Today was a gorgeous day at the Jackson Heights farmer’s market, where you can really tell that summer is in full swing. From the sour cherries that have just cropped up, to the tomatoes, lettuces, zucchini, and peas, it’s all there, ripe for the picking. I was one of three chefs taking part in a pea-themed cooking demo, co-sponsored by Greenmarket and the Queens Harvest Food Co-op. We handed out samples of sauteed peas with mushrooms and shallots, a raw snap-pea salad with mint and radishes, and (my creation) a snow pea and potato curry. We had a great turn out and I’m looking forward to helping out with more outdoor cooking demos as the summer progresses!
More...
But first a preamble to this digression: People, I’ve been busy. And, sadly, it’s been a few weeks since I’ve cooked a real meal in my own kitchen. Sure, I’ve made meals for my client. I’ve taught groups of people how to make chicken cacciatore. I’ve even been sous chef for a wedding of 120+. But have I managed to get a single recipe up here since the 1st of June? Negative. (Oh, I’m also planning my own wedding. Just one month to go – jeepers!)
More...
I’m incredibly excited about the onset of summer. Sure, summer means there is no cooking without sweating – and, if you’re me, there’s no cooking with pants – but it also portends that a sumptuous bounty of amazing produce will explode into NYC from all the surrounding farmlands. And that’s sweeeeet.
More...
As some of you may know, my twin bro Paul just started hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (“PCT”) that runs up through California from the border of Mexico to the border of British Columbia, Canada. It’s a pretty big undertaking, and so far he’s rocking it! He started a blog that he’s updating along the way, which you can find here. Check it out! These bars will hopefully serve as worthy fuel for Paul while on the trail.
More...
What should you do when life gives you a surplus of jalapeños? Make some pesto! What, you thought pesto was just for the Genovese? Well think again! It’s time to expand your pesto horizons. This recipe works great on a warm corn tortilla, with some grilled meat and chopped tomatoes. It also works as a nice seasoning for ground meat, in rice, or even to spice up your grandma’s chicken soup. Plug in your food processor and give it a whirl!
More...
I’ve been on a bit of a bread roll (HA! sorry, that was cheap.) as of late, mainly inspired by a book that was given to me, The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. It’s a pretty spectacularly comprehensive book, for anyone out there who’s looking to start baking bread at home. It can, however, at times be a bit too comprehensive, to the point of exhausting. Which is why I turn, as I often do, back to the blogosphere (to the detriment of the printed word, unfortunately). Web content is just so accessible and amorphous in a way that can be beneficial to the cook with a curious, rambling mind.
More...
Despite what some might think about my mother, she does in fact cook, and cook well, when the occasion calls for it. Like, for instance, when she was raising two hungry tween twins under one roof. I recall there being a brief period, around the age of 13, when I passed my brother in height, and we together ate enough in one meal sitting to feed a family of 8. Ah, those were the days.
More...
Every cook has one. A weird vestige of childhood nourishment. A culinary aberration both strange and satisfying. Mine still haunts me late at night, after a night working at the restaurant. The timeless after-school sandwich: smooth cream cheese, crisp romaine lettuce, savory green olives, tucked lovingly between two slices of nutty whole grain toast.
More...
Today I awoke from a dream of Spring to a grey, rainy/snowy world. Blegh! So I’m bringing a little spicy fiesta into our lives. Ay ay! I’m making Pollo a la Mexicana (chicken breasts with onion, tomato, and jalapeño) with some fried Mexican cheese (queso!).
More...
Last night I got antsy, couldn’t sit still, couldn’t just enjoy the night off and curl up on the sofa with a good book, so what did I do? Well, what I always do: I made some food! The ants-in-the-pants cure ended up being whole wheat bread dough, which this morning became beautifully light and fluffy English muffins!
More...