CHEWING THE FAT

         For all its popularity, ordinary supermarkets carry surprisingly few pasta shapes.  Granted, they do have a good representation of the types of pasta the home cook needs. But they never come close to the staggering number of varieties you’ll find at a pasta emporium…

            If you are thinking “native American”, this recipe probably wouldn’t raise an eyebrow.  But we’ve long since stopped calling Native Americans “Indians”.  No, the name of this dish refers to the Asian sub-continent of India.  And that may be even more surprising.  The…

         I love pasta and I am always on the lookout for a new and different way to prepare it.   There are sauces that require hours on the stove and that are best made in huge batches. “Bolognese” falls into that camp. Whatever the recipe,…

         When I started cooking Osso Buco, it was a sumptuous meal on a beer budget.  The Veal Shanks at the center of the dish were afterthoughts at the butcher’s counter.  It’s hard to imagine but I think they ran about $4.99 a lb. at…

This is a one-pan wonder that comes together completely in just 30 minutes.  My experience with Spanish cuisine is limited to making an occasional Paella and even there, without a true Paella pan, I am not sure how authentic my version is.  But I’ve wanted…

John Barricelli the baker behind this Classic Recipe           More often than not, when Andrew is baking I am dumbstruck by the effort he takes.  One recent project involved making three different cupcakes, getting up at 7:30 to do so and finishing the last of…

         If I could teach one technique that is perfect for weeknight cooking, it would be the stir-fry.  It is the absolutely ideal last minute dinner when you’re not entirely sure when everyone’s getting home.  You put everything in place in advance.  Then, when whomever…

            Today marks another milestone on Chewing the Fat. It’s our 325th post and sometime in the very near future we will achieve our 300,000th page view.  Not bad for a couple of self-taught cooks who just love to bake and cook and have never had…

      Ms. Parisi                               Last weekend, I wanted to start to move away from summer favorites and start enjoying some of the pleasures of fall. For me this means a…

The Decor of Maison Boulud gets high marks too!        Daniel Boulud is no stranger to these pages.  His recipes are as reliable as his restaurants, the latest of which just opened in Montreal’s newly renovated Ritz Carlton Hotel ( 1228 Sherbrooke St. Ouest,…

The Bridgehampton Florist outdid themselves at their own table at this year’s Hampton Classic Joy Marks, a Hampton Classic habituee, seemed to have our colors in mind this year.          The Hampton Classic Horse Show is a bittersweet affair.  It’s quite the party and attracts…

         Alright, I cheated little on this one.  The actual recipe is for something called “Pork Larb” but, when I first said that I was going to make a dish by that name, Andrew made a face and suggested that, for appetite appeal alone, I…

Olivia and the Pink Cake Left to right: Uncle Monte, Olivia and Uncle Andrew  Our god-daughter Olivia just turned 13 this month.  That’s a milestone in any girl’s life.  It’s also a pretty big one in ours too.  Andrew and I went to see her…

Dan Kluger and his boss, Jean-Georges Vongerichten in the ABC Kitchen          In July, Food & Wine magazine announced its picks in its annual “Best New Chefs” issue.  And it came as no surprise to us at all that the magazine had selected Chef Dan…