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putting the garden to bed
Herbs and scallions gathered from the garden in October. They are on my cutting board, about to become a part of Sunday's roasted chicken dinner. Anybody who knows me knows how much I love to garden....
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old fashioned
My favorite hard drinks are ones that some people consider “girly” drinks–or maybe worse, “old man” drinks–like a glass of bitters or an old fashioned. Hopefully people who saw Ryan Gosling mix an old...
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foraging in the city: wild pears!
I was surprised to find this wild pear tree near a parking lot. Could these be asian pears? Every fall I have a lot of fun with my urban foraging. Maybe chestnuts, quince fruit or figs. I always manage...
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going commando (“recipe free”) in the kitchen
It’s December and gardening season is well over here in Pennsylvania. But the collard greens and lettuce in my garden are still going. And for a chilly fall day like today, a bowl of creamy collard...
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Christmas powder cookies
polovorones, traditional Spanish powder cookies For anyone who enjoys a little baking, making holiday treats is one of the best traditions of this time of the year. Making that special cookie or sweet...
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the whole deer
If you plan to cook an entire deer at once, you'd better have a lot of stockpots. And maybe a hotel pan, too. Yes, yes–I know, the season for large meals and eating is over. Well, maybe for some. Not...
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Duck!
a delicious meal: duck confit and potatoes cooked in duck fat Duck season is over, but it seems like duck is everywhere–on sale at the grocery store, in recipes in foodie magazines… maybe it’s because...
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pork rinds
There's nothing quite like homemade pork rinds. When I’m making a ham based soup or stock, one of my favorite ingredients are a few good smoked ham hocks. They add all the flavor and depth I look for,...
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cider trees
You always pour cider from a height in order to aerate it. The servers become quite expert at this maneuver! Spain has a rich wine culture as we all know. But the region I’m from venerates cider (hard...
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brunch with the birds
My first plate at the brunch buffet, featuring the smoked salmon benedict On Sunday I went to the National Aviary in Pittsburgh for the first time, which presented something of a strange situation for...
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sour cherries, childhood memories
Breakfast clafoutis made with fresh sour cherries–one of the joys of summer. I remember it like it just happened. But it was long time ago. I was fourteen years old, my brother eleven. We both sat on...
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refresh dinner
Chef David Bulman of Pittsburgh’s Verde restaurant on Penn Avenue. (I knew him before he worked at the French Laundry!) Chef David Bulman from Verde Mexican Kitchen and Cantina was getting ready for...
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bread and salt
Rick Easton and Cavan Patterson welcome guests to a family style dinner at Wild Purveyors featuring Rick’s artisanal bread Recently I met a peculiar yet endearing character. He shares my love for good...
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a night at the market (Garfield night market, that is)
Some people I talked to about my weekend plans didn’t know anything about Garfield, and sure didn’t know what kinds of things you’d find there. Would you guess… a dog with a blue mohawk? Hmmm–sure! But...
View ArticleBrooklyn visits Pittsburgh, October 22-27, 2014
How about an event for everyone in the family? “Food, Film, Music, Books and Beer”–this is what you’ll find at the “The Brooklyn Brewery Mash” in Pittsburgh, October 22nd to the 27th. Check out the...
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hen of the woods
This is my largest skillet and it’s pretty much full of hen of the woods mushrooms. This was a great haul. This year has been great for wild mushrooms, and even now as we enter autumn, a favorite among...
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USA Pans – factory sale of premier bakeware
Muffin tins from USA Pans full of banana bread batter.These muffin tins are a joy to use and clean. Pittsburgh is home to manufacturers of leading kitchen equipment. If you are a serious chef or a...
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baking bread
Now that the brotforms are seasoned with use, it gets easier to use them and the bread I have been baking with my homemade sourdough starter has been steadily improving. I try to bake a batch of bread...
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fruit cake
This is the mix of fruit we included in our fruitcake. Raisins, dates, prunes, maraschino cherries, and of course the wild pears that I foraged last year. You can see they are a bit discolored from the...
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“Hoppy Hour” a great choice for beer lovers and valentines
Sampling a rare batch of “Blackout Stout” from Great Lakes Brewing that has been aged in bourbon barrels. Outstanding! In the background are brewer Luke Purcell and regional sales manager Connie Tucci...
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