I cook because I love to eat. I garden because I love to cook.
I’ll eat asparagus any way I can get them, especially now, in late April when the spears are sticking their little heads up from the garden soil. Other than chives and few herbs, they are the first crop to emerge in my spring garden. And …
Think of all the great food one can eat on a trip to Israel – falafel, schwarma, shakshuka, hummus, huge savory Israeli breakfasts with cheeses and vegetables and fish, not to mention the sweet, honeyed desserts. Sad to say, when my grandfather took me on …
We all have a relative or a neighbor who is a little, let’s say, different. Not crazy. Not deranged. Just a little quirky in their own way; a little towards the outside of the norm. Crazy hair and odd clothes. Acts in a way that …
My mother’s summer fruit tart is one of my favorite desserts, as long as you leave out the garlic. Many years ago my wife Marci and I made a pair of fruit tarts, one as a thank you to our landlord’s family for some deed …
On a Saturday night, if my wife Marci and I have no other plans, we may hang around the kitchen with a glass of wine while I cook up a tasty meal. Sometimes I know exactly what to cook; I’ve thought about it and I’ve …
Last weekend I stopped in the fish store to buy a piece of fish for dinner. Sitting there on ice was a pile of live soft-shell clams with their siphons sticking out from between their paired shells. I know my wife Marci loves steamers, and …
My children have always loved pesto; since they were little, pesto on spaghetti has been one of their favorite meals. Before they got wise and refused to help, I tortured them annually with the Great Basil Harvest. We sat outside for what seemed like hours …
I try to eat salads for lunch at least four times a week. It’s tough. No, literally, tough; it’s a lot of chewing. I sometimes feel like a cow chewing its cud and I can get sick of them pretty quickly. The only way to …
I learned to cook mainly from my father, Bert, who was the primary cook in my family growing up. I cooked all kinds of dishes with him. I learned to make spanakopita (Greek spinach pie) and baklava, both with thin, buttery layers of phyllo dough. …
I’m always looking for innovative, edible vessels in which to serve appetizers. I’ve bought pre-made phyllo cups at the supermarket, and I’ve seen packaged cup-shaped crackers. For years I’ve covered crostini with fresh tomato bruschetta and other toppings. The healthiest version is to stuff endive …
