· “A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.” (J. Austen). Wealth also provides the recipe for an early death, at least in oil-rich Qatar. Mix obesity-related illness with a pinch of incestuous genetic disorders… Can we get Jamie Oliver on this, please? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/middleeast/27qatar.html ·... Continue reading

Well, know you’ll know why I jumped out of sequence for the “S is for Sweet Potato” post – check it out! Thank you to the folks at North Carolina Sweet Potatoes. Paris and I are going to celebrate at the steak house up the street. Sorry H is taking... Continue reading

The first semester of culinary school I was a giddy, excitable freshman all over again. If I had been at MIT I would have run for president of the robot club and written articles about knot theory. Instead, I wrote about farming revolutions in Kansas and signed up for ice... Continue reading

This is one of Paris' favorite meals and it is incredibly easy, cheap and delicious. I'll post the recipe soon. Also, last week I trailed in the Del Posto and Locanda Verde kitchens. I'm putting together a list of things I learned. Coming soon. Continue reading

Do not be alarmed. This blog will not descend into chaos. We will be back to our normally scheduled alphabet momentarily. I'm jumping ahead for good reason - to celebrate the sweet potato. These sassy sweet spuds are a favorite pantry item and a delicious food paradigm: They have remarkable... Continue reading

Q: Help, Bicycle Chef!!! Tomorrow I am having non-wine/cheese connoisseurs over and was planning to serve some cheese, wine, etc…. here’s what I bought at the store today: chevre, brie, comte (do you now this cheese? It’s wonderful, a bit nutty and maybe considered firm). I also bought fig jam... Continue reading

Fig Newtons make me gag. They were the only fig experience available to a Kansas City kid, so I assumed I hated figs. Luckily, Erin Lusk didn’t tell me her mom had brought her famous Louisiana FIG Cake to SEA’s campus. Continue reading

Eggs Benedict is my hypothetical death row meal (with a hot fudge brownie sundae). Unlike grilled cheese or pizza, Eggs Benedict is only worth eating when it's made well. The best I’ve eaten was from the Art Cliff Diner on Martha’s Vineyard - the Hollandaise had enough acid to balance... Continue reading

Doughnuts protect themselves against predatory amateur bakers with intimidating defenses: yeast and deep-frying. Weighing the costs in time, labor, and potential oil burns against the benefit of eating homemade doughnuts, the logical conclusion is Krispy Kreme. Sometimes we need to defy logic. Continue reading

Caramel is burnt sugar (milk optional). It is the Chardonnay of the burnt sugar universe – variable and versatile. Dulce de Leche is burnt sweetened milk. It's like a smooth, medium-body Merlot. Cajeta is burnt sweetened GOATS milk. Cajeta is the old, funky Burgundian Pinot. It’s may not please everyone, but it is unique and worthy of obsession. Continue reading

Braised meat and hot chocolate help me survive Winter. I decided to sneak one last braise in before Spring tweaks my cravings to lighter fare. Continue reading

At the Vineyard Gourmet, a street-side lunch and coffee store in Martha's Vineyard, I learned how to segment, or supreme, fruit. “So this is how they make canned mandarins”, I thought, imagining small women in rural china rapidly carving with wee fingers through twenty-hour work days. I haven’t eaten canned... Continue reading

At the Vineyard Gourmet, a street-side lunch and coffee store in Martha's Vineyard, I learned how to segment, or supreme, fruit. “So this is how they make canned mandarins”, I thought, imagining small women in rural china rapidly carving with wee fingers through twenty-hour work days. I haven’t eaten canned... Continue reading

“The avocado is a food without rival among the fruits, the veritable fruit of paradise.” Italy and Mexico share national colors. Lets see how their ingredients mix. …Looking extremely bite-able. Paradise is found; it's creamy, green and sweet. The declaration at the top of this post is from David Fairchild,... Continue reading

I love a lot about Hoboken: its hidden cobblestone streets, the night-skyline view of Manhattan across the Hudson, slightly less ridiculous rent rates. My new town disappoints in one area - a minor issue to many but an essential one to a girl with a lusty (and critical) appetite. I... Continue reading