Acorns and the Forager’s Dilemma
Reconsider the acorn for a moment. The “oak nut” falls to the ground by the thousands, in nearly every state in the nation, and in scores of shapes and sizes. You probably walked past several today. Acorns are all around us, yet rare are the people who can say they’ve ever eaten them. Eating acorns is even uncommon among [...]
Celebrating the Darkest Day of the Year
These are the days without light. The sun shines not even nine hours now, and although I am thankful to no longer be in the high latitudes of Minnesota, I am one of those affected by the seasons. I find myself sleeping more and leaping to irritation (which, I believe, is just west of Modesto) [...]
Cooking Matsutake Mushrooms
After having never even knowing of their existence for the first 30 years of my life, I’ve recently been cooking with matsutake mushrooms a lot. I got a great price on a batch from Oregon, and I’d already bought some dried ones. After cooking with them fresh and dried for several weeks, I now feel qualified [...]
Playing with Pigeons
Pigeons. Dirty, annoying animals, yes? Not really. Don’t get me wrong, I am not likely to go chasing city piegons with an air rifle anytime soon — let alone poison the pigeons in the park, a la Tom Lehrer. But there is nothing inherently wrong with eating Columbia livia, the rock dove. Yet even staunch [...]
How to Make Caviar
Caviar has always had a hold on me. It is a mysterious ingredient, almost otherworldy; the individual eggs look like jewels from an alien planet. Caviar tastes briny and vaguely floral, and the textural surprise of the pop in your mouth has led more than one writer to liken it to Pop Rocks for adults. I’ve [...]
My First Steelhead
I’ve always read about steelhead trout, about how they were mystical, elusive forces of nature that, once you catch one, you will be forever addicted to the pursuit of them. Now that I’ve caught three, I wish I could say I understood all the fuss. I can’t. I am not transported to the astral plane [...]
Mushrooms on My Mind
I’ve always loved eating mushrooms, ever since I ate my mother’s beef stroganoff as a kid: The texture of those button mushrooms was so interesting to my young self — clearly a sign I’d someday be an adventurous eater, as most kids hate mushrooms. Since then I’ve picked mushrooms aimlessly through most of my life. That [...]
Not My Mum’s Venison Lasagna
Lasagne (or is it lasagna?). Whatever, it is a bedrock staple of my childhood in New Jersey. I grew up around a lot of Italians, and everyone’s mother or nonna made lasagna for special occasions, like Sunday night. I’ve eaten more versions of lasagna than any man has a right to. Even my own decidedly [...]
A New Ingredient: Prickly Pears
Until recently, all I knew about prickly pears was that they are the fruit of a cactus, the Sicilians eat them, and that according to Baloo, they are a bear necessity. I’d filed them in the back of my mind to the “someday I’ll get to it” list, along with perfecting bechamel and giving a [...]
King for a Day – The Great Duck Off
The Great Duck Off between Grange head chef Michael Tuohy and me is over, and chef was declared the winner — thanks to a masterful warm rillette he served with a pomegranate-persimmon salad, a dish declared the best of the day by the four judges: Sacramento Bee reporters Rick Kushman and Niesha Lofing, California Waterfowl [...]
