Yearly Archives: 2010
Summertime on a Plate
August 10, 2010 | 
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We are in the height of tomato season. These nightshades, with so many flavors, colors, and sizes, can now be found at your neighborhood market, often grown locally. Even better, seek them out at a farm stand, farmer’s market, or, if you are lucky enough, plucked from your own garden. Unlike many of our friends, […]
Posted in General Blog, Ingredients, Salads Comments closed
Ruby Orbs! (Beet Recipe)
August 2, 2010 | Print
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Beet season is in full swing. This still baffles me, as I was always under the impression that beets were harvested in the autumn along with parsnips, turnips, and Brussels sprouts. Has the beet season changed, now prolonged due to global warming, or have I just been sleeping in the field all these years? Regardless, […]
Posted in General Blog, Recipes, Sides Comments closed
Lecture with Hiroko Shimbo: Umami, The Fifth Taste Sensation
July 25, 2010 | Print
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Umami, the flavor enhancer and fifth taste sensation after sweet, salty, sour and bitter, is now an often heard word in our culinary conversations, but it so often lacks a clear definition and a clear understanding in the cooking community. Though Umami is an attribute of many foods, not necessarily Japanese, it is in the […]
Posted in Cooking Classes, General Blog, Ingredients Comments closed
Ahh, Bacon and Eggs for Breakfast –
July 14, 2010 | Print
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God bless Charlie! Poor lad, he sprained his ankle in the process of setting up the screened sleeping porch with the most comfortable queen-size bed. A colorful duvet, Provençal-colored sheets of yellow and periwinkle blue along with six down pillows were just what the doctor ordered for a little R & R during our stay […]
Posted in General Blog, Travel Comments closed
Happy 4th, Indeed!
July 10, 2010 | Print
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What a delight too not only spend another 4th of July with good friends Suvir and Charlie at their farm American Masala, but having my Mom and brother join Jon and me for the weekend at the farm in upstate New York was a treat. Waking at 5:00 am, our friend Carolyn picked us up […]
Posted in General Blog, Travel Comments closed
A Pinch of Salt!
June 26, 2010 | Print
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Chef’s rarely if ever use table salt for any number of reasons including the fact that they cannot pick it up with their fingers. And, you’d never find a line cook reaching for a measuring spoon! They keep a stash of salt in a bowl of some kind and always have it at hand to […]
Posted in Basics, General Blog Comments closed
Lèche-Vitrines – Window Shopping
June 14, 2010 | Print
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From what I understand, lèche-vitrines literally means “to lick the window,” even though it is generally translated to mean “window shopping”. I like “to lick the window” or “licking the window” better. This is something we did quite a bit of while we were in France. Whether it was in front of a pâtisserie, chocolatier, […]
Posted in General Blog, Travel Comments closed
L’étude du français à Bret’s Table