CHEWING THE FAT

Renato (L) and Matt outside Baked in Red Hook Brooklyn         I am sure there are any number of readers who don’t believe Andrew cooks anything that isn’t from Baked, the Brooklyn bakery we’ve raved about before.  Now into their second cookbook, Baked’s founders really…

       They say that the mark of a good cook is whether they can deliver a perfect Roast Chicken.  Perfect…as  deeply juicy and tender meat covered with the crispest and crunchiest skin.  Frankly, I have never been satisfied with my Roast Chicken.  I’ve tried…

      I am always surprised at what the most popular recipes are on Chewing the Fat.  There’s no real common denominator at all.  I’d let you guess but since we are now onto post number 158, it might speed things up if I cut…

Chicago’s Stephanie Izard was the winner of the 4th Season of Top Chef.  She was the first woman to win, and thus far, the only one.  During the course of the show she won 4 Quick Fire challenges and finished at the top of elimination challenges…

Truman Capote and his ‘date’ Katherine Graham An entire book was written about Truman’s Black and White Ball  In 1966, Truman Capote was flush with success.  His ‘non-fiction novel’, the term he used to describe “In Cold Blood”, was a hit.  He decided to throw himself a…

      Quite honestly, to me ground turkey is one of life’s bigger turnoffs. In order to achieve its undoubtedly low calorie profile, every possible bit of fat has been given the heave ho leaving the cook desperate for ways to make it palatable.  Have…

Monte’s Scotch Eggs courtesy Melissa Clark’s recipe        Yes, I was at The Breslin yet again.  This time I went for dinner with friends.  Because Ms. Bloomfield has just knocked everyone’s socks off at the new John Dory Oyster Bar, on the other…

        Last winter, at a Food Writer’s boot camp, I met a woman named Leitha who was contemplating writing a blog devoted entirely to boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  After a very preliminary discussion with her boyfriend, she abandoned the project.  Apparently he told her point…

      The great challenge of home cooking is finding ways to bring new life to everyday family favorites.  At our house, this is a true mission since every meal is a candidate for this blog. We are constantly on the lookout for ways of…

Suzanne Goin                What’s better than a long braise on a cold winter’s day?  Filling the house with wonderful smells for a few hours, it’s the perfect dish to cook on a wintry Saturday or Sunday when you want to…

        It’s been a really rough winter here so far and there are still 50 days to go.  But I found a couple of ways to conjure happier and warmer days.  This is thanks to the introduction of some delicious, ripe tomatoes that are…

More days this winter have kept us locked up in the house than I can remember.   This week there was a day that was so cold, you had to go back 10 in years in New York to find a matching temperature.  Being stuck in…

       When I was growing up, thrift was highly valued in our house. It didn’t really have much to do with how much we had or didn’t have.  I don’t know how many of my readers know this but the Scots are notoriously thrifty.…

      The old expression ‘while the cats away’ certainly applies to this particular dish.  Andrew was off in Texas visiting his family and I was here in New York playing away in the kitchen.  Now Andrew is not a picky eater but there are…