Let’s get one thing straight. In my mind there are chefs, and there are chemists.Trying to mix the two is like trying to blend oil and vinegar.I’ve spent a lot of time learning chef skills, but chemistry has never been a core competency. In high school, I would get excited when the Language Department hosted the annual International Dinner, or when the Home Economics Class invited me to taste
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Chelsea Market: Cooking virtually is fun, but sometimes, a little in-person culinary diplomacy is in order. The eternal search for good food brings me and Jill from Ottawa to New York City for some of the best ingredients and eating on the planet. We arrive at New York’s Chelsea Market in late afternoon on the day before the big storm, and enter the brick façade of the former site of the
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Julia Lives on DVD!Did you ever fantasize about cooking side-by-side with a famous chef? Ever wish you could hear a tidbit of kitchen wisdom straight from the lips of a renowned gourmet? We all have our "Food Network" fantasy pairings, which is probably why Iron Chef is so successful.The DVD series from PBS, "Julia Child! The French Chef" is the real deal, an up-close and personal glimpse of a
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Windy City Comfort.My colleague, Splint McCullough is a mess.We’re on assignment in the Chicago area and he’s looking a bit like the travel companion from hell. Splint’s allergies have invaded and are doing a shock and awe number on his head, leaving him a pitiful mass of sniffles and snorts. On top of that, he’s penniless. A moment of confusion back home means he’s without his wallet forcing
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Egg-stacy
Spring is reluctant in the Northeast. Daffodils and crocus shiver and symbols of new life struggle to be seen and heard, yet eggs are abundant in my kitchen as preparations for Easter commence.The egg is legendary and full of wonder, a miracle in a translucent oval shell. Egyptians thought their deity created the egg from the sun and the moon, and Phoenicians told a story that an egg split in two
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How Do I Love Thee, Lady Baltimore?
It began as an innocent flirtation. It was the name that first caught my attention – Lady Baltimore Cake. It was regal, slightly aloof, with a mid-Atlantic pedigree. I wanted to know more. Who was this mystery woman?Way down under in Australia, The Old Foodie dipped into her culinary archives and told me a tale, perhaps a century old. I had to acknowledge that this Lady Baltimore had a past and
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Digesting the American-Canadian Cooking Project
The dishes have finally been put away in New York and Ottawa, and we’ve finished off the last of the Nanaimo Bars and Sweet Potato Pie. With a chance to step back, Jill and I begin to reflect on the outcome of our American-Canadian Cooking project. Perhaps without realizing it, we concocted a recipe of distinctive ingredients – one part culinary detective work, one part cultural exchange, and one
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