22 Jul 2011
by scolgin
in Cooking Tips, Observations, Pork, Recipes
Tags: barbecue, brisket, Carmageddon, North Carolina, Pork, pork shoulder, Stubbs, Texas, vinegar, Watermans
My neighbor Chris, a man of noble appetite and impeccable palate, invited us over for a Sunday barbecue. It was the much-hyped, much-feared “Carmageddon” weekend, in which the busiest freeway in the country would be shut down for two days. No one was going anywhere. So the commute 50 or so feet to the Watermans’ house sounded perfect. And I took it as a good omen when I saw Chris out in his pajamas at 8 a.m. that morning, tending to his smoker.
The Man & his smoker, "R2D2"
Chris hails from Florida, close enough to the smoking belt of the Deep South to count. More
10 Jun 2011
by scolgin
in Cooking Tips, Recipes
Tags: cabbage, fermentation, kim chee, kimchi, Korea, Korean food
I eat a lot of kim chee. I usually have a jar in the fridge, and I find it makes a nice snack. Plus, it’s a Super Food — packed with antioxidants and other unquantifiable health-improving properties. During the avian flu outbreak in Asia, it’s said that Korea derived a good deal of protection from eating kim chee. My wife, on the other hand, is not so fond of it. “What is that awful smell?” she says whenever she comes into the kitchen after I’ve snacked.
My kim chee
When I stumbled on a kim chee article in an old issue my favorite cooking magazine, I took that as a sign it was time to try making it on my own. More
20 May 2011
by scolgin
in Cooking Tips, Recipes, Video
Tags: brine, brown sugar, Indian candy, king, salmon, salmon candy, Sanchez Carniceria, Santa Monica Seafood, silver, smoked salmon, smoker, sockeye
Most things I can figure out very quickly. But some I labor over futilely, never quite mastering them. It’s like that with my favorite salsa from the Sanchez Carniceria in Culver City. For months I tried to reproduce it in order to save myself: a) the $3.99 for a small container, and b) the trip to Culver City. Finally I waved the white flag, content to either purchase it or enjoy my own reasonably good salsa. The Sanchezes are doing some sort of alchemy down there. More
10 May 2011
by scolgin
in Cooking Tips, Observations, Starlets, Yoga Students & Quinoa (stories)
Tags: carrots, green tea, healthy foods, kale, kim chee, olive oil, sardines, skinless chicken breast
I eat my fair share of salt-cured pork products. I like sprinkling my food liberally with flaky sea salt. I enjoy rib eye steaks, and I’m a fan of potato chips and ice cream. But I also eat a good amount of some of the world’s healthiest things. And not because I should, but because I like them.
sardines
More
29 Apr 2011
by scolgin
in Cooking Tips, Recipes, The Pantry
Tags: halibut, Japan's Favorite, Ponzu, secret weapon
Some of my favorite secret-weapon ingredients come from the cuisine of Japan. Ponzu is one such product.
"Japan's Favorite" ponzu
You’ve probably been eating ponzu all along, even if you didn’t know it. It’s the citrussy soy sauce they put on top of certain dishes at the sushi bar. But it has uses far beyond that in your kitchen. More
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