From the monthly archives:

May 2009

Peter Piper

May 27, 2009

The Times has a pretty cool article on canning in today’s Dining and Wine section.   It seems timely for me since I was just at Whole Foods looking at a jar of Rick’s Mean Beans.   At 11 bucks for 16 ounces of pickled beans I think there’s some value to be obtained from preserving summer’s [...]

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Cochon 555

May 26, 2009

The more  I’ve read about what goes on at big business processing plants the less I want grocery store meat on my table.  Thankfully local farmers like Bev Eggleston have been bucking the trend focusing  smaller production organic, and heritage breed meats.  You have to go to the farmers market, and you have to pay [...]

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Memorial Day Menu

May 22, 2009

Most times when I work on a story, I get pretty tired of eating the subject matter.  Hot doggin’ though, just doesn’t seem to get old.  The weather this weekend is supposed to be stellar, and I think this should make a decent enough menu for a simple outdoor summer kick off.  What are you [...]

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Mr. Mustard

May 20, 2009

Everyone’s got a favorite hot dog, and in my recent Post article I touch on some good ones around the beltway.  To be honest though it’s hard to beat Zweigles.  Natural casings are nothing new, but there’s just something about the way these things swell when cooked, and snap when bitten.  If you’re ever out [...]

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On Blanching Veg

May 19, 2009

It’s spring time, and I want my asparagus to be as green as the grass in my front yard.  The trick to a nice bright green finished product is to partly cook the asparagus in heavily salted water before shocking it in ice water.  This frigid bath sets the color as well as stops the [...]

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How to Sharpen a knife

May 15, 2009

If you cook a lot you’ve undoubtedly encountered dull knives and the havoc they can create.   Squashed tomatoes, slipping blades, bloodied fingers.  If you’re not sharpening regularly you’ve maybe forgoten how nice fresh steel can be.  Michael Ruhlman waxes poetic on the razor sharp blade, but I’m disappointed to hear he recommends everyone [...]

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Baguette Bliss

May 13, 2009

I’ve been playing with bread doughs a little lately, looking for the perfect loaf to make at home on a regular basis. I want something simple, but it still has to have character. A recipe built for home that I can commit to memory like my pizza dough and kick out with little thought. [...]

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The New World Order

May 12, 2009

I had to admit when Chef Todd Grey of Equinox handed me his “New Bay” spice, I was more than skeptical. I’ve spent 30 years dousing crabs and shrimp with Old Bay, and it seemed to work just fine. Messing with the classics is asking for trouble. It’s like trying to re-create [...]

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Meta-mis

May 8, 2009

I’ve noticed a strong correlation between the amount of time I spend preparing to cook, and my enjoyment of the process, as well as the quality of the end product.  There are nights that I’ll come home from work and think, “eh, it’s just a pot of beans and tortillas”.  I’ll tear right into my [...]

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In Search of Bovinity

May 6, 2009

Talk about a blast from the past. Today’s NY Times burger feature really stoked some old memories. It’s been quite some time since I set off all over the D.C. area looking for bliss on a bun. The hunt was set off from a dislike of the voting systems employed by area [...]

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