It’s January, the month of resolutions, especially those diet-related ones. Most want to lose weight and get fit. To that end we got a variety of diets and fads that pick up. Some want to go Paleo or low-carb. Other misguided folks are still on the low or no fat bandwagon. Really ambitious dieters try their […]
Chicken, Butternut Squash, Carrot and White Wine-Creme Fraiche Dressing Read More »
Soaking a fruit or a vegetable in pickling lime or Calcium Hydroxide is a theme in the Mugaritz book. Soaking any vegetable in a mixture of water and pickling lime binds the cellulose and makes the fruit firm. The longer it is soaked the harder a shell it forms. The reason pickling lime is sold
Mugaritz: Dried Tomato Salad, a Bunch of Garlic Cloves and Herbs Read More »
Scallops and sweet winter squash are a perfect combo and this quick dish brings them together in a delicious and beautiful plate of food. It was not a planned fancy dinner or anything. I bought the large scallops because Diana loves them and had the butternut squash on hand at home. Initially I had thought
Scallops with Butternut Squash Puree and Quinoa Read More »
I travel a lot for work typically for a project in one city that could take anywhere from a few weeks to over a year. Travelling every week for a few days to the same city can be weary. The upside to this latest particular engagement is that it is in the lovely city of
Pok Pok: Wild Duck Laap, Thai Pork Fried Rice, Cucumber Salad Read More »
Spring is here and even in hot humid Houston it’s…well it’s nice. The weather, at least for now, is not brutal yet and feels like spring with cool evenings and days that are not stiflingly humid. This dish is a good bridge between winter and spring. It combines lovely deep flavored “braised” pork and it’s
Green Pea Agnolotti, Crispy Pork, Consomme Read More »
I’ve made this dish from Mario Batali’s Babbo book several times over the years but I’ve never posted about it. Here’s the post to rectify that because this simple antipasto is so worth it. It never disappoints in the effort to result factor. Guests love the look and the flavor while the effort involved in
A Trio of Goat Cheese Truffles with Peperonata Read More »
To be perfectly honest, I am not a 100% sure this guy was a Pintail, more like 90% sure. We shot several Pintail ducks during a hunt this season. We hunted in a flooded marsh next to large rice fields and almost all of the ducks, including the Pintails, where covered in a thin layer
Honey and Spice Roasted Pintail Duck, Beets and Fennel Read More »
For a 3 star restaurant, the food of Le Bernardin is not complicated. It relies on pristine fish and relatively simple preparation with few grand embellishments. Reading through Eric Ripert’s book On The Line about the NY city restaurant is a fantastic look into how a high caliber restaurant is run. The book deals with everything like
Poached Halibut, Sweet and Sour Beets and Citrus-Coriander Oil Emulsion Read More »
Recently I cooked a nice fish dinner for Diana and I. The first course/appetizer was supposed to be some sort of shellfish (oysters maybe) and the main is a lovely halibut recipe from Le Bernardin taken from Eric Ripert’s book On the Line (post about that is coming up soon). However, as soon as I walked
Summer is winding down (sure it is October, but this is Houston…summer goes all the way to November sometimes) and the summer produce is really at its peak (and it’s cheapest). Even the run-of-the-mill supermarket tomatoes are very good this time of year. They are sweet and with the right balance of acidity. The red