The Christmas Disaster of 2013

27 Dec 2013 20 Comments

by scolgin in Food, Humor, Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

All I can say is that I’m lucky I live in California.

We were in the early stages of Christmas dinner with our friends, Debra and Ernie, when the stove flickered off.

Frustrated, I moved the cauliflower and truffle soup I was preparing to a different burner, assuming that was the problem. But one after another, I tried all five burners and got no flame. And then a sinking realization washed over me — I rushed out to the propane tank, checked the meter. It read “0”. In other words, empty.

Cauliflower soup cooking on the Weber side burner

Cauliflower soup cooking on the Weber side burner

(For those of you big city dwellers who live your lives in piped-in natural-gas comfort and have no idea what this means, here’s a crash course: We country folk have big propane tanks outside our houses and have to have gas delivered. Usually this is no problem, as we pre-buy our propane and the propane companies are good about not letting their customers’ tanks run low. What a time for them to fail their charge!) More

Southern Gothic

06 Dec 2013 14 Comments

by scolgin in American Series, Recipes Tags: , , , , ,

My friends in the south and casual readers who stumble upon this post alike will forgive me if I seem a bit know-it-allish about southern cooking. I have, after all, long claimed to make the best gumbo anywhere. And my fried chicken, barbecue and mint juleps don’t suck either.

Gumbo z'herbes with Spanish rice

Gumbo z’herbes with Spanish rice

The other night, just home from a road trip and exhausted, I turned on PBS to discover a wonderful documentary called “Pride & Joy,” all about southern cooking. More

Skinny Girls Roadshow LIVE from Sonoma — Tearing Down Thanksgiving

29 Nov 2013 10 Comments

by scolgin in American Series, Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

As my mother, who is sitting in the next room, can attest, I’ve always been a bit of a rebel. If you knew my mom, you would realize I come by it honestly.

Turkey confit on the stove

Turkey confit on the stove

When it comes to Thanksgiving, I’ve certainly got her to thank for my rebelliousness. After years of bucking the standard Thanksgiving traditions — particularly turkey, stuffing, gravy, et. al. — we were dragged back into the fold by partners and family members who favored a classic approach to the holiday. I did manage to produce an interesting German Thanksgiving dinner one year for my wife’s family, who at that early stage in our relationship were already confused and confounded by me. More

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Chard

22 Nov 2013 20 Comments

by scolgin in Recipes Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I love Swiss chard, it’s one of the best greens in my opinion. It cooks up velvety and has a beautiful earthy flavor.

Rainbow chard from Malibu (more glamorous than other rainbow chard)

Rainbow chard from Malibu (more glamorous than other rainbow chard)

So I was thrilled at the Friday farmer’s market here in Topanga to discover bags overstuffed with leaves of rainbow chard — white, golden and red. The chard was grown in Malibu, so they were charging $5 for it. (Usually I have rainbow chard growing in my own garden for free, but things have lately gone fallow.) Smitten, I bought the chard anyway. More

Further Dispatches from the Burger Front

05 Nov 2013 14 Comments

by scolgin in Recipes, World's Best Sandwiches Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I’m at war with myself.

In the past, I’ve made some great burgers — burgers that have won praises, burgers that have pushed the boundaries of the possible… burgers that have brought grown men to tears.

IMG_3867

And yet, still, I am not satisfied.

There is always a better burger out there. And in here (pointing to my heart). I have but to find it, or to draw it out from within. More

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