I cook because I love to eat. I garden because I love to cook.
There are lots of things I never understood about the high school students I taught for 30 years. Chief among them was why they ate the pizza served in the school cafeteria. Long Island, where I live, is the land of excellent pizza. Virtually every …
Over my 30-year career as a teacher I’ve used many diverse techniques to help my students. But I was always at my best when I could relate a topic to something a typical teenager could understand. Often it was food. There were several themes that …
Growing up, my family did not invest vast effort in celebrating holidays. We didn’t have a barbeque on the 4th of July and my father was usually asleep by 9:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. We weren’t pious by any stretch, so holidays having to …
If I have a free day – no appointments, chores, or obligations – I’ll probably spend it eating my way through Flushing. In north-central Queens, Flushing is the largest of New York City’s nine Chinatowns. It is bustling, crowded, and chaotic, a dazzling thrill. And …
We have all seen or met famous people at various times in our lives, and while the interaction may be nice, neutral, or negative, it’s usually exciting to run into stars. We were once warned to stay away with a serious stare from Martin Scorcese …
The best cantaloupes I ever ate were from Martin’s Farmstand on the side of a road outside Kutztown, Pennsylvania. They never disappointed. Juicy, supple, and floral, they were nothing like the crunchy, virtually tasteless melons from the supermarket or those presented hopefully, but always disappointingly, …
Many years ago, my wife’s colleague from work taught me to make her family tomato sauce. It was the recipe I had been looking for, hearty, flavorful, and not too soupy over pasta. I finally had a perfect, homemade pasta sauce, and I cooked it …
In the mid-1980s when I was in high school, we held a series of memorable multi-day gatherings at our friend Jody’s house that came to be known as the “Swarthmore Parties.” I think there were two such events, possibly three, obviously at times when Jody’s …
My grandmother Jeanette, who died in the 1980s, had an odd habit that was passed on to my mother a number of years ago. I’m sure someday it will be passed to me. I will likely give it to my children, although more likely my …
As the calendar rolls over from one year to the next, New Year’s Eve is a chance to celebrate. And what is a celebration without tasty and exciting foods? For me, New Year’s Eve means appetizers, and a wide variety at that. Here are my …
