Lesson Learned: Trusting Your Purveyor

One of the first lessons in any restaurant management class is to Trust Your Purveyor. I can't stress the importance of this. Even as a seasoned cook, I relearned the lesson recently.

As with any dish, the quality of the ingredients will become the deciding factor of a good or bad dish. Even more than the skill of the chef.

I've been craving one of my favorite tried and true dishes lately - Ahi Poke. It's a simple Hawaiian dish of marinated raw tuna in a mixture of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, scallions and spices. Not a complicated dish or difficult to make. What makes this dish delicious is the quality of the tuna.

I've had a tough time finding a good purveyor of sashimi grade tuna. Every so often Whole Foods gets in a shipment, flash frozen. While buying it frozen is not my favorite thing to do, I've had good luck at other Whole Foods stores in other cities. This weekend, I was in luck! Even at $24 per pound, I was so excited just to have found it that I trusted the fishmonger and let him wrap it up without inspecting the fish myself.

As I cut it into cubes for the Ahi Poke, I noticed the color of the fish was paler than normal. It wasn't too stringy or fatty so I thought it was maybe just a different type of tuna than I'm used to. Another mistake I made at the store - I didn't ask what exactly the fish was or where it came from.

Finally, the dish was ready to eat. My other half takes a bite and I wait for the reaction. There was none. Huh?? he should be saying "Yum! This is good!" I ask if there's anything wrong with it. he said, "No. It's fine." FINE??? Ahi Poke is FINE?

I take a bite and see what he's talking about. While not spoiled and without a bad stench, the tuna is just "eh." Somehow, this $24 per pound tuna has NO flavor! It was so disappointing, neither of us had seconds and I actually threw away the leftovers. Something that would normally evoke reactions of rage or tears.

*Sigh* Lesson Learned.

Below is my beloved recipe for Ahi Poke.

2lb Sashimi grade tuna, cut into 1/4" - 1/2" dice
1 cup Soy Sauce (low sodium is preferable)
3/4 c. chopped green onion, white and light green parts only
2 Tbs. Toasted Sesame Oil*
1 tsp. Toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbs Crushed Red Pepper
2 tsp Wasabi powder (or to taste)

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, stir again and serve.

* Toasted Sesame Oil is different from regular Sesame Oil and the flavor of the Toasted oil is much richer and tastier in this dish.

Serving suggestions:
Sushi Rice - let cool slightly before serving with tuna.
Sesame crisps - made by brushing a VERY light coating of Toasted Sesame Oil on store-bought, packaged Wonton wrappers, toasting in a 350 degree oven for approximately 5 minutes until golden. Take care not to let them burn.
Edamame Puree - shelled edamame, cooked for 5 minutes, pureed in a blender with lemon juice, a Tablespoon of vegetable oil, a pinch of salt, a teaspoon (or to taste) of Wasabi powder and a few Tablespoons of water, until the mixture is a paste texture.
Extra prepared Wasabi and/or Crushed Red Pepper

Dream Recipe - Shrimp Pesto Pasta

I was cooking in my sleep again.

This time it was a cold or room temperature pasta dish with Orchiette (the little ear-shaped pasta), shrimp, pesto, cherry tomatoes cut in half, toasted pine nuts and some sort of cheese shaved on top.

I don't remember what the cheese was, but since it was shaved (there were wide, thick ribbons as if made by a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler, not grated or shredded) I'm guessing it was a Parmesan or Asiago.

I think I'll have to make this soon.

Let me know if you make it first!

Autumn Lamb Dinner

One of my favorite autumn comfort food dinners.

Rack of lamb, Roasted brussel sprouts, mashed golden potatoes

Mashed Golden Potatoes:
* 4 medium sized Golden potatoes, cut into 2" pieces, skin on.
* Place in heavy pot, cover with water.
* Bring to a boil - cook for 15-20 minutes or until a knife pierces through the potato with no resistance.

