I cook because I love to eat. I garden because I love to cook.
As I took my daily walk on this early February morning, I couldn’t help but notice the green stalks of spring flowers already peeking through the ground. It left me conflicted. On the one hand I love that spring – my favorite time of the …
I thought I had the perfect, original recipe; one that no one else had thought of, let alone posted online or to social media. But it was not to be. As I mark the sixth anniversary of Max’s Kitchen and Garden this month, I think …
When I was a five- or six-year-old kid, my father occasionally took my two older brothers and I to the Palestra, the arena that opened in 1927 at the University of Pennsylvania, to see Big 5 college basketball games. We would wander in, find our …
When I was a little kid, my parents occasionally had parties. They weren’t too frequent because my father was usually in bed by 8:30 pm. But when they did occur, it was often a fundraiser for some candidate for local political office or an impromptu …
We have a couch in our kitchen. It may seem out of place to some, but the kitchen is the room where guests inevitably gather. So why not make it comfortable? You invite friends or family over for a meal, gathering, or party and you …
Every year we host Early Thanksgiving for our friends a few weeks before the traditional holiday. And every year the menu has a pattern. The main course is typical, as it is with most families, with few major variations from year to year. Turkey, gravy, …
Many of the things we eat are variations on a theme; the same type of ingredient that gets spiced, sauced, or wrapped a little differently each time, but is still, if you break it down, a similar idea. There is a myriad of types of …
In the spring of 1994, I became a student teacher in a suburban high school on Long Island. One of the first people I met would become my mentor. Tom was tall and lean. Very tall and very lean. He taught a marine science class, …
There’s something about carbohydrates and garlic; they go well together. Think garlic bread, garlic knots from any New York pizzeria, and even my mashed potato pizza, fragrant with roasted garlic, mashed potatoes, fresh mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese. The carbs are a vehicle for the pungent …
Over the years in my job, I have come to work very closely with a small group of colleagues. We have travelled together numerous times, attending conferences, meetings, and workshops and during these excursions, we have come to know each other well and become friends. …
