A cassoulet is an Occitan dish--that part of Southern France where they speak a beautiful and fading romance language, Occitan.It is a stew of beans and meat; sometimes pork, sometimes goose, or mutton or whatever else they please. It is hearty and traditionally cooked in a cassole, a deep earthenware pot with slanted sides.But since…
Here's the thing about Valentines Day. I think it's strange.It is impossible to get into a restaurant. Flowers double in price. Bad quality chocolate makes the rounds. Lots of pink lacy undergarments abound in various store windows.Saint Valentine, was a Christian martyr. I don't think he thought very often about Victoria's Secret's latest line.
I…
I'm so delighted to introduce one of my favorite food bloggers Amy Johnson. She has got a fabulous blog called "She Wears Many Hats" and is about to embark on a new journey as a beekeeper! I can't wait to see all of the honey this Fall and all of the recipes she conjures up.…
I'm at the airport again. I think I am now officially on a first name basis with many airport security people around the country. They have my x-ray on hand to refer to, which expedites things nicely.While I'm sitting here though, I thought I'd tell you about my favorite hot sauce recipe of late. It's…
The morel is my favorite mushroom.I think it is its richness and wonderful hearty texture that I like so much. The morel forces you to really chew it.They have a honeycomb type construction. And hollow stems. I spent many an hour trimming the stems and cleaning off the hard bits in my restaurant days. But…
I did it. I made homemade English Muffins. I can stop cooking now, my life's task is complete.The best part? The recipe uses a skillet... my best friend, my savior, my no-wash skillet. God's antidote to dirty dishes I say.They are full of nooks and crannies that would make Thomas proud.You can check out the…
I spent all day yesterday recipe testing. My freezer had gotten unruly and I had declared that nothing else was allowed in it so that all of the game meat I had collected since September could have a proper home until I could test it all for the "Girl Hunter" book.That has been the rule,…
Have you ever made sausage? Have you ever thought about making sausage?It is a fun affair.I would rather talk about sausage right now than the aftermath of the horrible loss I experienced last week. That has consisted of drama and me eating a box of truffles in preparation to open three Fedex boxes that I…
After I spent the day solving the "plague of pigs" crisis a few weeks ago, I began a hog cooking extravaganza. There were so many parts to break down and ponder.This is my friend Mike breaking down and pondering:Isn't he doing a nice job? He's a scholar of the woods and the kitchen.The thing about…