Rack of Lamb:
* 1 rack of lamb, frenched
* Spread prepared Dijon mustard over the fat side of the rack.
* Press seasoned Panko breadcrumbs into the mustard.
* Place rack on a parchment lined sheet pan, in a pre-heated 450 degree oven.
* cook 20 minutes for rare, 25 minutes for medium rare. Remove from oven, tent with foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes. Cut into chops.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts:
* Trim ends of the sprouts and cut into 1/2 or 1/4, depending on how large the sprouts, keeping the end result uniform size.
* Toss with olive oil and generously sprinkle kosher salt.
* Place on parchment lined sheet pan.
* Place in the oven with the rack of lamb, but check after 5 minutes. Shouldn't take more than 8 - remove when browned but take care not to burn.

Don't be intimidated that these aren't exact recipes. This is a menu you can impress your friends with but isn't difficult at all. In fact, this entire meal can be made in well under an hour, even for the slow choppers!

You can buy a Frenched rack of lamb in grocery stores, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Costco or better yet, a butcher.

Enjoy!

Autumn in Vermont

It was a picturesque day, hiking in the mountains in Vermont on the peak foliage weekend in October. The air was a crisp 48 degrees with just enough of a wind to remind you that winter is coming.

Later that day, with a fire roaring in the fireplace, a table is set for 10 friends, old and new, lit by candlelight.

A huge platter of Prime Rib is placed on the table, surrounding a mound of mixed baby potatoes - red, yellow and purple. Next to the platter was a salad of mixed greens, onions and late season gold and red tomatoes straight from the garden, dressed just right.

The house is filled with a glorious smell of wood smoke - partially from the fireplace but also from the dinner placed before us.

For the last few hours, an emornmous Prime Rib of Beef along with the potatoes have been slowly cooking on the charcoal grill with a handful of Hickory wood chips.

The meat, juicy and delicious, cooked to a perfect medium rare, the potatoes, the flowing red wine, the friends and the scenery. Most definitely a memorable meal.

It's what food is all about.

"It is a true saying that a man must eat a peck of salt with his friend before he knows him."
Miguel de Cervantes, 'Don Quixote'

Expiration Date on Candy

Anyone who has spent any time with me knows I'm somewhat of a stickler about food safety. This includes how long eggs belong in a fridge, if a sandwich with mayo can be eaten at lunch if it was packed at 7am and if that mystery meat in your freezer for the last 6 months is still good.

One gray area is candy. How long can commercial made candy stick around before it's considered bad. There are so many preservatives in there that you have to wonder if it ever really goes bad.

Well, today, a bag of candy was discovered from a party over 3 years ago. A little experiment showed that the Dark, White and Milk Chocolate Kit-Kat bars were fine (did you know they made white and dark chocolate Kit-Kat bars??) as were the Sweet-Tarts. The only thing that appeared not to have survived were the Tootsie Rolls. As our test subject unwrapped the roll, it began crumbling in her fingers. Taking a tentative bite, she quickly spit it out, mumbling something about a "corn-syrup glob."

So the next time your kids want to eat all of their Halloween candy right away, you might want to consider letting them.

Zephyr Pie

They found out I cook... uh oh. We know what happens when a chef is expected to cook or "bring something." Now I need to figure out how to feed 16 people after a full day of Spring Skiing in Tahoe. After letting the ideas stew for awhile (yes, that pun was intended), this recipe came to me in a dream.

Along with mini crab cakes with remoulade and Beef Bourguignon with buttered noodles, I made the following Zephyr Pie* recipe.

Feel free to personalize the recipe. Instead of artichoke hearts, chicken and sundried tomatoes, add sausage and peppers or mushrooms and onions or anchovies and capers. Whatever your heart (or your stomach) desires!

The final result will be a cross between a pizza pot pie and an upside down pizza.


Zephyr Pie recipe:

2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 lb. Chicken (boneless/skiness) breast, cut into 1" pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried basil
2 cans diced tomatoes (14 oz)
2 cans tomato sauce (4 oz)
1 can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped (14 oz can)
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
16 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

Pre-heat oven to 400°F
Heat olive oil in large skillet with high sides over medium high heat.
Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through
Add garlic and cook until fragrant but do not let brown
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and basil. Let simmer for ~ 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from heat.
Stir in sundried tomatoes, olives and artichoke hearts
Pour chicken mixture into a 9x13 baking dish
Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken mixture.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk and flour until just combined with no lumps
Pour batter over the mozzarella cheese
Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top

Bake ~20-25 minutes until crust is lightly browned.

