As soon as the weather cools, I rush to make risotto. I know there are summery versions, but to me it is a fall/winter dish, as my favorite risotto includes the rich flavors of pancetta and porcini mushrooms (and sometimes truffle oil). The one on the left also includes a scattering of other varieties of … Continue reading
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Smokin’ Scallops
Just look at these beauties! Cooked them myself, and they were spectacular if I do say so. First, purchase the biggest freshest scallops you can find; I get mine at Whole Foods, or Shore Catch on the alternate Saturdays they’re at the West Windsor Farmers Market. New Jersey scallops are best! At home, I mixed … Continue reading
Dark Days Call For Dark Chocolate
Financial news got you down as low as the stock market? Dark days call for dark chocolate in my household! My current “arsenal” is pictured here. I always have a few bars stashed away, and I have to say a couple of squares of the good stuff really does seem to release some pleasurable endorphins. But be … Continue reading
Life is Short, Recipes are Long
Sometimes I love spending time in the kitchen assembling the ingredients for an Indian meal. And other times – not so much. The list of spices for many dishes is extensive, so I tend to take shortcuts on a weeknight or other busy times. My biggest and favorite shortcut is a complete cop-out: Maya Kaimal … Continue reading
Goodbye Summer Sausage
I never know what to call it, but I do love it. Soooo very out of fashion, these pale white sausages are sold at the Amish market and deli counters everywhere. The are usually a mix of pork and veal, need to be cooked, and take well to grilling or sautéeing. I would not think of … Continue reading
Pissaladière
You’d think a thousand words would be long enough for one of my Princeton Packet “In The Kitchen” recipe columns, but noooo, I regularly run out of space for a recipe or two I wish I could have included, such as the French Pissaladière, below. If you don’t think that qualifies for the Ethnic/Casual focus … Continue reading
Lobsta!
As we headed towards Labor Day Weekend, I realized I had not had enough lobster this summer, in fact, none at all until the last couple of weeks. So I doubled up recently, enjoying classic steamed lobster with drawn butter at home, followed in short order by a lobster special at MeeMah, the newish Chinese/Malaysian/Thai place in … Continue reading
Catfish!
There seems to be a month for everything, now, and August is National Farmed Catfish Month*. Farmed catfish, raised properly, is sustainable, so a popular choice with watchdog organizations such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium. But with feed prices rising and global imports increasing, the farmed fish industry in this country is in the tank … Continue reading
Cardamom-yum!
Next time you make a fruit crisp or crumble at home, why not spice it up a bit differently? When I recently made a rhubarb/strawberry crisp, the recipe called for cinnamon in the topping. But I’m not a big cinnamon fan (almost un-American, I know). So I thought of using cardamom instead, which I have grown … Continue reading
Save the corn tortilla!
Is it me, or is it getting near impossible to find corn tortillas in mainstream supermarkets? With the advent of sandwich wraps (not a personal favorite) and flavored flour tortillas, corn has taken a back seat and that’s a shame, current corn pricing crisis notwithstanding.
NJ SPICE 