I cook because I love to eat. I garden because I love to cook.
Some foods are so simple and obvious and delicious that you want to eat them all the time. These foods make so much sense that you think to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of this?” or “Why haven’t I been cooking this all of my …
I have to admit, I’ve never had birria, neither on a taco nor in a bowl. But the other day I saw a picture of a braised beef taco, and it looked tempting and delicious. I didn’t even know it was birria, but immediately I …
I don’t like change. When I find something I like, I stick with it. I’ve worn the same kind of shoes to work for over 20 years. As long as my clothes are clean and still fit me, and aren’t too worn, no matter …
My daughter, Ariana, is a first-year college student, and has become a master at creating meals using improvisation. With her “to go” container the college gives every student, she packs a wide range of items from the college cafeteria and whips up late night meals …
I used to think of cilantro as a hot weather crop. That’s because it is ubiquitous in food from the Tropics; sprinkled over Thai dishes; an essential component of Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches; the base of some Indian chutneys; and I wouldn’t make Mexican guacamole …
One summer in the late 1970s, when I was young and my brothers and I were away at overnight camp, my parents took a trip to Mexico. My father came back wanting to make two things: sandals and refried beans. For years we had boxes …
When we had Green Chicken growing up, I never wanted to invite a friend over for dinner. I was even embarrassed to divulge what was for dinner if Green Chicken was on the menu. After all, what kid wants to eat Green Chicken? It sounds …
Some people are soup people. Take my grandfather, for example. He ate soup as a first course at dinner every day, even in the middle of the summer. That’s a soup person. My father-in-law also loved soup. He would eat soup as a full meal …
The first year I grew tomatillos, it was in a garden that happened to be on a nature preserve. I had a pretty good harvest. It was in the second year that I realized there was a problem. The tomatillos from the previous summer had …
When I first met my wife, Marci, in graduate school, I courted her with food. I made everything from pesto to potato knishes, and omelets with beautiful fruit salads in the morning. I also made pico de gallo, a Mexican fresh salsa with chopped tomatoes, …
