A couple of months ago my husband and I were at Etta’s enjoying a Saturday dinner, sitting at the windows watching a lovely sunset unfold before us. I looked up from my crispy shrimp spring rolls to see a bald fellow fiddling with a bunch of luggage or equipment at the back of a van parked in [...]
Entries from May 2009
May 26, 2009
Cooking at the Barn: Returning to Orcas
A week from today I’ll be in one of my favorite places on the planet. Oh, how I wish it were Paris! But a very close second to Paris in terms of places that make me happy, serene, inspired, and revived is Orcas Island. Right here in my own back yard, a short drive and [...]
May 12, 2009
A New Project: Tasty Fun and Games
I’ve had a Blondie comic strip tacked just above my desk for a while now. In it, Dagwood’s playing poker with his pals, shuffling the cards only to have them all fly out of his hands with a P-R-R-R-T (one of those clever comic sound effects). The others decide that Dagwood’s not allowed to shuffle the cards [...]
May 5, 2009
James Beard Award Highlights
Oh, to have been in New York City these past few days, where the culinary world has gathered for the annual James Beard Awards. I was there at Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center last year for the glitzy festivities–complete with red carpet interviews and celebrity sightings. But couldn’t swing the trip this year.
Instead, I [...]
May 1, 2009
Putting Recipes to the Test
They say that the proof is in the pudding. And I say it’s also in the skillet-roasted chicken, the green gazpacho, the risotto with asparagus and peas, the braised lamb shanks with olives and the hazelnut soufflé.
The proof I’m talking about is how well the recipe does its job. Preparation steps and cooking techniques all [...]
