17 Jan 2012 4 Comments
in Eating Out, Observations, On the Road Tags: Camping, Cholada, Duke's, Joshua Tree, Leo Carillo, Malibu, Reel Inn, saltimbocca, Topanga
Willa breakfasting at the camp site
The other night I went camping.
My son belongs to a Cub Scouts troop who go camping with alarming regularity. I try to be a good scouting father, and make a few of the trips a year. Even though camping is not really in my DNA. I’m more of a hotel/resort guy. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of gear you need to bring, the logistics of set up and break down. I’m not crazy about dirt and dust, and I like warm showers and soft beds. More
13 Jan 2012 14 Comments
in Recipes Tags: baguette, boule, Bread, Doves Today, Glennis, La Quercia, Le Creuset, speck, Sullivan Street Bakery
A frequently heard lament around my house is our inability to locate a good and authentic Parisian baguette anywhere in the city.
Fresh baked bread, Parma butter and speck
I’ve driven hours, all over the city, in search of the elusive loaf. Any time I see a French bakery, I stop and purchase a baguette. Some are decent, most are bad… but none are great. All of which led me to the conclusion that perhaps if I wanted a good baguette, I should be making it myself. But after researching the equipment and time required, and guessing that the result would likely be no better than anything I’d encountered in my Ulyssean travels about town, I realized I would not be adding the baguette to my baking repertoire. More
10 Jan 2012 4 Comments
in Cooking Tips, Observations Tags: Buddhism, el Bulli, Ferran Adria, hara hachi bunme, japanese, obesity, portions, sashimi, seasonal cooking
“When the crew at el Bulli sees a tree, it is only a tree. The Japanese, however, see more than just a tree. A very small part of that vision is what we try to incorporate at el Bulli. It is not science, but Japanese cuisine that has had the most influence on el Bulli…”
— Ferran Adria
I write a lot about the Japanese. And I cook a lot of Japanese food. The Japanese aesthetic in regard to food is in many ways the strongest influence in my own cooking, whether I’m doing Japanese or something else. But especially when I’m being creative and coming up with my own dishes, free of regional influences. It is then that the lessons of the Japanese are most obvious in my food. More
06 Jan 2012 3 Comments
in American Series, Good Gadget, Bad Gadget, Observations Tags: Buffalo wings, corn, garlic, Guatemala, Kikkoman, kitchen gadgets, Korean fried chicken, Norwegian Seafood Council
Welcome to the third season of Skinny Girls & Mayonnaise!
(I like to think of my blog like a TV show, in the event that some enterprising producer out there decides to offer me a cooking show.)
“Brought to you by the good people at Kikkoman Soy Sauce. And by the Norwegian Seafood Council.” (I’m a PBS guy.)
We’ve got a great year ahead, folks, with all sorts of interesting things planned…
Corn butterer
Actually, I’ve got nothing in particular planned. I typically jot down ideas as they occur to me (much like this one, and I currently have no idea where this is going). More
03 Jan 2012 7 Comments
in Observations Tags: 2011, caviar, duck, Hawaiian tuna, Kobe beef, langoustine, New Year's Eve, sea urchin, short rib, truffles
With the end of the year comes our annual New Year’s Eve dinner party. The guest list is small — the same handful of friends each year, going on a decade or so, with the occasional inclusion of new faces if anyone gets sick, moves or goes through a divorce.
Menu and mise en place.
We set the table with proper linens, light candles, print out menus and put out the champagne flutes. The kids get to stay up late. More
skinny girls & mayonnaise 