So Many Recipes, So Little Time
Some like it hot? Another legitimate Sichuan find in the city on West 37th Street — spacious two story Cafe China. Featured here are: Braised Beef in Red Soup. Slices of boiled beef, wood ear mushrooms, napa cabbage, glass noodles, chilies, and Sichuan peppercorns in oily heat hot and spicy hot broth hit all…
One certain thing I can say about my two weeks in China — I did not have enough Chinese food. But I have a couple of Chinese cookbooks now — about two shelves. Almost three? And this trip helped me understand this food a little better so there will be more Chinese food here. Here’s…
Cauliflower is my favorite vegetable and definitely don’t make it often enough. It’s great just steamed with a little salt or dressed up like in this slightly upscale stir-fried version. Karifurore variety with its long open stems, airy florets, and a chewy texture seemed to suite better for this treatment. WHAT WENT IN— olive oil—…
This is it! The burger. From Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, CT. It is here, in 1900, Louis Lassen invented the hamburger sandwich as we know it. Today, the place is run by the grandson of the original owner. Make a note — over the centuries, the dining experience has not changed. You are served…
I love ground meat everything — burgers, meatballs, meatloaves, sausages. You name it. That goes back to my mom’s kitchen. Cooking on empty, she would put all available meat scraps through the meat grinder, pump up the flavor with whatever was on hand — salt, pepper, mustard, horseradish, garlic, onions — pump up the quantity…
Here’s an interesting way to take velveting to the next level and create that particular silky slippery texture so characteristic of Cantonese dishes. This chicken with fermented black beans was prepared in a steamer which produced especially tender and not greasy texture. For the side, I stir fried some water spinach with garlic and hot…
For a while, I have been craving congee, an Asian version of rice kasha. As much as I dislike the sweet form of cooked rice known as rice pudding — painful memories of Soviet kindergarten breakfast — that much I love its savory one. Especially with meatballs. And spinach. And especially with Nam Pla Prik….
On a ground meat streak. That’s my cold weather comfort zone. Found this great one pan meatloaf variation in Classic Lebanese Cuisine cookbook by Chef Kamal Al-Faquih. Tweaked it a bit adding more vegetables and lemon juice for potatoes to keep their shape better. WHAT WENT IN— a few baking potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise…
Once a high school teacher told our class that most true long lasting friendships form in high school:— The older you get, the harder it is to find like minded people and make connections. True, the older we get, the more we set in our ways, the less we’re willing to budge. And every relationship…
Summer has never been my time of the year. Demi-seasons are my favorite. But this year, for the first time I’ve seen other people doing actual countdowns to fall — hang in there, people, only a few days left. My daughter’s reaction to my this longing for cooler days manifestation was:— You know what, mom,…