CHEWING THE FAT

         I just came back from the Thousand Islands, a natural wonder that occurs where the Great Lakes pour into the St. Lawrence River.  These islands range in size from tiny outcroppings in the river to islands where there are farms and…

Lobster Ravioli with Creamy Tomato Sauce Cheese Ravioli with Black Truffles and Mushroom Sauce Eataly’s selection of fresh, stuffed pasta is hard to beat. One day I hope I’ll become wildly proficient in making my own Raviolis.  For the time being however, I keep thinking…

Every fall something primal comes over me and I feel the need to can or ‘put up’ produce for the coming winter.  This likely goes back to visions of my paternal grandmother, a country girl from Ontario, who despite having strayed a long way from…

          The 3 lb Gourmet Collection is irresistible to Mushroom Lovers All summer long, I’ve been working with Jane Maguire and John Quigley on their burgeoning Long Island Mushroom Inc. business.  The two have supplied restaurants that are at the very…

The genuine article as seen in Spain BRING THE TASTE OF SPAIN TO THE TABLE WITH THIS OVEN-ROASTED SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE PAELLA. Paella is, hands down, the dish most associated with Spain.  Prior to the emergence of tapas on tables everywhere and Ferran Adria’s molecular…

         I love a good meatball.  And that’s exactly what a boulette is in French.  So I cached away David Tanis’ recipe for a North African version that appeared in the NY Times almost a year ago.  You only have to look at the most…

         My friend Edward told me he’d recently had dinner in Manhattan and was served an unforgettable heirloom tomato salad.  Atop a stack of perfectly ripe tomatoes, a corn and cream dressing made the tomatoes even more irresistible.  Since both corn and tomatoes are still…

Sophia Vergara at The Hampton Classic Sept. 1 2013 The Hampton Classic Horse Show punctuates the end of summer, coming as it does every Labor Day Weekend.  This year the punctuation mark was unquestionably an exclamation point.  The celebrity quotient was through the roof.  Sighted…

                My first Cobb Salad was the first of many I ate on the terrace of the Polo Lounge in the Beverly Hills Hotel.  It was irresistible with its mosaic of ingredients that arrived at the table beautifully arranged on the plate.  The…

         Recipes that other cooks invent should be treated with great respect.  I’ve mentioned before that few things put me off more than someone commenting on a dish—very often negatively—that they have ‘doctored’ beyond recognition.   Still, if you do delve into the comments, you can…

         At one point or another, savory cooks have to conclude their cooking is far less complicated than the exact science baking requires.  A savory cook can pretty much play it by ear, adding or subtracting ingredients, substituting one thing for another and still end…

         ROASTING A WHOLE STRIPED BASS IS A LOT EASIER THAN YOU’D THINK Long Island is surrounded by water and the East End, where we live, is particularly blessed.  Not two miles from our house is Peconic Bay, which feeds into the Long Island Sound…

John Barricelli, Chef and author of “The Seasonal Baker” It’s blueberry season but I’ll take any excuse for making this combination of a vanilla cake with fresh blueberries and a chunky brown sugar crumb topping.  And since it can be eaten straight from the oven…

         A bowl of chilled soup can really start a summer meal off right. Make enough of it, and anytime you want, there’s a bowl of cool comfort waiting in the fridge.   As to today’s side, it’s a terrific way to have vegetables on hand…