Category Archives: Cooking, Off the Bandstand
The Clueless Cook
Now that I have changed what I allow myself to eat by a factor of–oh, let’s say a zillion–I have assumed responsibility for preparing virtually everything that goes into my mouth. We may eat out occasionally, but even then I am very careful when ordering, to the point of deconstructing the menu, sometimes to the …
Fast, Cheap, and Easy
Now that I’ve been hanging with the Dr. Mark Hyman Detox Plan for the past three months and dropped 28 pounds, people have started getting curious. As in, “What the hell has gotten into you?” Or more usually, “How did you do it?” I mean, this Hyman guy has a whole book of recipes, but …
Fun with Cashews, Pt. 2: Curried Cashew Cauliflower Soup
My saga with the 10-Day Detox continues, now in its 2oth day. Dr. Hyman has taken my body hostage and will only release it for a box of Hostess Ding-Dongs. For those keeping score at home, I’m now down 10 pounds. Halfway to my goal of Good God, Nothing Fits Anymore. When last we met, …
Fun with Cashews
OK, so we just came off 10 days with Dr. Mark Hyman’s Detox Diet. Pretty simple! All you have to cut out is sugar, flour, wheat, corn, dairy, grains, fruits and fruit juices, legumes, starchy vegetables, and the will to live. That leaves protein (now in the 4-ounce fun size!), non-starchy vegetables, and existential angst. Just kidding. It …
A Shell to Pick with Maine Cuisine
OK, so we just got back from Maine. And we had never been to Maine. Whenever that happens, people who have been to Maine have all kinds of things to say about it–places you should go, places you should stay, and especially things to eat. Everyone seemed all het up about eating lobster rolls–oh, you …
Indian Food Made Easy. No, like, Ridiculously Easy.
First off, I know almost nothing about the true preparation of Indian food. I have no Indian friends or even acquaintances. I’m no longer a UT student, and in my neck of the woods, Indians tend to keep pretty much to themselves. Which is just as well, because if they saw how I was cooking …
One Chicken Feeds Forty
There are certain ingredients that are essential to any ethnic kitchen. If you are Italian, you can’t do without fresh garlic. Mexican? Corn tortillas and cumin. Indian? We got your garam masala, right here. But if it’s a Jewish kitchen: let’s face it, things will come to a complete standstill without the most essential …
I Gave My Love a Cream Cheese Swirl Brownie
Back by popular demand, a recipe absolutely nobody asked for, but it’s one of my favorites and you can thank me later. This is from my pastry chef days at The Homefried Truckstop, so it was road-tested numerous times and proved to be a big seller. Those we didn’t scarf down ourselves, that is. Collective …
MelBurgers Revealed
Well, I found the recipe I had tucked away for MelBurgers. After reviewing it, I realize why I haven’t made them often since retiring from restaurants. They are a lot of work to prep. Best when you are preparing for a large group, or you can form patties and freeze between wax paper. If refrigerating …
Goodbye Turkey Neck, Hello Pork Butt
The Turkey Neck Stew outing was a success, so time to push my luck. If you’re coming in late, I made TNS last week for the first time, based on somebody’s offhand remark. I think next time around, I would use less meat–five pounds was a bit much for a large pot–but one package wasn’t …
saxsalon 