Ah, Ribollita…the Tuscan soup that’s a perfect antidote to winter.  Hearty and robust, it’s packed with vegetables and day-old bread making it far more a stew than a soup.  Its origins are precise.  Its roots are in the peasant foods of Tuscany particularly in the…

 It’s been almost ten years since we made this recipe and it’s still as good as it gets. One of the great challenges I face is to constantly look for new recipes, new combinations and new takes on the classics.  When you think about it,…

I’ve been working on Chewing The Fat’s first book. It’s a compendium of Andrew’s masterful baking.  The very last recipe was for homemade Granola.  The mere thought of it brought back memories of just how good it was.  It was so far superior to any…

If you live in the East, you’re experiencing an arctic blast of obscenely low temperatures. We’re so bundled up against the cold, not even the runners are out these mornings.  There is a cure for the cold. And that of course, is a bowl of…

On Chewing The Fat, the recipes really do come from everywhere.  However in this case, it came from closer to home–our own kitchen. I had an intense desire for a Pork Chop and not one of those boneless half inch deals swathed in plastic wrap. …

Our friend Jeff Lobb is a wonderful cook and entertains beautifully. Especially when his partner Don is in the kitchen with him.  And if Jeff is famous for one dish above all others, it is his fondness for Rack of Pork that stands out.  This…

I consider Pizza a perfect food.  In one slice, you combine dairy, vegetables, carbohydrates and protein.  And you pick it up with one hand to eat it—no utensils necessary. All right, I use a fork which is contrary to New York pizza etiquette but not…

I am sucker for about three things that are going on in this particular recipe. I am a fan of Italian sausage, cream sauces and pasta.  Throw a little basil on it for color and I found it irresistible.  And for these early Fall nights…

If you follow me on Instagram (@montemathews) you know that I have been in Scandinavia all last week.  I boarded Viking Star in Germany and sailed to Denmark and Norway. As soon as I can cook them, I’ll be sharing some wonderful discoveries on my…

An old favorite takes on new flavors in just about 60 minutes Out here in the Hamptons, the day after Labor Day is called “Tumbleweed Tuesday”.  It is the day when the place completely clears out as everyone heads back to school and work. It…

Andrew’s sister Lauren and I have an ongoing contest to find people who comment on a recipe they’ve so radically altered it bears no resemblance to the original. Despite having tinkered with the ingredients, the quantities, the cooking time until the recipe is unrecognizable, you’d…

If you are a fan of “This Is Us”, the television phenomenon, you may have seen the episode leading up to this week’s Finale after the Super Bowl.  Last week, Jack and Rebecca were all prepared for Super Bowl Sunday.   I don’t know how…

Starting this blog off with an entirely new design involved a lot of trips down Memory Lane.  It was a very long and complex project just to get the old posts transferred over.  Each and every one of them had to be reviewed and the…

I sometimes think I should have called Chewing The Fat “Chewing the Pasta”.  I have such fondness for pasta that I make it on a weekly basis.  I am well aware of how many people eschew its carbohydrates. Sorry, they’re missing one of life’s great…