Sir, nobody but a blockhead ever wrote except for money.
Samuel Johnson
I’ve typed out a lot of words over the last eight months, and while I’ve been pleased with some of them, just as many have disappointed me. But my point here is not to offer any excuses or apologies, after all, I’m writing mainly to attenuate my own perplexity, and occasionally to amuse…myself. Anyway, here are a few of my favorite posts for 2009:
Dinner For Breakfast: When I originally envisioned this post, it was about having leftovers the next morning for breakfast - the ease, quickness, and satisfaction, especially since ‘it tastes better the second day.’ Breakfast is a big culinary straight jacket in this country - you know, eggs with potatoes and bacon, pancakes, and all the variations. It doesn’t much matter how we got here, but a way out would be nice, if only occasionally...more
Fig Anchoïade - Fig and Anchovy Spread: I was in San Luis Obispo a couple of Septembers ago for an Artisan Cheese Making Course at Cal Poly, and memories of gorging on fresh figs the previous summer in Santa Barbara, had my mouth watering over the possibilities. As I strolled the evening Farmer’s Market, farmers still had fresh figs to sell, mainly Turkish, and Mission. It was the intense flavor of some dried Black Missions, however, and a plump and pliable texture you just can’t find in stores that really grabbed me by the palate...more
You Can Lead a Horse To... As I came across the Broadway Bridge at lunchtime on Sunday, heading to the City Market on NW 21st for some pasta and wine before heading back to Seattle, I stopped for the light at Lovejoy and 9th. I couldn’t have been happier, a heritage chicken, Piedmontese beef cheeks, hazelnut-finished pork, Tokyo Rose apples, and a great assortment of other fruits and vegetables...more
You're traveling through another dimension... Once upon a time, but not very long ago, one of the great Wizards of Marketing and Finance was roused from his slumber while dreaming dreams of international sports celebrity. It seems the little foundling he had raised to a Mighty Giant through deeds of fame and fortune was lying ill, wasting away from lethargic neglect...more
I Don’t Believe In Russ Parsons, Even More: Having had a few days to reread my recent post about Russ Parsons’ "'Organic' label doesn't guarantee quality or taste”, I feel that I short changed him, since I didn’t fully address the flawed issues that he raises. To start, his characterization of “the hard-line organic-or-nothing crowd”, makes them sound like they’ve come out of the desert to cleanse the world by fire and sword...more
A Treatment For Tony Bourdain: With the success of episodes like “On The Street,” “Rust Belt,” and Season Five’s “Disappearing Manhattan,” and in the edgy spirit of the just-aired “San Francisco,” I want to offer this treatment for next season’s opener...more
This Little Fishy Went To Market… I was part of the rabid “educate Americans about the glories of anchovies” movement in my previous position as an online specialty food huckster. I towed the foodie party line and shouted its anchovy manifesto from the rooftops, and across hyperspace with every bit of RAM I could muster. The goal was to convert the frightened masses. But, it wasn’t just any anchovies mind you, to be truly on the ‘inside’ with the professionals and the discerning citizens of the Old World, it had to be whole, salt-packed anchovies...more
“Please Sir, I Want Some More…” After two substantial meals in less than four hours and the prospects of heading out into the hot, sticky evening, I would usually pass on dessert, but the menu seduced me into testing the kitchen’s ‘sweet’ skills. I didn’t want anything heavy or hot, so an item like Cherry Clafouti was out, and I settled instead for Lemon Curd with Blueberries and Sugar Cookies and a large iced Americano. I was expecting something chilled with a sweet-tart, mouth puckering flavor and a pudding-like texture, and I thought a few bites would suffice to finish my first dinner at Ned Ludd...more
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