Simply Delicious: Tortilla Espanola

Monday, June 7, 2010

For me, this is perfect food.  With just four humble ingredients (ok, six, if you count salt and pepper), it’s about as simple as it gets, but its flavor and texture are subtle, beautifully balanced and, to me at least, deeply satisfying.  It’s also inexpensive, easy to make (with just a bit of practice) and […]

A California Twist on a Classic: The Zin Cup

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Pimm’s Cup is a classic summer cocktail that, I think, has fallen out of fashion, not because of its flavor, but because it’s associated with events like garden parties, horseraces and croquet matches; that is, things that are supposed to be fun, but aren’t.  Push the memories of genteel tedium out of your mind, […]

An Homage to Hospital Jello: Minted Pomegranate Lime Jelly

Friday, May 28, 2010

Ok, I’m back.  The blog, and my life in general, was derailed last week by an illness that landed me in the hospital for a few days.  It was a bit of an ordeal, but I’m getting back into action now, and I’m expected to recover completely.  I’m very grateful to my family, friends and […]

Halibut with Romesco

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

This is one of my favorite dishes.  In my humble opinion, it’s got everything going for it.  First, it’s delicious, marrying light flaky Halibut with the rich and complex flavor of Catalan Romesco sauce.  (See my post about Romesco here.)  Second, the beautiful bright orange color of Romesco makes for an dramatic and appetizing presentation. […]

Catalan Magic: Romesco

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The flavor of Romesco sauce is difficult to describe –sweet, smoky, spicy, rich, a bit like a Catalan version of a Mexican mole. Like a mole, it transforms simple food into extraordinarily flavorful dishes.  Unlike a good mole, though, which takes hours to make properly, you can whip up an excellent Romesco in a few […]

Cow Hollow Cooler

Monday, May 10, 2010

Ok, so this is basically a recipe for a wine cooler, but keep reading.  It really isn’t the sort of thing that underage girls drink in 711 parking lots. It’s something you should drink with brunch (in place of the ubiquitous mimosa), or before dinner on a warm evening, or at a festive lunch.  The […]

Flour Sack Towels

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Sometimes, as they say, it’s the little things.  Every time I open a kitchen drawer to find a neat stack of clean white flour sack towels, I smile (at least inside). They’re just humble squares of white cotton gauze, but they’re perfectly adapted to life in the kitchen.  Folded into a small square, they’re great […]

Sundae Upgrade

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

This upgrade to the childhood classic chocolate sundae was actually the result of a total dessert failure.  About a year ago I offered to bring dessert to a dinner party in San Francisco hosted by my friend Marta.  She had requested a lemon tart with a chocolate-lined shell.  Overconfidently, as it turned out, I tackled […]

Tabletop Marigolds

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Marigolds probably aren’t the chicest bedding plant around these days, but I’ve always loved the bright sturdy little flowers. And I think style has a lot to do with context:  I don’t think I’d plant them in a row along our brick walk, but I think they look fresh and cheerful indoors, bunched in a […]

Help from Argentina: Chimichurri

Friday, April 30, 2010

On Wednesday, I needed some kitchen help.  I had a busy morning in the city, and then at 4:30 packed up Julia and Eva and headed out to Southampton, stopping on the way to pick up my visiting parents at the Islip airport.  Even if all went according to plan, we wouldn’t reach the house […]

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