The Italian Visionary With a beloved James Beard award-winning cooking show, acclaimed restaurants in NYC, Pittsburgh and Kansas City (including the industry-changing Felidia that set the stage for authentic Italian food in America), several best-selling books, a cookware line and supermarket products, you could say that Lidia Bastianich is the unofficial spokeswoman of Italian-American cuisine (not to… Read More →
Everything you need to know about horse cuisine. Horse has a long and proud culinary tradition, and is eaten all around the world. I happen to think horse meat is not only delicious, but also a great alternative protein. For facts, figures and cooking techniques, take a look at this infographic from Great British Chefs.… Read More →
Vermicelli con le Vongole Salsa Rossa By Lidia Bastianich Pasta with clam sauce is my grandchildren’s favorite, and I get no greater enjoyment than watching them slurp down the pasta with the juicy clam sauce. Vermicelli, a type of very thin spaghetti, cooks as quickly as the clams do, so have your ingredients ready and… Read More →
It’s a No-Brainer Brains aren’t just for zombies. Brains are a delicacy eaten by people all around the world. The most popular are lamb, pig and cow brains, but you can really eat any animal’s brain, provided it’s fresh. I’ve even dined on squirrel brain. It was delicious! Brains are full of healthy nutrients like… Read More →
It’s a No-Brainer Brains aren’t just for zombies. Brains are a delicacy eaten by people all around the world. The most popular are lamb, pig and cow brains, but you can really eat any animal’s brain, provided it’s fresh. I’ve even dined on squirrel brain. It was delicious! Brains are full of healthy nutrients like… Read More →
A Vibrant Raw-Fish Salad I first tasted this dish on the island of Cat Hai, off the Vietnamese coast. My crew and I fell into a small restaurant that was really the front porch of a family home. They walked us out back to their “kitchen,” pointed at a few raw ingredients and looked at me.… Read More →
Alabama’s Barbecue Kingpin Nick Pihakis and his father, Jim, opened the first Jim ‘N Nick’s barbecue joint 25 years ago in Birmingham, Alabama. Known for the slow-hickory-smoked pork and an everything-made-from-scratch mentality, the meaty empire has now grown to 28 restaurants across the South (even the James Beard Foundation has taken note, consecutively nominating Nick as… Read More →
Alabama’s Barbecue Kingpin Nick Pihakis and his father, Jim, opened the first Jim ‘N Nick’s barbecue joint 25 years ago in Birmingham, Alabama. Known for the slow-hickory-smoked pork and an everything-made-from-scratch mentality, the meaty empire has now grown to 28 restaurants across the South (even the James Beard Foundation has taken note, consecutively nominating Nick as… Read More →
She’s Got Your Goat Located in the heart of the West Loop restaurant corridor, Girl & the Goat is one of Chicago’s most popular eateries, and for good reason. Chef/owner Stephanie Izard, the energetic always-smiling winner of Top Chef season 4, is taking an iconic alternative protein and putting at the top of her menu, with… Read More →
She’s Got Your Goat Located in the heart of the West Loop restaurant corridor, Girl & the Goat is one of Chicago’s most popular eateries, and for good reason. Chef/owner Stephanie Izard, the energetic always-smiling winner of Top Chef season 4, is taking an iconic alternative protein and putting at the top of her menu, with… Read More →
True Thai Cuisine Andy Ricker’s obsession with Thai food was born out of a backpacking trip he took in the 80s, when he discovered that the gloppy noodles he’d been eating stateside were not representative of the diverse culinary traditions he found in Thailand. In 2005, Ricker opened his first restaurant in Portland, Pok Pok.… Read More →
True Thai Cuisine Andy Ricker’s obsession with Thai food was born out of a backpacking trip he took in the 80s, when he discovered that the gloppy noodles he’d been eating stateside were not representative of the diverse culinary traditions he found in Thailand. In 2005, Ricker opened his first restaurant in Portland, Pok Pok.… Read More →
A Wild Weekend in New Orleans You knew you were in New Orleans and you knew it had to be Super Bowl Week: elevator to baggage claim, 200 limo drivers holding up signs for corporate types and A-List celebs. Background music provided by a Second Line band, all set to the staccato backbeat of the… Read More →
A Wild Weekend in New Orleans You knew you were in New Orleans and you knew it had to be Super Bowl Week: elevator to baggage claim, 200 limo drivers holding up signs for corporate types and A-List celebs. Background music provided by a Second Line band, all set to the staccato backbeat of the… Read More →
Louisiana Country Cooking On the road one day in New Orleans, I spent some time in the Crescent City Farmers Market and got a lesson in étouffée-making from the doyenne of Louisiana home cooking, Poppy Tooker. Étouffée is a riff on the old French verb “to smother,” and while there are as many recipes for… Read More →
Simple and Versatile by Paul Virant Pickled fennel is one of my favorites, it was one of the first pickles on the menu at Vie in August of 2004.
