Author: Max Strieb

Shakshuka

Shakshuka

Unlike my wife Marci, who ate a soft-boiled egg every single day when she was a young child, I don’t remember what my parents prepared for me for breakfast on weekdays when I was an adolescent. We didn’t have sugary cereals in the house, nor 

Too Good To Go – Bagel Chips

Too Good To Go – Bagel Chips

From growing and processing crops to transporting food and dealing with waste, food production has one of the biggest environmental effects of any human activity. Impacts include habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity when we clear land for agriculture, water pollution associated with animal waste 

Weather-Based Eating – Artichoke Dip

Weather-Based Eating – Artichoke Dip

We eat based on the weather. While some ingredients are at their peak only in certain seasons – think summer tomatoes – the atmospheric conditions also influence what we crave. In the summer, who wants a rich, heavy stew? Instead, we dine on much lighter 

Weekend Fancy in a Weeknight Meal – Shrimp Saganaki

Weekend Fancy in a Weeknight Meal – Shrimp Saganaki

A weeknight dinner might need to be quick, but that does not mean it needs to be unhealthy, tasteless, or inelegant. This Greek dish, shrimp in a simple, slightly spicy tomato sauce topped with salty feta cheese perfectly fits the bill. As it makes use 

Dinner Party Fare – Prosciutto-Wrapped Spinach and Cheese-Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins

Dinner Party Fare – Prosciutto-Wrapped Spinach and Cheese-Stuffed Turkey Tenderloins

When we were in graduate school my wife Marci and I would take a break from our studies on Friday at ‘happy hour’ with our friends and classmates. At some point, we all inevitably got hungry. We wanted to socialize late into the evening after 

Happy New Year – The Best Appetizers of 2022

Happy New Year – The Best Appetizers of 2022

Whether you are at a big fancy party or home having a quiet evening ignoring all of the hoopla, appetizers are a great way to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Here is a list of some of my favorite new appetizers I made in 2022. See 

Dipping Oil

Dipping Oil

We moved to St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands in the mid-1990s so Marci, who married me halfway through our time there, could carry out her dissertation research. The restaurant we grew to love most was a Greek place, called Zorba’s, of course. But it 

How To Pop Perfect Popcorn Every Time…Without Ruining Your Kitchen Floor

How To Pop Perfect Popcorn Every Time…Without Ruining Your Kitchen Floor

Let’s start by recognizing that putting a linoleum floor in an updated kitchen is a poor choice, even if it was the 1970s. Besides the fact that aesthetically you can do much better, linoleum melts. But more on that later. We went to the movies 

That’s Why the Lord Invented Gravy – Roasted Turkey Gravy and Other Thanksgiving Tips

That’s Why the Lord Invented Gravy – Roasted Turkey Gravy and Other Thanksgiving Tips

Thanksgiving can be a stressful day. Cooking for a crowd is never easy, and with so much emphasis on the food, everyone is focused on what comes out of the kitchen. That can be a lot of pressure. Central among the concerns, is the turkey. 

Mary, Oysters, and Early Thanksgiving – Crostini with Fresh Ricotta, Green Fennel Seed, Honey, and Sea Salt

Mary, Oysters, and Early Thanksgiving – Crostini with Fresh Ricotta, Green Fennel Seed, Honey, and Sea Salt

Every year when we host Early Thanksgiving for our friends, Carl carves the turkey. Our old dog Lucy had a love-hate relationship with Carl. When he walked in the door, Lucy would bark incessantly and disruptively; it must have gone on for at least 15