Confession Time:  Those vegetables that look like potatoes? They are potatoes served alongside the dish the night before. Since I didn’t get a photograph then, this picture was taken the next day with the leftovers potatoes added to the stew.          When we entertain, I…

            If you are thinking “native American”, this recipe probably wouldn’t raise an eyebrow.  But we’ve long since stopped calling Native Americans “Indians”.  No, the name of this dish refers to the Asian sub-continent of India.  And that may be even more surprising.  The…

The Cape of Good Hope, the very tip of Africa          In my past life I was fortunate to travel to six continents for work.  And of all the places I’ve been, South Africa is at the top of my list for sheer physical beauty. …

My friend Kate says that when she lived in Santa Fe NM, people used to refer to their local Whole Foods market as “Whole Paycheck”. The Whole Foods nearest me is certainly more expensive than most of the neighborhood groceries but then the produce is…

You can serve the steak atop the salad… Or make the salad all by itself…either way, these dishes are terrific!          If there is a first for everything, today’s Chewing the Fat qualifies.  The first in this case was my discovery that one of my…

         My cousin Bubbles and I have a running dialog about what we’re making for dinner.  The other day she mentioned meatballs and then told me that she seldom makes them anymore because she has a friend who, while claiming not to be a cook,…

Lillian posed for Blackgama Mink for which she was roundly criticized.  The late Wendy Wasserstein  Did she…or didn’t she ever make an Empanada ? Before you think I am fixated on Lillian Hellmann, Playwright, Author and Memoirist, I feel compelled to admit that you may…

            Andrew and I felt as if we already knew Chuck Hughes before we even arrived at his latest Montreal venue, “Le Bremner”  (361 Rue St. Paul East, Montreal H2Y 1H2 Tel: 514-544-0466 ) in the heart of Old Montreal.  We’d been following Chuck…

With ingredients bordering on White Trash, this Pot Roast is absolutely delicious When I went to the market last weekend, there was a special on Chuck Roast with a big sticker on it saying “Easy Cooking Instructions for Pot Roast”.  I immediately thought “Lillian Hellmann’s…

At the Mercado Central in Santiago, you can dine on all the fresh seafood from the market… even if you’re not entirely sure what it is.          I’ve had the good fortune to travel to South America several times.  But I have only touched down…

Andrew and the Birthday Girl Last week was the 12th birthday of our godchild, Olivia.  Now since Andrew and I saw her within her first hours here on earth, it’s sometimes unbelievable that all those 12 years have passed with the speed of summer lightening. …

        I don’t know whether you’ve been following the histrionics that have been going on over the re-designed Bon Appetit.  The new editor, Adam Rapoport, has taken over from Barbara Fairchild, who bowed out when Conde Nast moved the magazine from California to New York…

JAMIE OLIVER DOES IT AGAIN!  STEAK WITH HERBED SALSA AND A RECIPE FOR SWEET ENGLISH PEAS.          Food and Wine devoted their entire March 2011 issue to Healthy Recipes.   And I’m happy to say, they also included something called “A Week of Healthy Wines” in…

Suzanne Goin                What’s better than a long braise on a cold winter’s day?  Filling the house with wonderful smells for a few hours, it’s the perfect dish to cook on a wintry Saturday or Sunday when you want to…