CHEWING THE FAT

Mark Bittman, “The Flexitarian” Mark Bittman calls himself “The Flexitarian”.  He writes about his food philosophy in The New York Times Dining Out Section once a month.  I am happy to report that from the start Bittman promised that, first and foremost, his new column…

Dinner by Trader Joe’sOrganic Brined Chicken in Many Cloves Garlic Sauce,Reduced Gilt Mac and Cheese, Asparagus with Garlic Salt           My gorgeous daughter-in-law Kym introduced me to Trader Joe’s long before it ever came east. Kym was thrilled with TJ’s because it helped her out…

           The craving for ribs doesn’t end the minute the grill gets garaged for the winter.  Fortunately, Bobby Flay developed an oven/broiler combination that takes the place of the backyard barbecue and delivers, in no time at all, an excellent rack…

Melissa Clark Melissa Clark, one of our favorite New York Times Food columnists, has just started a new Wednesday feature. Called “The Restaurant Takeaway” it is ‘devoted to restaurant dishes you can make in your own kitchen, tested and tweaked for home cooks’.  If the…

Cooking is often the most Zen activity of my day. Especially when I come across a recipe that is elegant in its simplicity, beautiful to look at as I am preparing it and finally, a wonderful experience when it is eaten.  This recipe, which came…

         As I pointed on Monday in “The 12 Best Burgers…Part 1”, New York Burgers fall into two distinct camps: The “Classic” Burgers which stick to the same pattern of beef patty, American Cheese, soft bun, ‘special sauce’, lettuce and tomato.  From there we move…

“Greek” Lamb with Orzo “Greek” Lamb with Oricchiette          Amanda (l.) and Merrill (r.) Food 52 is a food ‘community’ headed by Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs.  Amanda is likely most famous from having edited the Essential New York Times Cookbook, the 2010 revision of…

         I love a great burger.  Juicy, perfectly cooked medium rare prime beef oozing with flavor, layered with cheese, topped with ‘special sauce’ and sandwiched between a bun…this is when food takes me to my happy place.  I will go out of my way for…

Mark Bittman Recently Mark Bittman used his Sunday NY Times Food pages to extoll the virtues and utter simplicity of making Pate a Choux. This dough is the basis for both Gougeres, bite sized cheese puffs that melt in your mouth and Chocolate Eclairs, my…

“Meatball Mike” Chernow (left)  and Chef Daniel Holzman             Chef Daniel Holzman and his partner, Michael Chernow, AKA “Meatball Mike” are New York’s Kings of the Meatball.  With the opening of their 5th location, on the Far East side of Manhattan, at 1462 Second Avenue, they are…

         Chef Cosmo Goss “Hop Chef” Gail Collins, the columnist who calls the New York Times Opinion pages home, loves a good name.  One of her all-time favorites is Butch Otter, the Governor of the great state of Idaho about whom Collins wrote: “ That…

         Jason Weiner with an un-Monte’s Ham From the moment Almond Restaurant opened 12 years ago in an old roadhouse in Bridgehampton, it’s been a smash hit.  (It’s also been featured here before https://chewingthefat.us.com/2011/06/roasted-asparagus-with-lardons-and.html).  We quickly became regulars drawn by the consistently great food that comes…

I love a recipe with a past and this simple and satisfying Chicken dish is a prime example.  And it may be the only time when you can say you’re serving Chicken fit for an Emperor, in this case Napoleon.  There’s a myth attached to…

         Bangers and Mash I have a weakness for English dishes with picturesque names. Even the simplest of these is a riddle.  “Bangers and Mash”, or Sausage and Mashed Potatoes, is the simplest to understand.  The sausages used in the original recipe,…