Feeds 4-6 people with a side salad or more if it's part of a larger menu. It doubles or triples easily to feed a large crowd.

* named for Zephyr Cove near Lake Tahoe

Scrounge Dinner #1

I’m home, it's late and I'm hungry. I haven’t been to the grocery store and I’m even out of bacon for my beloved Spaghetti Carbonara… What can I make?

Angel Hair pasta – Check
Anchovy Paste – Check
Tomato Paste – Check
Butter – Check
Garlic salt and dried Basil – Check
Fresh Parmesan Cheese – Check
Freshly ground pepper – Check

D’inner! D’elicious!

My Coffee Plight

It's one of those mornings when I really need that first cup of coffee. It’s cool out, which makes me want to pull the covers up further and hit snooze a few more times. But, I trudge into the hustle and bustle of NYC, being used as a human pinball several times before arriving at the corner deli. As I do every morning, I give my order, “Coffee, milk only please. “

I walk the rest of the way to the office with my coffee safely tucked into a paper bag (ugh! Didn’t stop them in time – but alas, another rant for another day). The elevator’s taking a very long time today… do I sneak a sip now? Oh! The elevator’s here. Ok, here we go… stop at floor 2 (couldn’t they walk up??)… 6…(the smell of my coffee inabag is intoxicating)…9…finally we get to the 20th floor. I think I’m going to pass out unless I get caffeine NOW!

Boot up the computer, sit down, open the coffee, Hoorah! Big gulp, “ahh.. gack! Cack! Blech!” There’s sugar in here! Enough sugar to send a child into a coma! What part of “Coffee, Milk ONLY” got lost in translation??

*sigh * I do not judge those who enjoy a sugar bomb in their coffee, but this is not a good way to start my day.

Spaghetti Carbonara

"I have nothing to make for dinner."

Sound familiar? How many times a week do you say that to yourself? Whenever I think that, I remind myself that I almost always have the ingredients on hand for one of my favorite comfort food dishes, spaghetti carbonara.

Serves 1:

1/4 lb. spaghetti
2 slices center cut bacon
1 egg yolk (I've tried the entire egg, but prefer the creaminess the yolk provides)
a handful of grated parmesan cheese (~ 1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced or run through a garlic press
splash (1/4 cup) dry white wine (I've also used sparkling wine and beer with success)

Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cut bacon into 1/4 inch wide strips.
Cook bacon in a non-stick skillet over medium heat in 1 Tbs olive oil until bacon is crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, but do not let it brown
Add wine and cook for a moment, letting it bubble.
In a separate bowl, beat egg yolk with parmesan cheese and a pinch of pepper
As you drain the pasta, reserve about an ounce of the pasta water.
Combine the egg and cheese mixture with the pasta water.
Add cooked, drained pasta to the pan with the garlic and wine. Quickly add the egg, cheese and pasta water mixture to the pan. Using tongs, toss the pasta with the sauce until the sauce has thickened and turned creamy.
Toss reserved bacon into the pasta and serve immediately.

With a glass of white wine, this dish never fails to put me in a good mood.

Notes:
* This recipe is easily modified to feed more. Figure 1/4 lb pasta per person and 1 egg yolk per person. Change the rest accordingly.
* When I buy bacon, I immediately wrap two slices at a time and put in a freezer bag in the freezer. In my own use, I rarely need more than 2 slices at a time for any one recipe. I find this cuts down on waste and thawing time.

Tipping for Take-Out

There are many points of view on the topic of Tipping for food-related services. Keeping in mind I have a lot of friends in the food service industry, here is my point of view on tipping for take-out:

I don’t do it.

Does that make me a bad customer or a bad person? I don’t think so. Let’s look at my tipping philosophy in other types of establishments:

At a sit-down restaurant:

Generally 20% AFTER tax.

Unless the service is really bad. When I say really bad, I mean, sitting for 20 minutes with an empty wine glass, not having ordered my food and then it comes out burnt and then I sit with the burnt food for an additional 20 minutes before someone comes over and says, “…and how is everything?” (true story)

Then they might get 10-15%.

