This post had so many potential titles–Deep Purple, Heart of Darkness, Purple Monster–all inspired by this week’s recipe of Simple Eggplant Parmesan, and the challenge of photographing dark eggplants. My favorite was from the great American writer Annie Proulx, who once depicted a character’s nocturnal torment as a “descent into an aubergine nightmare.” An aubergine nightmare. …
Category Archives: Easy
Cast Irony: Salt-Seared Skirt Steak with Kitchen Sink Steak Sauce
When you’re young and stupid and starting out and you don’t have much money (all accurate descriptors of myself at 22) you generally have two choices in stove-top hardware – thin aluminum or cast iron. I made the wrong choice. I bought aluminum, and then could never figure out why my efforts to reproduce the sautéed …
Aqua Culture and Labor Day Grilled Clams
On a post about Labor Day weekend it seems appropriate to step back and give you a glimpse of the people behind the food. Herewith, a taste of our visit to the Woodbury Shellfish aquaculture grant in Wellfleet. Barbara and Patrick Woodbury are the sort of people you almost never hear about unless you’re in …
Salad Daze – Summer Tomatoes with Grilled Corn and Barley
Is there anyone on the planet who waits longer for their tomatoes than the nightshade gourmands of New England? I’m sure Scandinavians have to muster even greater patience than New Englanders, but are Scandinavians really into tomatoes? Evidence suggests they pine for beets and lingonberries and reindeer blood. National Geographic scientists billeted in the arctic …
The Great White Hope: Almond – Grape Gazpacho with Smoked Bluefish
Tomato gazpacho just doesn’t do it for me. Over the years I’ve tried to love it, and each time a little voice in my head says, You don’t need to do this again. I love the idea of tomato gazpacho–fresh tomatoes, red onion, celery, peppers, a splash of acid in the form of red-wine …
Back to Paris – Potted Peppers
Some weeks ago I wrote about a spring visit to Paris where our son Oliver and I had a great meal at Chez Janou. In iconic French fashion a nearby blackboard listed daily specials, including an hors d’oeuvre of Poivrons grillées au feta. Grilled peppers with feta. Sounded straightforward, simple. Okay, I could go with …
The Garum Factory 