This is one of the many courses I enjoyed last month at the Raul Perez wine dinner at Mediterra. I read so much about pork belly, but never seem to find it on local menus. So I (along with about 45 other people) was very happy to see it in front of me that evening, … Continue reading
Filed under Home Cooking …
Roasted Tomatoes
I’ve had roasted tomatoes on my mind, specifically plum tomatoes. First I enjoyed them with brunches at The Blue Rooster Bakery & Cafe in Cranbury. Then I saw a recipe in Canal House Cooking. So I’ve been playing around with different versions at home and they are very simple and handy to have on hand (and you can freeze them … Continue reading
Butt-Off (but in the nicest possible way)
I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat it now: my colleagues at Princeton University, John and Kara, really know how to have fun. Each year this couple gathers with friends for what has traditionally been a pig roast and weekend party. This takes place on a farm in another state, and it has become a … Continue reading
Just (Jersey) Peachy
Jersey peaches are great this year, so I’m having fun with them in the kitchen. I thawed out some puff pastry I had stashed in the freezer. You can buy an inexpensive version in almost any supermarket, but be aware that it is made with margarine (i.e. shortening), so I buy mine at Bon Appetit … Continue reading
Canal House Cooking
Time to break out the perserved lemons – or make your own. I have a jar myself, just like the one at right, begging to be used, and now that I have the newly released Canal House Cooking, I’ll crack that jar open posthaste. You can read more about this new cookbook in my Packet In The … Continue reading
DIY Artichokes
I’ve always loved artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs, but have been to intimidated (or lazy?) to do it myself. What was I waiting for? Sure, it took a little time to scrape out the hairy choke at the beginning (with a serrated grapefruit spoon, as the recipe suggested), but really, it was done in just a couple of … Continue reading
Lemon Cake
Can you tell I’ve made this lemon cake many times? This stained and slightly burned card is a relic of my days in Cambridge (MA) in the late…well, I won’t tell you how many decades ago it was! I realize now what I didn’t then, that it is basically a time-honored pound cake, but with … Continue reading
A Humble Dinner
This was a worknight dinner when I was too harried to do much. But I had farm fresh eggs (Cherry Grove), excellent spicy Neapolitan (or “Napoletano”) salami from Salumeria Biellese (they sometimes sell their products at local Slow Food events), and a jar of very simple marinara sauce. (I could have just used plain canned tomatoes, … Continue reading
Osso Buco
Sometimes I have to outwit my freezer. If I want to slip in something new, I must take something out. Yes, I am one of those people whose freezer is always too full. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as one friend tells me, and sure enough, my father is the same way – and … Continue reading
Lamb & Egglplant
This meal was surprisingly quick to put together on a recent worknight. I’d already thawed the ground lamb that I almost always have on hand in the freezer (often from Whole Earth Center). I had a plump eggplant waiting in the crisper. The eggplant I sliced in half (lengthwise of course), slashed the cut sides, and … Continue reading
NJ SPICE 