French madness
Last year I felt obliged to share at least one criticism of the French, considering how much I wax lyrical about them and…
Read MoreCategory: Food
What I learned in culinary school
When I attended culinary school in the 1990s the Food Network was still somewhat new and star chefs were just beginning to proliferate…
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Laurie Colwin
It doesn’t require much prompting for me to wax lyrical about Julia Child and her strong influence on my deep interest in cooking….
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What I did with my birthday lamb
Almost six months ago I celebrated my birthday by cutting up the carcass of a lamb. That might not be everybody’s idea of…
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How I stuffed a chicken
Last year, a little before Thanksgiving, I saw a picture of a turkey stuffed with brisket. It was a clever riff on turducken,…
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Nacho memories
Twice in the last week I’ve made tortilla chips by cutting corn tortillas into sixths and frying them. It’s cheaper than buying pre-made…
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When I took chocolate truffles to the work potluck
In the California governor’s office there’s a holiday potluck lunch every year around this time. I never lived in Sacramento – I stayed…
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How I butchered my birthday lamb
(WARNING: While there are no pictures of animal slaughter in this post, detailed photos of an intact, dressed lamb carcass might nevertheless disturb…
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Julia Child and the Boudin Blanc Problem
It’s no secret that Julia Child is one of my life’s crowning figures. She ignited my passion not just for cooking but also…
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The end of a chapter
Aboard the TGV to Paris I could exhale a little. After the morning’s frenzy and the schlepping of my five bags onto the…
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