I cook because I love to eat. I garden because I love to cook.
It’s the end of August, I’m feeling lazy, and it’s too hot for serious cooking in the kitchen. As tomato season is in full swing, we will not suffer. That means we’re eating lots of delicious, healthy tomato salads. They are quick and easy to …
Children don’t always eat their vegetables. With my son it was no problem; he would sit silently in the back seat of the car during long trips, for example, munching an entire feed bag full of raw vegetables. My daughter Ariana…well, not so much. I …
Summer demands simple food, and grilled vegetables fit the bill. I sometimes look at the prepared foods in the big glass case at a supermarket or pork store or deli and see piles of sad, limp grilled vegetables. They don’t look at all appetizing and …
I never met Smitty, but his presence has been in the kitchen since I met my wife. Long before I learned to make Buffalo wings, my wife taught me to make Smitty’s wings. He was her college friend, now long lost, and he used to …
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 …
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 …
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 love New Year’s Eve. I always have. I love the celebration and revelry, the noise and the glitter. Everyone is happy. It’s a joyous holiday, full of pomp and excess. And I love my tradition of feasting on a wide variety of small bites …
