CHEWING THE FAT

A remarkably creamy-rich soup with a secret. There’s not a drop of cream in it. Bon Appetit Editor Sarah Jampel developed this recipe for the magazine’s “Basically” series. “Basically” focuses on beginner home cooks. Do not be put off by the length of the recipe.…

A Trip to California and an unforgettable food discovery. The first time I had this soft tortilla shell stuffed with crispy, beer-battered cod topped with avocado salsa, pico de gallo, and slaw, I was hooked.  The crispiness of the fish was irresistible. The soft flour…

Are you serving enough Lamb? These Chops from Costco ought to be on your shopping list. Lamb is a pretty pricey option when it comes to choices at the meat counter. That is good loin lamb chops.  Shoulder and Sirloin Chops are more economical but…

Nothing can compare to the delights of the South of France…especially when you experience them aboard this river cruiser. Emerald Waterways features a Top Chef France Contestant who comes aboard to cook a very special dinner. And look what’s for Dessert… To Go Directly to…

The Great British Baking Show Contestants could have used this recipe for Babke. Andrew and I are great devotées of this wildly popular British TV series, now in its 11th season. Judges and Co-Hosts have come and gone but we’ve never strayed.  We have had…

“To eat well in England, you should eat breakfast three times a day”– Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham was an enormously popular playwright, novelist, and short-story writer with a 65-year long career.   Born in the British Embassy in Paris, he spent much of his life…

Diwali started on the 14th of November this year.  And since it lasts 5 days, celebrate it tonight! Diwali, a festival of lights celebrated widely by Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs, has a lovely premise: It symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over…

Rome’s favorite and most famous pasta dish gets a major makeover. When I lived in Rome, I can’t count how often I would order this dish. At least once a week, I would sit down to a bowl of this pasta.  Just four ingredients made…

Ina Garten’s Winter Minestrone is remarkably simple to make.  Trust Ina Garten to give us a recipe so dead easy, that you could decide to make it an hour before dinner.  It’s from Ina’s 2012 cookbook “Foolproof” (Clarkson-Potter). I looked at the ingredient list and…

From Palaces to Parliaments, you’ll see it all on Scenic’s Danube Cruises… My latest article for Cruising Journal Has just been published.  Click here to cruise…https://www.cruisingjournal.com/en/articles/cruise-destinations/8-reasons-to-take-a-scenic-cruise-along-the-danube    

The allure of the Sheet Pan Dinner is on full display here. The convenience factor isn’t the only thing this cooking technique has going for it. Food actually tastes better when you use a sheet pan. Flavor intensifies because you are using three cooking techniques:…

The Cookie Jerry Seinfeld Made into a TV Star Jerry Seinfeld is almost as beloved in New York City as the Black and White.  This cookie is found everywhere from the corner bodega to that most upscale of bakeries, William Greenberg. Seinfeld used it to…

The luxury of a great Duck Breast in a dish that takes minutes to make. There’s something about Duck that is both exotic and luxurious. I associate it with childhood visits to the great restaurants in Montreal, where I grew up.  So when I saw…

Today we introduce a new feature on Chewing The Fat “Product News You Can Use” When you scroll down our landing page, just under “About Us”, you’ll see it. A new column that will be a permanent feature. We’re calling it “Product News You Can…