Microscopic Turkey I was a guest at HUGE Theater‘s Show X on Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. I shared stories from my life based off of audience suggestions. The cast of talented improvisers then created scenes based off of my stories. It was very fun and very funny. This is the final segment. To see the rest check out… Read More →
Microscopic Turkey I was a guest at HUGE Theater‘s Show X on Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. I shared stories from my life based off of audience suggestions. The cast of talented improvisers then created scenes based off of my stories. It was very fun and very funny. This is the final segment. To see the rest check out… Read More →
I call this yakitori style because of the sauce — because yaki means chicken and tori means skewered grilling, and this dish is neither! But the simmering nage (broth) that you bathe the duck in reminds me of yakitori bars all over Japan. The cooking technique for the duck can be used to great effect in other recipes too, and the only mistakes… Read More →
Watch the Bocuse d’Or Live Richard Rosendale will lead Team USA at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, a biannual international competition where the best of the best gather for an Olympic-esque culinary battle. The international competition, named after legendary French chef Paul Bocuse, seeks to identify the world’s top competitive chef. Watch chef Rosendale and commis… Read More →
Watch the Bocuse d’Or Live Richard Rosendale will lead Team USA at the prestigious Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, a biannual international competition where the best of the best gather for an Olympic-esque culinary battle. The international competition, named after legendary French chef Paul Bocuse, seeks to identify the world’s top competitive chef. Watch chef Rosendale and commis… Read More →
Amateur Schmamateur Adam Roberts took a big risk when he quit law school to start an amateur food blog in 2004. As it turns out, he’s pretty good at it. Seamlessly weaving recipes and photographs with personal narratives and humor, Adam transformed his a hobby into a full-fledged career (jealous?). For his new cookbook, Secrets of… Read More →
Amateur Schmamateur Adam Roberts took a big risk when he quit law school to start an amateur food blog in 2004. As it turns out, he’s pretty good at it. Seamlessly weaving recipes and photographs with personal narratives and humor, Adam transformed his a hobby into a full-fledged career (jealous?). For his new cookbook, Secrets of… Read More →
This simple dinner is deceptively complex. You can have dinner on the table in 15 minutes and the flavors are crazy good. My family and I love Mexican food—it’s one of the world’s truly great cuisines. This dish is often seen in the Yucatán, in Veracruz and in-and-around oceanfront communities, but for any indefatigable travelers who… Read More →
Southern-Style Seafood Stew By Chris Hastings
For Adventurous Tapas Chef Michael Smith owns two of Kansas City’s most lauded restaurants, his eponymous fine-dining eatery and the adjacent Extra Virgin, a more casual spot with a playful atmosphere (think jewel tones, oversized paintings and a central wood-and-iron bar) and a creative menu of Mediterranean tapas. Go with a crowd and share family-style, making… Read More →
For Adventurous Tapas Chef Michael Smith owns two of Kansas City’s most lauded restaurants, his eponymous fine-dining eatery and the adjacent Extra Virgin, a more casual spot with a playful atmosphere (think jewel tones, oversized paintings and a central wood-and-iron bar) and a creative menu of Mediterranean tapas. Go with a crowd and share family-style, making… Read More →
An Ambassador of Southern Cuisine “If it ain’t Southern, it ain’t walkin’ in the door,” says Sean Brock. The James Beard award-winning chef is passionate about his Southern roots, even going to the extremes of resurrecting antebellum grains and sourcing heritage breeds for his Charleston restaurants, Husk and McCrady’s. He’s the most visible force behind the current… Read More →
An Ambassador of Southern Cuisine “If it ain’t Southern, it ain’t walkin’ in the door,” says Sean Brock. The James Beard award-winning chef is passionate about his Southern roots, even going to the extremes of resurrecting antebellum grains and sourcing heritage breeds for his Charleston restaurants, Husk and McCrady’s. He’s the most visible force behind the current… Read More →
A Hearty Soup From the Italian Alps This is my interpretation of a soup my dad and I had in the early ’70s in the Italian Alps. In winter, local families would cook food all day, offering dishes in trencherman-size portions to hungry skiers seeking a seat by a fire and a hearty meal. These… Read More →
