I cook because I love to eat. I garden because I love to cook.
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 …
I tend to avoid trends in the kitchen. Even though I read a lot of cooking magazines, I’m always a little late to the party; I’m not one for change. I don’t own an Instant Pot. My second or third unopened tub of miso is …
I first started making dinner for my family when I was about twelve or thirteen years old. One of the first meals I made was pizza. Every Wednesday, I made two pizzas. I would come home from school, dissolve some yeast in warm water and …
