This is adapted from a recipe I found a while ago over at epicurious.com. I don’t usually post recipes that have (mostly) come from another source. But these duck legs were so good that I felt an obligation in this case. So, here’s how it works: 4 Duck leg-thigh parts (I don’t know what it’s […]
Savory
Lamb Shanks and Cubebs
As I’m sure I’ve mentioned here before, I love lamb. I like beef okay if the cut is right, if the cow is right, if the preparation is right. But in almost every circumstance, if you want to please me by serving me red meat, I’d rather have a good piece of lamb. Lamb has […]
“Roast” Duck
As some of you know, I’ve been experimenting with duck. I’ve made three or four ducks over the past three or four months. They’ve all been whole roasted birds. And while each has had its virtues, none has been entirely to my liking. I made another one last night, however. I did it very differently. […]
Playing Chicken (Stock)
Right now, I’m making chicken stock. And the smell, from across the house, is making me so ravenous that it’s hard to concentrate on work. There may be smells more delicious, or more cerebrally appealing. But so far as I can tell, there is none that smells so much like Food — primal, meaty, nutritious, […]
A Tale of Two Red Sauces
For almost a year, I’ve considered writing some reflections here about tomato sauce, how to make it, and how to use it to make lots of other yummy things. I’ve dithered and delayed and thought to myself — this is too long and involved to write today. And now, after my experience eating in Greece […]
Some Thoughts on Roasted Chicken
I’ve made a lot of roasted chicken over the past year and a half. I’ve done them simple. I’ve done them complicated. I’ve brined them and dry-rubbed them and poked butter under their skin. And I’ve had more than a few of them turn out really well. Probably the best chicken I’ve made was one […]
Some Thoughts on Ciabatta
I’ve been playing a lot with rustic bread, and specifically with Ciabatta, recently. And I’ve had a couple of thoughts. They’re probably obvious if you know anything about artisan baking, but I’m kind of figuring it out as I go along. I don’t in any sense think that I’ve got it right yet. In fact, […]
Coq Au Vin
Coq au vin (with green beans and fresh pain au levain), as it turned out, was my early Valentine’s Day dinner for Sarah. After waffling for a while, I ended up looking at a couple of recipes, doing some reading about the theory behind the dish, then coming up with my own method. I’d always […]
Rustic Bread
prosewitch has me thinking about rustic bread. She mentioned something about a sourdough ciabatta-like loaf that she put together the other day, and I suppose that it just sort of put me in that kind of mood. So I got out my sourdough starter, threw in a tiny bit of rye, and this is what […]
Aged Mimolette Brioche
I decided last week that I wanted to do a cheddar brioche in the style of Caffe Strada in Berkeley. I used to love them; they were my breakfast or lunch more often than I would care to admit. But when I went looking for the right cheddar for the project, I came upon Mimolette […]