Was it two years ago I went to Alaska? Yes. Two years since I rode with my family on a bus headed to Denali National Park and a cooking class with Chef Laura Cole of Top Chef fame. Two years since I dined on homemade pasta topped with fresh (never frozen) Alaskan King Crab and the most unlikely and scrumptious carrot sauce I have ever had. Two years and and then the world transformed, making that trip seem like a life time ago. After our lesson and meal, Chef Cole gave us the recipe and I put it in a file and then misplaced the file. But things have a way of ...
Main Courses
SHEET PAN DINNER POT LUCK: BUTTERNUT SQUASH, APPLES AND BRATWURST
Half pieces of vegetables in the refrigerator and partial packages of frozen meat are an inevitable part of living by yourself. Things just don’t come in single person sizes. You may very good at planning out menus and using everything up or you may be like me and save the unneeded portions until it is a question of toss it or use it. Today is a use-it day. I really didn’t feel like going to the store so I went to my fridge instead. And I found half a butternut squash, half an onion, some apples, and some frozen bratwurst. And carrots. (I always have carrots). This calls for a ...
LEARNING FROM THE BEST: BBQ COUNTRY STYLE RIBS
I am obsessed with the American BBQ Showdown on Netflix. It’s weird, I know. I don’t do a lot of bbq, mostly leaving that to my skilled and capable son-in-law. I love BBQ but it’s always seemed a little one note to me. However, there’s not a lot that’s new on TV these days and this show caught my eye. I’m so glad it did. I have learned a lot about meat and Southern sides and the vast array of people who love to make it. Kevin Bludso and Melissa Cookston are the judges and they are good. Melissa in particular knows how to cook the meat and sides. She can spot a mistake from a ...
AUTUMN FIGS AND PORK TENDERLOIN
Summer's end is approaching and the arrival of fresh figs in the market is the inspiration for this dish of Roasted Figs and Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary. Have you ever noticed how the light changes two or three hours before sunset? The shadows have not yet begun to length but the sun has passed the meridian and its position lower in the sky alters the way the light hits objects in the distance. A golden glow, softer than the harsh rays of midday, is imparted to the world around us. It is my favorite time of day. A brief hour of peace before the activity of the evening. I often ...
WATERMELON CHICKEN AND SPICED GRILLED WATERMELON
A visit to Glen Falls in Highlands, NC is the inspiration for this Watermelon Glazed Chicken with Spiced Grilled Watermelon Slices I went to Highlands in the mountains of North Carolina this weekend where, due a fortunate accident (a tree fell across the road about a mile from the parking area), we were able to see Glen Falls in relative seclusion. It’s a spectacular three-tiered waterfall which drops about 700 feet in total and is, understandably, very popular. The tree had fallen the night before after a torrential rainfall. We were there early, before it was cleared, and few people ...
SUMMER IN THE SOUTH: PIMENTO CHEESE TOMATO PIE
When I think of summer in the South, I think of my childhood days at the beach where the food seemed to center around fresh ripe red tomatoes, slightly spicy pimento cheese, and fresh fruit pies. The days were filled with salt air and ocean and the evenings meant family around the table. This summer I am up in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Other than that little has changed. I make a mean pimento cheese; my tomato plants are laden with deep red orbs of deliciousness; and pies are my thing. So I put them all together and created a Pimento Cheese Tomato ...
ROCK CORNISH GAME HENS WITH GRILLED PEACHES
IT'S GRILLING SEASON! ROCK CORNISH GAME HENS PAIRED WITH GRILLED FRESH PEACHES MAKE AN EASY AND LIGHT DINNER. PAIR THEM WITH A GARDEN SALAD AND FINISH WITH ICE CREAM OR S'MORES FOR A DELICIOUS BACKYARD BARBECUE ON A HOT SUMMER DAY! Rock Cornish Game Hens—you know what they are. They are small chickens which are almost always found in the freezer section. As a matter of fact, I have never seen a fresh Rock Cornish Game Hen. We used to make jokes that they were “Rock” game hens because that’s how they came, frozen like a rock. The breed is a cross between the Cornish Chicken and the ...
A GARDEN DINNER: ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH BURRATA, BASIL AND TOMATOES, AND SQUASH BLOSSOM QUESADILLAS
I bet you all are just waiting for tomatoes to come in so you can stop hearing about zucchini. But zucchini doesn’t care. Zucchini is the gift that keeps on giving. Last week I decided to really go after my plant and make a dinner based on zucchini. I started with Zucchini Fritters with Burrata, Basil and Tomatoes followed by some Squash Blossom Quesadillas and a Kale Salad. Zucchini Fritters Using the coarse shred side of a grater, shred the zucchini and toss it in a little salt. Then place it in a sieve to drain for ten minutes. You want the zucchini to be as dry as possible so ...
PASTA WITH FRESH PEA SAUCE
Garden peas and fresh herbs are quickly combined to make a fresh and versatile sauce for pasta or fish. Many years ago we lived outside of London in a lovely house with a large walled garden. It was a rental and in order to ensure the garden was well maintained the owners required us to use their gardener, the eponymously named Mr. Green. Much of what I do now I learned from him. The quarter acre was lush with fruit trees, wild flowers and a small rose garden which he lovingly tended. In addition to this, Mr. Green kept us well supplied with home grown vegetables. An early lesson for ...
SORRY KUGELHOPF, I’M MAKING GREEN CHICKEN CHILI
This is the sad tale of three Kugelhopfs and knowing when to stop and make Green Chicken Chili instead. The story starts 39 years ago when I traveled to the French city of Strasbourg in the Alsace-Lorraine region near the German border. Students of history will know that this area of France has been hotly fought over and traded back and forth between Germany and France giving it a unique culture and cuisine. We visited the cathedral, walked along the river and explored the narrow cobblestone streets and, of course we stopped in a bakery. I had heard of the traditional cake of the ...
