Jean-Georges, Bittman and Me

19 Jul 2013 8 Comments

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

Awhile back, my pal Alex sent me a link to a video from the New York Times of Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Mark Bittman preparing a scallop sashimi dish.

“This looks great,” Alex said in his email. “I sure would like to try something like this.”

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Now usually when one of my pals tells me they sure would like to try something, what that actually means is they would like me to make whatever it is for them. To Alex’s credit, he fessed up immediately when I responded: “Does that mean you want me to make this for you?” More

When God Gives You Plums

08 Jul 2013 7 Comments

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

Or rather, when your neighbor Glennis — who is godlike in her own ways — gives you plums…

About this time every year, we get the call from next door. “The plums are ready!” The kids and I head over and wind our way down into the Watermans’ terraced backyard, where sure enough the plum tree is overloaded with beautiful purple plums. And we gather and gather and gather.

Plums as far as the eye can see.

Plums as far as the eye can see.

Unlike, say, a tomato plant which may continue giving you tomatoes throughout the season, a plum tree comes full and ready all at once. If you get a week, you’re lucky — especially with the incursion of various lean and hungry summer critters. More

Happy Tri-th of July

05 Jul 2013 4 Comments

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

To give you a sense of how thoroughly ingrained in the collective California consciousness the tri tip is, I need tell a story.

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The 4th of July was approaching, I was at the market, and tri tip was on sale. I figured that would be the perfect thing to grill for a few friends who were coming by, so I bought a nice three pounder, brought it home, sprinkled it with salt, wrapped it in paper towels and put it in the fridge to cure for a few days. More

Shirley’s Mint & Chip

02 Jul 2013 13 Comments

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

Shirley in her kitchen

Shirley in her kitchen

I was at the doctor recently for my annual check up.

“Your diastolic reading is a little borderline high,” she said. “Do you eat a lot of salt?”

“Not really,” I said. “I don’t eat much processed food.” More

Green Tomatoes for Lori

21 Jun 2013 7 Comments

by scolgin in Cooking Tips, Food, Recipes Tags: , , , , , , ,

Late last fall, I was picking up my son Flynn from the home of our friends’ Lori and Gerard, where he was playing with his friend — their daughter Kiana.

Green tomatoes, herbs & squash blossom

Green tomatoes, herbs & squash blossom

Lori and I were standing in the yard chatting while the kids hammered on their wood projects and toddler Immy rolled around in a big plastic Smart Car-looking toy she found on the patio. We talked of the difficulty of growing vegetables in Topanga Canyon, as I admired her tall, barren tomato plants. More

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