07 Jul 2015
by scolgin
in Beverages, On the Road, Pork, Recipes
Tags: Adirondacks, Au Pied De Cochon, Big Wolf, Brooklyn Brewing Co., cocktails, New York, Tupper Lake, wild mushrooms
We arrived at the lake, the last destination and second half of our epic East Coast road trip, on the eve of Independence Day. It felt uniquely American, crossing the border from distinctly French Quebec, to be winding along northeast country roads, past farms and cottages and through quaint villages, adorned with American flags, one and all.
Sunset on the lake
It had been raining on and off all week in the Adirondacks, and one of the first things I noticed walking the Buck Summerhill Camp at Big Wolf Lake was a mushroom — a surprising revelation for a summer day. On a July 4 morning walk, up with the sun, I found not only Lost Pond but also a bag full of mushrooms — including several birch boletes, some black trumpets and a single lovely porcini. More
03 Jul 2015
by scolgin
in Eating Out, On the Road, Pork
Tags: Au Pied De Cochon, foie gras, French food, maple syrup, McLaren Vale shiraz, Montreal, Pork, poutine, Quebec
A few years back, my pal Donnie brought a “duck in a can” over to our house. It was a dish he had experienced at a restaurant in Montreal that had changed his life, and convinced them to let him take one home. He and his wife Monica had texted me photos from the restaurant of whole pig heads passing by their table on large platters.
The restaurant was called Au Pied de Cochon — “The Foot of the Pig” — and the “duck in a can” was duck meat, gravy and foie gras cooked in a can and then opened and poured over mashed potatoes and bread at table. A perfect example of Quebecois cuisine. More
11 Jun 2015
by scolgin
in Observations, Pork, Recipes
Tags: antojitos, Au Pied De Cochon, birria, Ferran Adria, foie gras, Mercado de la Merced, Mexico City, Montreal, Nobu Matsuhisa, tacos
I was up in the street the other day chatting with Max Waterman, son of our neighbors Chris and Glennis. Max is a food-loving chap — he spent time working on a graduate degree in London, where he hosted dinners and sussed out the best street foods, watering holes and gastronomic destinations.
Watermen and their margaritas
He was now on summer break from Berkeley and his further educational pursuits, Chris and Glennis would be temporarily relocating to New Orleans soon, and it would be one of our last opportunities to get together. I suggested margaritas at our house. For food, I would serve a handful of antojitos — the Mexican equivalent of tapas: small bites and street foods. More
08 May 2015
by scolgin
in Humor, Pork, Starlets
Tags: bak kwa, Chinese New Year, food, humor, Lim Chee Guan, Pork, Shoba Haridass, Singapore
My kid’s call her “Aunt Shoba.” And she’s got a secret.
Our dear friend Shoba, you see, comes from Singapore, where she was recently visiting her parents. We fed her family while she was gone — including a birthday dinner for husband Bob. As a gesture of love and thanks, she brought me something back, a regal red bag with gold Chinese characters embossed on the front, a package weighing around a pound inside, that she slipped to me stealthily with a suggestion: “Hide that.”
Shoba’s back
“What is it?” I whispered back.
“Meat,” she said.
It was called “bak kwa,” from the Lim Chee Guan company. She then sent me a link explaining. More
03 Apr 2015
by scolgin
in Pork, Recipes
Tags: Bill Buford, Carrera marble, Colonnata, Italian cooking, Italy, lardo, Mario Batali, salumi, Tails & Trotters
In one of my fancy meat shipments several months back, I received three large packages of hazelnut-fed pork fatback from some folks called Tails & Trotters in the Northwest.
I couldn’t remember if I actually ordered them or not, my purveyor friend sometimes throws in bonus items I didn’t order.
Fatback, for those not in the know, contains very little to no meat. It other words, it’s pure fat. Silky, white, glorious fat. More
Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries
skinny girls & mayonnaise 