Mulling it over.

A reader asks whether metal pots are safe for mulling wine. The answer, and a recipe for the holiday drink, on the Mulled Wine page.

Vadouvan.

The outstanding kitchen supply store Le Sanctuaire used to operate a brick and mortar store near my brother’s place in Southern California. Some years ago, I visited and the proprietor, who sources the spices and spice blends herself, introduced me to vadouvan, a French interpretation of masala that incorporates slices of shallots and garlic as [...]

Simple and spectacular.

A reader from America’s Greatest City writes to ask for assistance making a fancy, but not technically complex, dinner for New Year’s Eve. Read about a roasted beet salad with Maytag Blue and walnuts, and a braised beef short rib in a rich wine reduction, with gremolata, on the New Year page. (And for the [...]

Recycling is good, part 4.

If you’ve been following the saga of the ham, you must know that, after eating the roasted fresh ham, making a quick ragù with some of the leftovers, and a pork noodle soup with some more, I still have several pounds of roast pork in the freezer. As it happens, I also have an avocado [...]

One pot cooking for a crowd.

A reader has one big pot, a broken oven, and an upcoming New Year’s Eve party. How to make a meal happen? Read about it here, on the One-pot meals page.

Gratin.

Last night, we went to the home of some family friends for dinner. I asked what I could bring, and was told “vegetables.” Here’s the conundrum. We had to travel an hour, so the food either had to stay hot for the trip or needed to be cooled completely and reheated. So a barely-cooked vegetable [...]

Recycling is good, the breakfast edition.

Happy Boxing Day, friends! So it’s noon, and you’ve got the remains of a roast beef in the refrigerator, and a potato or two that didn’t make their way into the purée, or even some leftover roast potatoes. It logically follows that you would have a roast beef hash for brunch. Hash follows the tradition [...]

Ask, and you shall receive (answers).

Christmas is a day for big meals with the family, and many of you are in the kitchen today. Do you have a last minute cooking question? Drop me a line! Happy holidays!

Happy holidays!

Happy holidays to everyone! Hope you’re all having a great time with family or friends! My mother in law is in town for the holiday, and tomorrow night, we’re going to have the big turkey and trimmings with some family friends. As previous postings here have established, I’m not crazy about turkey. So, when deciding [...]

Duck fat frites.

So last night, I was thinking about what to eat with the 36 hour, 63C moose shoulder roast that had been in the water bath since Monday night after the deliciously successful trial run of the Sous Vide Supreme. This is where I disclose that I hate throwing anything away. If I roast meat, the [...]