Hurricane Marilyn, Part 2 – Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Tropical Fruit

Hurricane Marilyn, Part 2 – Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Tropical Fruit

In September 1995 my wife Marci and I were starting our second year living on St. Thomas in the Caribbean. It was the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season and an extremely active year. This is part two of the letter I wrote to friends 

Hurricane Marilyn, Part 1 – Grilled Shrimp

Hurricane Marilyn, Part 1 – Grilled Shrimp

September 1995 was the beginning of our second year living on St. Thomas and I was about to start my second year teaching. I worked at a private K though 12 school attended by local children. It was the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season 

My Daughter’s Graduation

My Daughter’s Graduation

My daughter, Ariana, graduated from college this past weekend, which brings with it a tsunami of parental emotions. On one hand I am so proud of and in awe of the incredibly important and hard work that she did, while on the other hand, I 

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. 

Vacation Eating

Vacation Eating

As a kid, my family never flew off to far away, exotic locales for summer vacation. We did, however, take long car trips, usually to a rented house in the country for an extended summer stay with my parent’s friends and their piles of kids, 

A Lesson From My Student – Persian Rice with Tahdig

A Lesson From My Student – Persian Rice with Tahdig

I talk to my high school Biology and Environmental Science students all the time about food, cooking, and my garden. I mean not all the time; we do have other work to do. But sometimes it does overlap with the course material. For example, I 

My Favorite Bargain Kitchen Gifts for College Students Moving Out of Dorms, New Homeowners, and the Otherwise Uninformed

My Favorite Bargain Kitchen Gifts for College Students Moving Out of Dorms, New Homeowners, and the Otherwise Uninformed

As my children wind their way through and eventually graduate college, moving out of the dorm into shared apartments and houses, they are starting their first kitchens. To begin with, of course, their cupboards are bare. They have neither pot nor pan, not a dish 

Labneh to Dip

Labneh to Dip

Every weekday it’s the same. I go to work and eat breakfast while I’m getting organized for the day. My meal is unchanged; varying only a few times over the course of my career. It almost always starts with a banana. Years ago, that was 

Lucy, Carl, and Early Thanksgiving

Lucy, Carl, and Early Thanksgiving

Every year our friends Carl and Ly showed up at our door for Early Thanksgiving and our dog Lucy, who passed maybe eight years ago, barked incessantly…but only at Carl. It would go on for at least 15 minutes, and sometimes more, much longer than 

Anyone Can Make a Good Antipasto

Anyone Can Make a Good Antipasto

Anyone can make a good antipasto. You don’t even have to know how to cook. Just visit a pork store. When I moved to Long Island, I had no idea what a pork store was, pork not being a major part of my diet. But