Authentic Chinese at Home By Andrew Zimmern Fermented chile-garlic bean sauce (toban djan) will change your cooking life. You can marinate with it, use it as a rub, in a sauce or any way you can imagine. The fermented beans supply all the punch of authenticity and honesty you need to make some great Chinese… Read More →
How to Buy & Store Asparagus Look for tight tips and small leaves on the side of the stalk that cling to its body. The cut end should be moist, not frayed, browned or dry. Spears should be smooth, not wrinkled. Storing asparagus is simple: keep them standing in a few inches of water in… Read More →
Nico Osteria By Bob & Sue This Paul Kahan restaurant on Rush Street features imaginative Italian fare. Executive Chef Erling Wu-Bower, a James Beard finalist in 2017, brings his own interpretation to traditional dishes. Crudo selections included Suzuki bass with chili flakes, Madai snapper with a kohlrabi salsa verde, bigeye tuna with black olives and… Read More →
Celebrate Chinese New Year With These Recipes Chinese cooking has complex, technique-driven elements, which makes it a bit daunting for the average home cook. But, practice makes perfect. Get a great cookbook, and cook a new dish twice a week. Next, make sure you have the right equipment (a good wok, a bamboo steamer) and the… Read More →
Wok Cooking Essentials Wok cooking is intimidating, but it’s the most versatile and handy tool in your kitchen. It can braise, fry, sauté, and even make a handy smoker (I use one of my woks fitted with a small inset grate to tea smoke duck and squab all the time). Because of its unique shape,… Read More →
Devour Munich The capital of Bavaria, Munich is full of impressive architecture, world-class art, and prosperous industries. Home of Germany’s renowned Oktoberfest celebration, there’s a lot more to Munich than huge beer gardens and lederhosen. Bike through the old town, visit Frauenkirche, and indulge in various Bavarian meals that you simply can’t find outside of this region. From… Read More →
Tacos al Pastor By Alex Stupak Short of investing in a vertical broiler, this hack is the closest you’ll get to al pastor tacos at home. We tend to think of pork shoulder as something that needs to be braised, but a well-butchered shoulder steak given a swift ride on a ripping hot grill can… Read More →
Devour Dublin Few modern European cities can match Dublin’s mix of rough spirit and hip energy. Rife with old-school pubs and scratchy-voiced musicians, there has been a recent influx of young entrepreneurial-types who have been fostering a place where creativity and contemporary ideas can flourish. With this unique meshing of history and modernity, there is… Read More →
A New Way to Eat Lobster By Andrew Zimmern Here is a fun recipe that engages all of the senses, takes advantage of the boiled lobster boredom and is simply delicious any time of year.
My Secret Weapon in the Kitchen Fermented chile bean sauce (toban djan) will change your cooking life. You can marinate with it, use it as a rub, in a sauce or any way you can imagine. The fermented beans supply all the punch of authenticity and honesty you need to make some great Chinese food… Read More →
Silky Ma Po Eggplant By Andrew Zimmern This is one of my favorite dishes, made easy for the home cook. If you like a bolder, funkier flavor just add a little more toban djan (chile bean sauce). This superb all-in-one meal is a great way to use a small amount of meat to accent a… Read More →
Chinese Cuisine at Home Chinese cooking has complex, technique-driven elements, which makes it a bit daunting for the average home cook. But if you’re as obsessed with it as I am, that shouldn’t stop you from cooking Chinese food in your own kitchen. So, I’d suggest that you get a great cookbook, and cook a… Read More →
Cookbook Gurus Brothers Matt and Ted Lee grew up in Charleston, South Carolina but attended colleges in Massachusetts. They so missed the foods from back home that they founded The Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts Catalogue, a mail-order Southern food company. When an editor of Travel + Leisure magazine asked them to write a story about road-tripping their home state… Read More →
Food Capital of Spain By Bob & Sue In addition to the greatest tapas bars in the world (Gambara and Zeruko rock!) featuring the Spanish Iberico ham, stuffed piquillo peppers and small bites of local seafood, we ate at four great restaurants in the area. Arzak Marrying traditional Spanish cuisine with creative ingredients from all over… Read More →
Madtown Recommendations By Molly Mogren Wisconsin’s capital city is also its biggest college town. While Badgers are known to party hard, this hippy-dippy town also offers up amazing ethnic restaurants, classic German bars and locally-driven fine dining. Without further ado… The Classics Tornado Steak House An old-school steak house serving up classic cuts (T-bones, ribeyes… Read More →
