I am so backed up with posts that I might explode. Just because the Zealot isn’t writing a lot, doesn’t mean my world still doesn’t revolve around food. Au Contraire, Mon Fraire! But I struggle with where to being again. How do I separate the wheat from the chaff?
I think the best place to start, [...]
Archive for the ‘Making Food’ Category
20 Jan
Crab Cakes
20 Aug
Making Macaroni and Cheese
This could be my most popular post of the summer. We’re talking mac and cheese. Nothing touches the souls of so many inner-children (which is the majority of my readers – that means you Murley) than a nostalgic romp around comfort food. And nothing says comfort food more than mac and cheese. And, nobody can [...]
5 Aug
Gai Yang and More About Laos
Most people are surprised to learn that many of the “Thai” dishes they eat in the USA is actually more akin to the cuisine of Laos. Dishes like larp (meat salad, often with duck, buffalo or chicken), som tam (green papaya salad), sticky rice and gai yang (grilled chicken) are staples of the Northeast Region [...]
21 Jul
It’s a Hit! Green Beans and Farro
I was invited to a dinner party of a foodie friend of mine who was planning to pull out some David Tanis dishes, from “Platter of Figs”. She asked that I whip up his summer squash and squash blossom sumthin sumthin and I agreed. As the day progressed, I was faced with a dilemma – [...]
17 Jul
Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Onion and Butter Sauce
Marcella Hazan is the Godmother of Italian cooking. That’s Godmother with a capital “G” because she deserves some respect. I neglected to mention that after I returned from living in Italy, it was Marcella’s book “The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” that became my bible for many years to follow. If you do not own [...]
16 Jul
Pillows of Love: [Ricotta] Gnocchi Thursday
Thursdays in Rome were sacred to me. Thursday was gnocchi day. It seems that this varies from region to region, so not all Italians celebrate the tradition. But spend a year and Rome and I assure you Thursdays will become your gnocchi day too. What could be more perfect than a savory dumpling coated with [...]
6 Jul
Red, White and Blue Potato Salad
For my friend Gabriela, who wasn’t going to ask for the recipe because it seemed complicated, I offer this simple interpretation of the improvised potato salad we enjoyed this weekend. Thank you for your continual hosting panache at your spectacular Santa Cruz digs on the perfect beach with an outstanding cadre of cohorts.
Originally, I planned [...]
3 Jul
Doing Caesar Right
After my experience at Tony’s the other night I thought I would repost a recipe I wrote in July of 2006 for the first incarnation of the Zealot. Two years later it seems that chefs still can’t get it right. Even with the onslaught of little gems on the scene (which I love!) it’s hard [...]
30 Jun
A Platter of Figs
A good friend of mine calls David Tanis the only real genius he knows personally. Apparently Mr. Tanis operates on another plane of existence when it comes to the culinary arts. As my friend described “David could look at a stack of books and figure out how to realign it’s structure and turn it into [...]
29 Jun
Caccio e Pepe
When I read books I tend to read every title by a particular author in sequence. Perhaps this is an OCD condition or perhaps there is virtue in fully absorbing the life’s work of a talented scribe. Whatever the case, it feels very rewarding to have a theme to guide me. In food, it is [...]
23 Jun
Pastured Eggs: Why Are They So Damn Good?
I’m here to help you live a better life. No, really, I am! As I’ve described in previous posts, I am a true hedonist and I love to indulge in the pleasures of this wonderful life. I travel all over the world and relishing in the experience of a new culture and the amazing people [...]
18 Jun
The Perfect Spaghetti Recipe
Alright bitches. Time to earn my keep. If there is one recipe I can convey to provide you pleasure, this is it.
First, a little backstory. When I was living in Rome in 1990 I had an apartment near Piazzale degli Eroi. During our afternoon break I would walk home from school, stopping at the outdoor [...]
8 Jun
Greece Revisited
Hosted a dinner party on Saturday night. The objective was to recreate some of the flavors of our Greece trip. While everyone was effusive with their compliments, I’d give the performance mixed reviews. Here was the menu:
Babaganouj
Tzatziki
Greek Salad
Grilled, Herb-Rubbed Leg of Lamb
Grilled Fennel
Grilled Yellow Potatoes
Petite Strawberries with Yogurt and Honey
I made the baba a few [...]
27 May
Meatballs
I can’t get a break! I’ve been traveling for three weeks and for the most part everyone has commented that they enjoyed keeping up with my posts. But today one reader complained that there were not enough recipes on the site. Sheesh. Let me warn you though, this is real food here. Not some make-your-own-granola-bar [...]
