Every so often, just because I’m a giver, I give you one of my very best secret recipes. (“Secret” unless you live in northern Spain, where it’s about as secret as Pablo Picasso.) It’s called pa am tomàquet, which is not quite as intimidating as it looks. Say it like this: “pom too-maket”. You can call it “Spanish toast with tomato and olive oil,” if you prefer. (Though that will be less impressive to your friends.)
Spaghetti ai ricci di mare
05 Apr 2011 20 Comments
in Recipes Tags: Italian, ricci di mare, sea urchin, spaghetti, sushi, uni
Sea urchin is a prickly subject around our house. Ha, get it? Prickly??? Anyway, I could eat it several nights a week, my family not so much.
Spaghetti ai ricci di mare
For most folks, sea urchin exists in one context — uni, as served in sushi bars. And people generally either love it or hate it. The first time I had it, in my 20s, it was at a $14.95 all-you-can-eat sushi joint. Looking back, I imagine this particular urchin must’ve been sitting on or under the counter for quite some time. My friend, Gary, and I — in a fit of boldness inspired by saké bombs — split an order. Gingerly we put it in our mouths, then each watched the other’s face flush white as he grabbed desperately for his beer. It was, by a measure I hadn’t experienced before, not good. More
Surf n’ Turf
01 Apr 2011 6 Comments
in Recipes Tags: crab cakes, Django Reinhardt, short ribs, Sinatra, surf n' turf, The Ice Storm
So you’re having a swanky dinner party with the hep couple you just met at the Tiki Lounge. You want to impress, so you’ve got the Sinatra and Stan Getz cued up, you’ve got your Bombay Sapphire gin and martini glasses ready to go. Now, what to serve?
There’s no dish quite as swingin’ as surf n’ turf — it’s been a staple of country club menus, banquets and fine steak-and-chop houses for ages. More
World’s Best Sandwiches — the Reuben
25 Mar 2011 8 Comments
in Recipes, Video, World's Best Sandwiches
Do you know what I love most about St. Patrick’s Day? The drunken debauchery, you answer by reflex? No, I don’t need an excuse for that. (Although my sister, Andrea, and I did once consume a long queue of red wines at an Irish pub in Venice, Italy, during a particularly good exchange rate.) It’s the leftover corned beef I have after my once-a-year foray into Irish cuisine.
Reuben ingredients
Whichever of the World’s Best Sandwiches I happen to be eating at the time tends to be my favorite. (And typically I’ll make a strong case for my own sandwich, the Topanga tri-tip.) But you’d be hard pressed to find a better sandwich than the Reuben. More
Salmon Extraordinary
22 Mar 2011 4 Comments
in Recipes, Video Tags: japanese, pinot noir, sake, salmon, sesame seeds, spinach, video, wine reduction
Soon it will be salmon season! (I know you’re not buying that farmed Atlantic salmon that’s dyed orange and is ruining natural salmon runs worldwide.) And rather than that ol’ standby of slapping giant olive oil-and-soy-marinated fillets onto the grill and cooking them until they turn into chalk, I’d like to show you another — I like to think better — way of cooking salmon. (Especially if you’ll be inviting me over for dinner during salmon season.)
skinny girls & mayonnaise 