As we were gobbling a giant sweet, lemony dessert popover with pancake overtones, we thought: Wouldn’t this also be great SAVORY instead of sweet? So we added Parmigiano Regginao to the basic egg and flour structure with to make delectable lunch, supper, hors d’oeuvre.
Read MoreOur Favorite PaperThin Pancakes (No Flour, Eggs, or Milk…)
One of the best snacks I’ve had was in the market in Nice: a thin chickpea-flour pancake served hot on pieces of paper to eat with your fingers, pulling off the chewy edges and the soft crepe like interior. This sublime creation is easy to duplicate at home, where the eggless, flourless, dairy-less crepe-like pancakes can go savory or sweet.
Read MoreGiant Cheese Popover-Pancake (Eggy, Chewy, Crispy, swell!) + a Sweet Lemon-scented Version
We were poking around food editor and writer Jane Lear‘s website, when we came across a trove of great articles, including one of her pieces for Gourmet Magazine, where she was its Senior Articles Editor for many years. Called Transformers, the premise is that with 3 eggs and two lemons on hand, you can make…
Read MoreDept of Unintended Purposes: Soapstone Tile as Flame Tamer
In a moment of random small-stakes invention that occurs often around here, the soapstone sample that I ordered when considering the material for countertops proved the perfect flame tamer/heat diffuser.
Read MoreThin Lacy Cheese Crisps (You Made Those?!!)
Years ago I learned to make the classic lacy cheese crisps of Friuli Italy called frico, one of those miraculous creations that LOOK really difficult to make, but aren’t. They are the perfect hors d’oeuvre with cocktails, and inspire improvisations; their delectable uses are legion.
Read MoreImprovisation-Inspiring Cookooks + a Fab Close-Roasted Meats Technique
In the past week, I received two three affirmations that cookbooks I wrote years ago —The Improvisational Cook and A New Way to Cook —are still resonating strongly. Both encourage improvisation, while giving the thinking and logic behind recipes and techniques, understanding that is the essential jumping off point for improvising. Curiously, TWO emails raved about…
Read More15+ Quick Hors d’Oeuvres and Delish Snacks
Over the years, I’ve devised a number of hors d’oeuvres that I can throw together at the drop of a hat. All are made with readily-available ingredients and take little time to assemble. Some involve my hanging out at the stove of my open kitchen, pan-frying or assembling the little bites. I find that my…
Read MoreHow to Keep Cast-Iron Cookware Naturally Nonstick
We love cast-iron, the endlessly-useful, impossible-to-destroy cookware. It provides the even heat of heavy copper cookware at a fraction of the cost…If properly cared for, cast-iron will build up a naturally nonstick surface that can take the place of commerical nonstick cookware, about which there are health concerns. Here’s our tried-and-true method and favorite pans (and recipes).
Read Moresweet or savory cornmeal cakes for breakfast, supper + holiday celebrations (with 2 recipes)
Occasionally, I retreat to a friend’s cabin in the West Virginia Appalachians to rest and cook with what is there: a rudimentary kitchen and what the local store offers me. These constraints are a pleasing challenge that deconstruct my city self. I’ve improvised roasting pans out of tin foil, and made a soufflé with local cheese…
Read Morerecipe: roasted pears for sweet or savory improvisations
Throughout fall and winter, one of my favorite improvisational “base” preparations is Roasted Pears. These are pears that are roasted with a bit of sugar, lemon juice, butter and a split vanilla bean or even herbs, until they become tender and caramelized, with a concentrated pear flavor. Roasted Pears are one of those miraculous recipes…
Read More