I agree to be part of the beta test immediately. There is no need to twist my arm.The email comes from Veronica’s Test Kitchen. “I’m sending macarons,” writes the proprietor of the blogosphere’s most prestigious center of culinary science.How could I possibly refuse?Veronica is my hero. She can give Harold McGee a run for his money. Her keenly insightful kitchen experiments have taught me a thing
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Spinach Ricotta Ravioli with Butter and Sage (Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci)
I admit it. I’m a Chef Boyardee baby. Growing up on suburban Long Island, I just assumed that ravioli came from a can. There were exactly two varieties, which in the 1970s was considered an embarrassment of riches – meat ravioli and cheese ravioli, each covered in a clingy red sauce. The main kitchen tools required for preparation were a sturdy pot, a cover and a can opener.My palate, my
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Gumdrop Cake from 1946
I can’t take the pressure anymore! The Old Foodie and her “Week of Cakes” has worn me down. It is the middle of the work week, and instead of kicking off my shoes, pouring a glass of Bordeaux, and watching the evening news, I am baking a Gumdrop Cake.I have a high-powered meeting tomorrow. But instead of studying, I’m obsessed with thoughts of Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders and Willy Wonka.The
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A Luncheon for Presidents’ Day 2008
Today is Presidents’ Day, when Americans honor George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, great leaders who emerged at pivotal moments in our country’s history. George Washington was a military hero of the Revolutionary War and our first President, and Abraham Lincoln led the country during the dark days of the American Civil War.While food is not the first association most make with Presidents’ Day,
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Found Money, Barbecue and Dieting in Times Square
The time – a little while ago. The place – another rainy day in New York City. The rain is pounding hard as I dash across the intersection of 52nd Street and 7th Avenue. Imagine if this were snow, as the New York DJs always say. Already, the day is damp, unremarkable, and just a bit grim. But, as I scamper over the asphalt and look down, I spot a soaked $20 dollar bill underfoot. I scoop it up,
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Devil Dog Cake and Brown Bag Lunch Legends
My mother always packed a wholesome and healthy brown bag lunch.During our high school years, she’d create what amounted to an assembly line atop our white Formica kitchen counter to prepare the daily lunches for me and my three brothers. She would quickly layer a sandwich with Oscar Meyer cold cuts and whole wheat bread (my favorite was bologna with mustard), and gather together precisely-cut
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The Foodie Blogroll
Culinary Types has joined the Foodie Blogroll! Jenn, "The Left Over Queen," who makes masterpieces from leftovers, has gathered hundreds of bloggers who are passionate about food under the Foodie Blogroll banner, which you'll find to the right. It's a fantastic method for building momentum in the food blogger community -- almost as good as being an honored guest at one giant, continuous dinner
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A Bird in the Hand with a Dash of Salt and Pepper
I was a fussy child. I did not like bones with my chicken.This presented a problem. For a family of six on a budget, boneless chicken breasts were rarely an option. Chicken was typically served in pieces, bone-in, Shake ‘n Bake style. After all, we were growing up in the heart of suburban Long Island. I must admit, it was not my favorite meal. I would push the meat around the plate and whine a
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Lemon-Lime Soda Pop Cake from 1965
She hurries through the back kitchen door at 5:55 p.m. and hangs her coat and handbag over the hook by the entryway. She slips off her black pumps and slides her sore feet into a pair of pink terrycloth slippers sitting by the doormat. It has been a long day. It is inventory season at Gimbels Department Store and She and her colleagues have all been working extra hours. Moving through the
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