Two-Headed Creature

All sorts of wonders skulk this time of year, and if you’re not careful one of them will claim you. Well, this Halloween’s soul must be particularly needy, as it’s grasped at not one recipe, but at two. Both courtesy of The Nightmare Before Dinner, chef Zach Neil’s collection of deliciously spooky dishes from his…

Very Well, a Concession

Fine, let’s get this over with.  Good food, even great eating, is possible from boxes, cans and other ready-made items found in any convenience store.  Despite this blog preparing all manner of edibles from scratch, today brings something others started, at least in part.  This shows, apparently, even the most promising ideas may begin with,…

Identities

When chef Ludo Lefebvre learned his ancestors came not just from France, but from most nations bordering it as well, he honored the Belgians among them by adapting a classic French country dish.  What he created is Poulet à la Crème, made distinctly Belgian by replacing the wine with a good beer from the region. …

Where the Jungle Blankets the Andes

You’ll find Colombia, where the mountain chain’s northern end reaches to within miles of both the Pacific and the Caribbean.  Here the cuisine celebrates the broad availability of goods from the mountains (potatoes), the temperate valleys (corn, peas and bell peppers) and the tropical plains (annatto seeds and, of course, the coconut).  Combine these ingredients,…

Finally, Kabochas

The chill creeps in on a whisper, breathing promise of the pleasures that await.  These include coziness, a warming fire and, eventually, peak citrus and “winter” gourds.  Among the latter are kabocha squash, a Japanese variety that features thin, edible skins and a smooth, mellow taste.  It’s enough to earn kabocha appreciation from a confirmed…

L’Chaim!

To life, indeed.  When greeting the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah, coming up this week), it’s customary to share Honey Cake as a means of encouraging similar sweetness in the coming year.  With two cups of amber nectar in each diminutive cake, it’s only natural such a dessert is enjoyed prominently in Israel, “The Land…

Sleuthing Is Hungry Work

Obviously, and a full day of genius requires a solid and inspiring start, preferably with a spread dreamt up by a novelist.  Once again, we turn to a favorite, the Nero Wolfe canon, and from its pages we learn what Wolfe’s private cook, Fritz Brenner, has prepared for the great detective’s breakfast.  The Mother Hunt…

Persia Shall Flower Again

When it does, we’ll have more ingredients for today’s submissions.  The crocus grants saffron for Joojeh ba Sib (Saffron Butter-Basted Poussins with Apples), while dried rose petals adorn the Mast-o Khlar (Yogurt-and-Cucumber Salad).  Fitting, that summer’s exuberance is preserved to sustain us through the months ahead. Food & Wine included both recipes, among others, in…

Give the Blender a Break

In the Ecuadoran soup on which today’s entry is based, the broth and such are put through a blender one last time, just before service, ensuring a smooth consistency.  That’s a shame, as it also pulverizes the bits of color and the traces of texture that make Shrimp and Corn Chowder so interesting, so appealing.…

Have You Tried This?

The cake, maybe, if last November’s Spanish Almond Cake inspired, but have you ever tried it with cherimoya, or custard apple, pictured below? Custard apple is an apt description, as the creamy flesh is the consistency of soft-serve, and its taste is ambrosia, a beguiling mixture of apples, pears, bananas and mangoes.  The pulp is…