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 [...]
The Great Wild Duck Off
I’ve watched Iron Chef for years, and am a big fan of Top Chef. I spend much of my time watching those shows second-guessing the contestants’ decisions — “Why would you put foam on the plate 15 minutes out? Beef with THAT?! — classic armchair quarterbacking. Now I get a chance to put my money [...]
Roast Grouse and Minnesota’s Glories
I’ve met many here in California who think that all good things can be had here, that the magic of fresh and local and seasonal cooking is strongest in the Golden State. They’re wrong. Just five years after Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse, a similar restaurant opened in chilly Madison, Wisconsin, called L’Etoile. Just as Waters’ [...]
