunky necklace and ring pictured above. But with prices starting at £120 a piece — over $240 for a bauble that’s history if it falls into a cup of coffee — you can buy sugar for enough edible rocks to outbling […]
Gumbo
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Hearty, spicy, tasty, and easy to cook, gumbo just might be the perfect meal — especially if you have a crowd to feed. Here’s a recipe courtesy of Fox & Obel.
Fox & Obel’s Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo
Makes about one gallon
2 large yellow onions
2 red bell peppers
2 green bell Peppers
1/2 head celery
1/2 pound Andouille sausage
1/2 stick […]
Super Bowl chili
Thursday, January 31, 2008
A Super Bowl party without chili is like nachos without cheese, wings without hot sauce, the Patriots without a sideline camera. No matter which team you’re rooting for, everyone can agree that chili’s a winner. Here are a few recipes to get you started:
Pork Cheek and Black-Eyed Pea Chili from Food & Wine (and don’t […]
A simple winter stew recipe from Jamie Oliver
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Several years ago, I participated in an online chat featuring Jamie Oliver. Here’s the excerpt with my question and his answer:
W: I enjoy beer and would like to incorporate it into my cooking as one uses wine. What types would you recommend, and with what kinds of food?
JO: Let’s start with the most basic thing. […]
Texas sheet cake
Monday, December 17, 2007
There’s been quite a debate in our house about what to call the cake pictured above. My husband calls it “sheath cake”, I call it “sheet cake”. Josh says it’s been called sheath cake in his family for decades; I say maybe so, but it doesn’t make any sense — what is the […]
Bison burgers
Thursday, December 13, 2007
I enjoy game meats in the winter — they’re rich and hearty, and when paired with a big bold red or your favorite brew, can send you deep into hibernation. The other day I grilled some bison burgers and whipped up a spicy mayo spread: 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 teaspoon each of cayenne, sweet paprika, […]
Pumpkin bars
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Here’s a confession: I’m really bad at making pie crust. I’ve tried just about everything — all-butter, all-shortening, half and half, the food processor method, the pastry cutter thing, bare hands — only to end up with something slightly too dry/too gooey/rolls out funny/holes in it. What’s a girl to do when she has to […]
Butternut squash soup
Saturday, November 17, 2007
One of my favorite fall comfort foods is butternut squash soup. It’s sweet, creamy, and a wonderful deep golden yellow — liquid autumn in a bowl.
This recipe was created by Shawn McClain, executive chef of Custom House, Spring, and Green Zebra restaurants here in Chicago. The addition of blue cheese provides a nice pungent counterpoint […]
Portillo’s chocolate cake - a scam?
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
There have been rumors floating around for years that Portillo’s famous chocolate cake actually comes from a mix. Now that I think about it, I wouldn’t be surprised — the cake is almost unnaturally moist but doesn’t have a buttery richness, and the same goes for the frosting, which is mind-numbingly chocolatey but without any […]
The mad genius of the Sedaris family
Monday, September 10, 2007
The New Yorker’s annual food issue (September 3-10) features gems like Calvin Trillin’s essay on Singaporean street food; Gary Shteyngart’s “Sixty-nine Cents“, the author’s poignant and funny reminiscence of a young immigrant’s desire to free himself from the cuisine of his homeland in favor of McDonald’s hamburgers; and a short anecdote called “Tasteless” by David […]
Garlic chives
Monday, August 20, 2007
Over the weekend, my mom gave me a lovely bunch of garlic chive buds freshly cut from a friend’s garden. Used primarily in Asian cooking, garlic chives are different than the thin, hollow little stems you chop up and sprinkle over baked potatoes — the leaves are flat and broad like blades of grass but […]
Mmm…homemade lemonade
Friday, August 10, 2007
Cool, tangy, refreshing…what’s not to love? Homemade lemonade takes a bit of time, but it’s well worth the effort. Plus, your kitchen will smell like summertime afterwards.
Makes 10 cups. You’ll need a big pitcher for this. Or just halve the recipe as I usually do.
3 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 20 lemons)
2 cups sugar
6 […]
