Whenever I sit down to a delectable meal, I never think about how this bountiful harvest got to my plate. And I certainly don’t ponder the critical role bees play in making my beloved fruits, vegetables and nuts possible through pollination. But the truth is, we all should be thanking these humble and hard-working creatures.
Some cook for nourishment, others for sport. I fit into the latter, generally inspired by bad TV, good jazz, or a couple of fingers of scotch. Hunger can also be provocation and it helps that in my suburban Chicago home-away-from-home we have a grocery store eight steps from my front door that stays open until
My wife and I are big football fans. In fact, one of the first things that attracted me to her was the fact that she loves the game as much as I do. Nary a Sunday goes by when we can’t be found glued to the couch watching morning, noon and night. And though I
What is the purpose of cooking? To feed? To nourish in a healthful manner? To create Dionysian orgiastic pleasure in each and every bite? I vote for C, though arguably all of the above apply. Sam Sifton of the New York Times shared a recipe a few months back that has become the template for
I’m always on the lookout for a fun drink that I can test on my adventurous wife and next-door neighbors. And I’m not too proud to admit that I spotted this one in my weekly Whole Foods flyer. I was originally going to title the column “Your Father Smelt of Elderberries,” which I know is
Who, among us, does not remember the infamous Alan Arkin scene from LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE? If you somehow missed it, please take 14 seconds to sample this pure cinematic and culinary joy. If you turn to the Web for your weeknight poultry inspiration, you know there are an abundance of chicken recipes online. At last
If you’ve been cooking all your life – even just a home-schooled hack – you think you probably know it all. And when it comes to breakfast, is there really anything new under the sun? It took my good friend Billy – director, film professor, fantastic cook – to throw me a tip that has
Good news! According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, when properly fished for, many varieties of tuna make their “Best Choice” or “Good Alternative” list for guilt-free healthy dining. That includes Yellowfin and Big-eye, both of which you will commonly find on sushi menus and can be caught by hand line or deep-set trolling
Who remembers the epic movie line quoted in the headline above? I won’t keep you in suspense. It’s Daniel Stern, as one of the “cutters” in BREAKING AWAY, reflecting on a high school romance that went sour. The above photo is not Cyril’s epiphany, but another movie moment, this one from ALMOST FAMOUS, that is
Something happened! Oscar Night used to be a televised homage to the people who made films. It was their night, and Hollywood’s night, and we were invited to tag along. If there was a red carpet celebration, I can barely recall. What the celebrities wore was a matter of casual observation. The length of the
