What to cook + how to cook
I have spent many an hour walking by the food stalls of the world. Some foods I simply did not have time to ingest, others looked a bit dodgy and still others will way too fatty, salty and overrun with odd preservative…but guess what? I wanted to eat all of them regardless. My mission here is to deconstruct and make something authentic.
Since tomatoes are such ubiquitous ingredients there is bound to be waste. Waste is not just defined as tossing something into the waste bin and space it occupies in the landfills but actually all the energy it took to bring the tomato to market; fuel, lighting, irrigation, materials, and human resources. Waste doesn’t have to … Continue reading Zero Waste Tomatoes
Ahhh, Mexican Pozole. My first encounter with a delicious bowl of pozole rojo is when I lived in “La Mission” of San Francisco during the late nineties. It was often my morning savior after a very long night of revelries. Yes, I burnt the midnight oil like most people in their twenties but, hey, I … Continue reading Pozole Rojo For Your Soul
How Do I Do Muhammara? Well, instead of posting yet another muhammara recipe I’d like to show you my favorite way to eat this delightful mix of walnut, pomegranate, roasted pepper and spices from the Middle East. What makes this a particularly special breakfast or brunch are the robust flavors a muhammara spread commands. This … Continue reading A Muhammara Breakfast
Mapo Tofu, Just Like Mom Used to Make Ok, well not my mom but someone’s Chinese mom made this. This super fast and easy mapo tofu recipe came from a penpal I have who lives just right out of Suzhou, China so naturally thanks goes out to her. I had this dish a couple times … Continue reading Mapo Tofu Recipe
I have had San Diego tacos, street tacos in Ensenada, stuffed my face at a taco bar in Mexico city, filled up at the hipster Barrio Chino in Manhattan and hundreds in between. Fish tacos, carnitas, carne asada, la lengua and many others are definitely high on my list but there is just something about … Continue reading Tacos Al Pastor, Señor
Having ordered six salade niçoise in the nine days I was in Paris left me unimpressed. I know, I know…first world problems. Perhaps it was the areas we were eating in or the Euro I was unwilling to spend (classic American cheapskate, huh?) for a salad but I had all these hopes and fantasies with this … Continue reading A Proper Niçoise Salad Recipe
Pork Belly Recipe With a Bonus “Chicharrón”! Oh yes. Just when you thought pork belly doesn’t get any better it does. This recipe will yield a little Chicharrón hat that will delight those hard to please carnivorous foodies. Sadly, it took me years and years to get jiggy with pork belly. I grew up in … Continue reading Pork Belly Recipe
In Vietnamese it’s “phở bò” or sometimes known as Vietnamese beef noodle soup for people that don’t make it out much. And guess what’s for breakfast or brunch? Yeah, that’s right…phở! This not usually a dinner time meal. I saw a ton of stalls in Vietnam in the wee early morning dishing out this little … Continue reading Phở Bò Recipe
I have had plenty of Tandoori chicken from a wide array of Indian restaurants but it wasn’t until I landed in the Maldives by way of India that I truly fell in love with it’s complexity. I was on a project (that ultimately fizzled) in Bangkok when I was invited to a friend’s honeymoon party. … Continue reading Homemade Tandoori Chicken
Pâté has always been a hit or miss for me until I got down and with it’s origins. Most cultures outside of the USA do a great job at using all parts of the animal which you just have to respect. Waste not, want not. Right after Thanksgiving this year, I had this rather big … Continue reading Turkey Liver Pâté
