CHEWING THE FAT

        This morning, New York set a new record in Central Park. It was 4F. For our friends who use Celsius, it sounds even worse: -15C.   So we likely couldn’t find a better day to travel south to the French West Indies and the island of…

         From the numbers of people who have clicked on James Beard’s Roast Beef Hash recipe just this week (1703 and counting), my guess is there’s a lot of Prime Rib leftover from our Holiday menus.  That’s the case here and after I’d made the…

         We’ve had a banner year on Chewing the Fat.  As of right now, we’ve consistently increased readership month after month.  Our readers come from all over the globe – China is just 16 readers under Australia.  I’m particularly proud of our Canadian friends.  The…

       I needn’t tell you the Sweets Factory at our house has been in overdrive ever since we arrived here for the holidays.  There have been dozens of cookies, a Red Velvet Cake, even a Norwegian “Fyrstekake” a Cardomon Almond confection, beautifully decorated…

                  This is one of Ina Garten’s most beloved recipes.  It dates all the way back to 1999 when it appeared in Ina’s first cookbook “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook” (Clarkson Potter 1999).  Since I can’t think of  a better time for luxury foods like…

Scampi  I first wrote this post a year ago. But I thought I would repeat it again this year because it’s a wonderful explanation of an Italian tradition that many Italian Americans will uphold again this Christmas Season. And the recipe follows my mantra for…

Catherine de Medici Mother of 3 French Kings        As far back as the 16th century, Lyon, not Paris, has been the gastronomical capital of France.  It was then that Catherine de Medici, the Queen Consort of King Henry II, an Italian noblewoman by birth,…

For such a relatively small corner of the world, the East End of Long Island is long on extremely talented chefs.  Proximity to New York has led many a city chef to, if not abandon the city, set up a second home out in the…

         When I was growing up in Montreal, my family had an endless stream of visitors, most of whom had some connection to my parent’s time in Britain during the Second World War.  They were both volunteers—my father was a Major in the Canadian Army…

         Let’s face it: this time of year begs for recipes that you can get on the table in no time. This wonderful soup takes all of 15 minutes to make and it’s a perfect warmer for a winter night.  With a tossed green salad and…

         Recently, I was a guest on National Public Radio’s “The Food Schmooze”.  The show, which originates in New Haven CT, is heard twice a week on WNPR’s stations in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York including the East End of…

On a recent “Chopped”, the Food Network TV show that pits four chefs against a basket full of incongruous ingredients, a very sad fact was served up to the audience.  Americans throw away 40 percent of the food they buy!  The dollar amount is staggering: …

                    The other day I saw the sign pictured on the left announcing the annual arrival of Nantucket Bay Scallops.  Like local asparagus, there are only a few weeks a year when these little sweet morsels make their way into our market.  It’s…

Photo by Alex Mathews       Mason William Mathews       Just in case you somehow missed it, I  spent 5 of the happiest days of my calendar year visiting my son and his family in California.  Surprise, surprise, I cooked.  I have a…