Food Connections

Foraging for Mushrooms While working at a deli a couple of years ago, we occasionally would receive visits at the back door of the kitchen from mushroom foragers selling their finds. They would show the chef boxes full of gorgeous chanterelle or porcini...

Awesome Sandwiches -Part 1 I've been kind of into sandwiches this summer. This isn't really new, of course. My occasional stint in the deli introduced me to some mighty fine sandwiches, and I never really got tired of a few favorites. Those, and a...

Fennel Ice Cream My obsession with fennel, going on 6 months now, has taken me down some predictable roads: fennel in tuna salad, fennel sauteed with peppers and mushrooms, fennel grilled with onions and beets. But it's a flavor that is surprisingly adaptable....

Spanish olives Recently, we returned from a trip to Spain, where we ate the most incredible olives I've ever eaten. When researching for this trip, I'd read plenty about the country's obsession with jamon but somehow, their amazing olives flew right under...

Steel Cut Oats Oatmeal seems to be all over the news lately. It's supposed to be some sort of super-food, able to help people lower their cholesterol and lose weight. I heard an interview with someone last week who was encouraging people to...

Cast Iron I am in love. That is, I am in love with my new griddle. One of the few things on my Christmas list this year was a Lodge cast iron double griddle. My brother Sherman has been touting the joys...

Grass Fed Beef A few months ago, I read a book that will forever change the way I eat and look at food. It is called The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollen. The book follows 4 different food chains, from where the food...

Fresh Oysters on the Grill Have you ever eaten oysters, just recently plucked from the salty water and eaten right off of the grill? This is just one of the amazing food experiences we just had in Washington, where we vacationed this year. We were...

Everything Tastes Better Eaten Outdoors It's HOT! And I'm feeling a little resentful. It just shouldn't be in the 90's in May and June. But along with this kind of weather comes the liberal use of the grill, fresh strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb, cranking up the...