I Blame Felix Ungar, and One of You

At last, The Prize! After watching my diet and denying myself so many temptations (in their thousands, believe me), I finally said goodbye to all those excess pounds I’ve carried around for years.  Much work remains in toning and in sculpting, but I’m free – finally!  Carbs now can make (considerably) limited appearances, and this club sandwich reintroduces them…

Teppanyaki? Hai!

Are you surprised it took so long for this blog to feature something Japanese?  I certainly am.  Anyone who’s seen the Tokyo shrine at my office desk, and most of you have, know of my affinity for Japanese culture.    Now, at last, I get around to honoring and celebrating it. By the way, teppanyaki refers to the…

The Priest Fainted

No, seriously, that’s the dish’s name. Centuries ago, the story goes, when a priest’s housekeeper informed him how much making this dish cost (olive oil was considerably more expensive then), he swooned.  Either that, or the meal was so delicious, the fortunate priest lost consciousness. When you try this dish, you’ll know why.  Eggplant on its own doesn’t have much flavor,…

Perfect Day, Just Not for Diets

Just returned from that cookout I mentioned earlier.  Great time, perfect weather, but oh, the temptations!  I was able to resist them all, until this came along. Fresh corn, picked just this morning (from a farm in Delmont, or so I was told), grilled in the husk until just tender and toasty.  The aroma was…

Good News from Peru!

The news here is pretty good too, as food has returned to this blog.  Finally.  What better way to celebrate than with a bright bowl of zesty ceviche? Each spoonful brings the sea’s bounty to the surface, as scallops, squid and shrimp are in glorious abundance.  All of this is marinated in vibrant mixture of citrus juice,…

Another Foodless Post? Seriously?

C’mon, Terrified Amateur, get your head in the game! The next post, this weekend, will resume the food theme, I promise. Before then, though, more than one of you has asked for the recipes which inspired these posts.  Therefore, I’ve overruled my earlier decision not to include them.  From now on, after my blah, blah, blah…

Gratuitous, Absolutely Gratuitous

The new Shun blade arrived today!  Isn’t it gorgeous? Until now I thought my knives were pretty good, but just look at what the Shun did to that zucchini.  This is going to be the fanciest salad I ever bring to work! Was it really necessary for me to get those slices so thin?  Did I have a choice?…

An August Souvenir

Summer brings us to this perfect moment, when exuberant gardens yield showpiece tomatoes in abundance.  What to do with the bounty?  Well, I selected two of the very best (not an easy decision, as they’re all pretty spectacular) and used them to make…  Tomatoes with Artichoke Hearts and Capers, Poached in a White Wine Sauce. Anne…

Lose a Country, Gain a Cuisine

You’re looking at a time machine.  One taste, and it was several years ago, when I last visited my all-time favorite Vietnamese restaurant, Minh’s in Arlington, VA.  Their amazing Saigon Summer Rolls have haunted me ever since, so I scoured my cookbooks to find a recipe to match my dreams.  Andrea Nguyen’s Into the Vietnamese Kitchen came closest,…

Sorry, Fritz, I Also Prefer It with Garlic

This is another repeat for some of you, but it deserves an encore.  It’s Shrimp Bordelaise, which stoked my current obsession with bay leaves and restored cooking with wine atop my culinary priority list.  The shrimp was sautéed with those two ingredients plus garlic, carrots and butter (of course; it’s French after all).  The parsley…