Brown Sugar Tart
It may not be the best time in our lives…but it’s still a great time to bake. We’ve noticed there’s more baking going on than usual. And why not? We not only have the time while we self-quarantine, we also have the need to lift…
It may not be the best time in our lives…but it’s still a great time to bake. We’ve noticed there’s more baking going on than usual. And why not? We not only have the time while we self-quarantine, we also have the need to lift…
Roasted, Baked, Broiled, Fried, Stir-Fried, Here are 10 Terrific Recipes for Chicken. There’s been a big run on chicken since we started sheltering in place in the U.S. Fresh chicken sales are up 76.5 percent according to IRI, a Chicago-based Analytics firm. “This”, says Chad…
Chef Floyd Cardoz and one of his dishes . Homage to Chef Floyd Cardoz whose passing stunned the Culinary World As many of you know, the Culinary Arts lost one of its own this week. The Coronavirus took the life of Floyd Cardoz. New York…
You really have to taste how good this is to know why it’s one of our most popular recipes of all time. As promised, here’s another recipe to get us through being stuck in the house. It’s unorthodox for sure. It’s basically a giant hamburger…
All that pasta you just bought put to very good use indeed. In New York City where I live, the supermarkets have been stripped bare of many items. But I have to say the complete absence of pasta is quite stunning. That may well be…
This is a great time to get your kids in the kitchen making these terrific treats. I had to go back to 2010 to find this phenomenal recipe. I got the most reader comments we’d ever had before. It is off the charts in another…
Beautiful Budapest is a destination along the Danube River for cruise passengers coming both from the north, Amsterdam, and the east, Romania. The Danube runs right through the middle of the city that most don’t realize is actually two cities in one. Buda, on the Danube’s…
Beloved Italy is beset with a healthcare crisis like no other. You would have to be living in outer space not to be following the story of the Covid-19 Virus. And if you have an affinity for Italy, I am sure your heart, like mine,…
A perfect lunch or casual dinner dish features Asian flavors just right for the whole family. This is a wonderful flavor-filled casual meal for serving at lunch or dinner. It brings Asian tastes to the table achieving the balance of sweet, sour, salty and umani…
The Sheet Pan: A great way to cook because it can be used to roast, bake or broil. For Christmas, one of Andrew’s gifts to me was Molly Gilbert’s book (Workman Publishing 2014). The asterisk is because the book also puts Breakfasts, Desserts, and Snacks…
Two countries create a dinner dish worthy of at least two stars. I love a great meatball which is really what Kofte are. I am always on the lookout for new flavors to try. This recipe is from two different sources: A Turkish recipe from…
Is there anything better than a bowl of Tomato Soup? Why yes! When you serve it with a great Grilled Cheese Sandwich. I can never make soup without thinking of my Mother. She was simply incredulous that anyone would go to the trouble when,…
Andrew goes to Texas and brings back a Butter Cake Recipe from Kentucky? Andrew went to Texas to visit his sister Lauren and her family recently. And he came home with this incredible recipe for a buttermilk Bundt cake. Lauren is a spectacular cook and…
A World-Class Chef takes a shortcut and creates a fantastic take on a Spanish classic with Potato Chips and Bayonne Ham. It is almost unimaginable to think of a World-Class Chef taking shortcuts with one of the signature dishes of his home country. But that’s…

My name is Monte Mathews (at right). My partner, Andrew Phillips (at left) and I started this blog because we both share a lifelong interest in food and travel. We decided to put everything together in a blog called “Chewing the Fat”. To ‘chew the fat’ is a phrase that means ‘to talk or discuss informally, to talk at length about a variety of subjects.’ There’s some debate over what ‘fat’ was being chewed but here we use it to mean food and travel talk that delves a little deeper into what we eat, where it came from and to tell the stories that surround almost every recipe we share. You’ll find everything here from appetizers through to dessert...lots of desserts because Andrew is now a world-class home baker when he's not selling residential Real Estate in the city we love, New York. Andrew can be reached at [email protected]

WHO IS YOUR VALENTINE THIS YEAR?
What says “I Love You” better than a great box of chocolates? Your amour could be talking about you…or your fantastic gift from Sugar Plum! There’s a whole line up of romantic sweets that you can peruse at https://www.sugar-plum.com/

Prepare to have your Valentine’s taste buds utterly enchanted by this handcrafted truffle collection—a decadent mix of silky white, rich dark, and velvety milk chocolate, each infused with flavors that will make chocolate lovers swoon. This isn’t just chocolate; it’s pure indulgence, wrapped up in a little bite-sized masterpiece.
Hurry and they’ll get there by the big day. Just go to https://amzn.to/4hwMr6D and order now.
PRODUCT NEWS YOU CAN USE

Did you know that New York State is the second largest apple producer in the whole country? Only Washington State tops us. Trust a resourceful friend of ours, Wendy Brovetto, native New Yorker and grandchild of an Upstate New York Farm family, to create truly incredible Rustic Apple Jams in 4 extraordinary flavors. When she did, Croton Trading Co. was born.

Wendy explains ”We created our apple jam after one of those overzealous days of apple picking yielded a larger-than-usual haul. With more apples than any family could consume, the experimenting began and gave way to what we think is the perfect blend of apples and cinnamon.”
“We source our apples from local NY Orchards -- Thompson's Orchard in Westchester Co andl Richters Orchard on Long Island. I have a special fondness for these family-owned farms. Richters Orchard was a big part of my childhood, as my sisters and I would go on weekly outings with my dad to stock up on apples and cider"

"We carefully blend different apples to create our flavor profile and find inspiration from seasonal spices to create our Apple Jam”. Wendy proudly states.

Now Croton Trading Company is up to 4 flavors: Fall Harvest Blend, Ginger Pear Fusion, Chai, and Brown Sugar. You can see the whole range here:

Needless to say, we couldn’t wait to put Croton Trading Company’s Apple Jam to work making our Skillet Apple Pork Chops. This one-pot recipe is perfect for weeknights but so good you may want to serve to company. The chops finish cooking in Croton Trading’s Apple Jam and we always serve it on the side to give even more great apple taste to the dish. Here’s the recipe:
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (6-oz.) bone-in pork chops
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
½ cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1 cup Croton Trading Rustic Apple Jam (we used Ginger Pear)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 small red onion, thinly vertically sliced
Chopped Parsley for garnish.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle pork chops evenly with 3/8 teaspoon salt and 3/8 teaspoon pepper. Add pork chops to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until pork chops beautifully browned. Remove from pan. Set aside pan and drippings.
In a small bowl, combine stock and Croton Trading Apple Jam, stirring with a whisk. Set aside. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan with drippings, swirl. Add remaining 3/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 3/8 teaspoon pepper, sage, rosemary, and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in stock mixture. Return pork chops to pan; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Plate each chop individually. Top with chopped parsley as a garnish. Serve with plenty of Croton Trading Apple Jam on the side.
CULINARY CRUISING: RIVERSIDE RAVEL IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
Manage your cookie preferences below:
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Google Analytics is a powerful tool that tracks and analyzes website traffic for informed marketing decisions.
Service URL: policies.google.com (opens in a new window)
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Pinterest Tag is a web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic.
Service URL: policy.pinterest.com (opens in a new window)