This is a follow-up to my earlier post on pasta sauces. Pasta sauced correctly is a beautiful thing. Learning the proper technique makes a world of difference. Here’s an instructional video from CHOW.com: Here’s another clip from a Food Network…
Author: mike
A short course in pasta sauces: Tomatoes and aromatics
It’s easy to coast. I cooked one pasta sauce for seven years. That sauce still makes people happy. But I’ve finally gotten enough cooking under my belt that expanding my pasta sauce range makes sense.
Prices in cacao
From Oaxaca Journal, by Oliver Sacks.
*Farm City*, by Novella Carpenter
I liked this book. That was unexpected. I still don’t understand the gushing blurbs on the back cover. But a fair reader should like the book however he or she feels about the author’s lifestyle. Borrow it from your library…
Asian-style pickled cucumbers
I’ve learned to use pickles to add texture, flavor, and contrast. The pickle recipe below — based on David Chang’s recipe in Momofuku — is very easy to make.
Forming hamburger patties
Bobby Flay’s way works for me. The relevant part starts at 39 seconds.
A pot of beans
All my children will learn how to cook beans. Beans are economical, healthy, and delicious. They’re a great platform for trying out new flavors. Here’s my approach to beans.
Seasoned rice
White rice is great. I grew up eating it. I still love it. For health reasons we switched to brown rice. I find it needs help. In fact, with a few minutes extra work and a handful of ingredients, brown…
Full-flavored pressure cooker chicken stock
If you need a full-flavored chicken stock recipe, here’s mine. It is based on the recipe starting on page 91 of James Peterson’s Sauces. For what it’s worth, the book is a classic. Following his procedure exactly will obtain superior…
Two chickens
Last summer I stopped buying pre-cut chicken parts and started buying whole chickens. That’s a big change for someone like me. Let me describe what a whole-bird-buyer gets himself into. Yield Of course, it depends. I took How to Cook…