Ditch the Sticks?


Generally speaking, the Japanese are well-mannered, and they’re most enthusiastic about dining’s refined rituals. (Actually, that can be said, with minor qualifications, of many peoples.) Anyway, it’s not too often a Japan-forward company will advise diners to put down their chopsticks and to eat with their fingers. Yet, that’s precisely what Toiro, a company specializing… Continue reading Ditch the Sticks?

My Pie, That’s Why


Doesn’t everybody love baby spinach, pineapple and mushrooms on their pizza?  Seriously?  Why not?  Weirdos. The beauty of Cast Iron Pan Pizzas, though, as dreamt in the January & February 2020 Cook’s Illustrated, is that each pizza is customizable for each person at the table.  In the great deep-dish/thin-crust debate, these pan pizzas definitely side… Continue reading My Pie, That’s Why

How Did This Happen?


Today’s creation requires little elaboration, as it’s a savory herbed pancake covered in a delicious mixture of mushrooms sautéed with leeks, then topped with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and lemon zest.  Sound good?  It is, clearly so, yet things become murky when it comes to the name, Dutch Baby.  Wait…what? All right, here are details.  A… Continue reading How Did This Happen?

Near the Border


Here are a couple tickets for an overnight train trip, complete with sleeping compartment and dinner beforehand in the dining car, courtesy of James Porterfield’s Dining by Rail.  In this case, the meal includes two lines’ specialties, Roast Quebec Capon, as enjoyed for decades aboard the Canadian Pacific’s trains, accompanied by Savory Mushroom Dressing, a… Continue reading Near the Border

Plums, Grapes and Pomegranates


The table set before you makes use of all three, taking advantage of the agricultural bounty one finds in Georgia – the country, not the US state.  Though home to some of the Caucasus’s towering peaks, the fertile valleys in between and the Black Sea coastline grant Georgia an abundance reflected in the country’s cuisine.… Continue reading Plums, Grapes and Pomegranates

Aquaculture


Tilapia enjoys a happy coincidence, its sustainability accelerating smartly with its increased popularity.  As ever more people appreciate the fish’s flavor and culinary versatility, the industry has discovered the freshwater creature adapts particularly well to farm production, ensuring the supply will match demand. Today features two, or perhaps three, recipes from the January/February 2019 Cook’s… Continue reading Aquaculture