For delivery:

Usually $3-4 or up to 10% of the bill.

There are many factors in determining this amount though: the weather, what I’ve ordered (McDonald’s or sushi), how many of us ordered and how quickly it gets there. Generally it’s about $3-4 or up to 10% of the bill, whichever is more.

Back to take-out:

Most of the time, at least in this country, the kitchen workers aren’t receiving the tip. It’s the servers and sometimes bus staff. So when I order take-out, the kitchen staff prepared, packaged it and probably walked it up to the front where it awaits pick-up. No one from the restaurant has served it to me, set my table or cleaned up my mess.

Therefore, unless I ordered some crazy $300 order for 12 people, I’m not going to leave a tip for take-out. And, I won’t feel guilty about it, damnit.

Salmon Two Ways

It started with a 1.75lb side of gorgeous wild salmon bought at Costco. The next obvious question was "What are two of us going to do with nearly 2lbs of salmon??"

I cut off about 1/2 lb and marinated it in a mixture of garlic, shallot, wine, fish sauce and cilantro. Since Mother Nature wasn’t going to allow us to fire up the barbeque, I baked it for a mere 14 minutes at 425°F. Perfection!

The rest of it became Gravlax. If you’ve never had gravlax, it’s salmon, cold cured with salt, sugar, pepper, dill and usually some sort of alcohol; vodka in this case. (The final result is reminiscent of lox.) I’d made gravlax once before while I was in culinary school and frankly, I could not remember the outcome!

We placed a container of pin balls on top of the salmon to weigh it down (pie weights, a brick or cans of tomatoes will work, too), turned the salmon every 12 hours and waited with anticipation. 48 hours later, when the moisture has been drawn out and the flavors developed, it was time to taste it. Drum roll, please…

SUCCESS! Sliced thin and place on crackers, topped with a Mustard Dill Sauce (see below), the salmon had been transformed into a beautiful, tender, subtly dilly masterpiece. A melt-in-your-mouth experience.

What did these two dishes have in common? Other than the salmon, wise-guy. The Mustard Dill Sauce, which, I believe could make just about ANYTHING delicious. Chicken, shrimp, asparagus, broccoli… and for the sake of your dinner table, I’m sharing that recipe with you:


Mustard Dill Sauce

1-1/2 Tbs white wine vinegar
1-3/4 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
5-6 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 Tbs dill, chopped
1 heaping Tbs ground white pepper

Whisk the vinegar and sugar together in a small mixing bowl until the sugar has dissolved.
Slowly add olive oil, whisking well until all the oil is incorporated.
Whisk in the mustard until the mixture has emulsified.
Add in chopped dill and season with the white pepper.
Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Cheese, Glorious Cheese

I love you embedded in a chip
I love you on a cracker
I love you on your own
I love you when you’re stinky
I love you when you’re aged with all of your glorious crystallization
I love when you’re soft and spreadable
I love how you can finish a dish just right
I love when you’re the star of the show
I love that you come in so many varieties from so many sources
I love that you get along with everyone – fruits, vegetables, grains, meats and even sugar
I love you for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or anywhere in between

Please, dear Lord, don’t ever make me Lactose intolerant!

Bubbly on a Tuesday?

I am a huge fan of the Bubbly. If it’s dry and sparkling, I’m there. But I’d always seen it as a ‘special occasion’ beverage. Something that sits in my fridge waiting for the right time; or on occasion when I felt decadent, ordering a glass when out for. Until one night a few years ago…

My world had recently come crashing down around me and I was feeling pretty low. At the time, I was working for a wine magazine, where word had spread I was a fan of the Bubbly. Every so often, a bottle would appear on my desk. Never anything too outrageously expensive, but some really solid sparkling wines from California, Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy, even an unfiltered sparkling wine from the Pacific northwest.

My wine fridge at home started to look like something from an episode of Sex and the City. Then one night, I was making myself a comfort meal of Spaghetti Carbonara. As the garlic was melting into the bacon renderings I panicked. I have no white wine in the house! I have 7 bottles of sparkling wine, but nothing to put in the dish! Or did I? Tentatively, I opened a simple bottle of Cava.

Rationalizing that since I didn’t pay for it, I shouldn’t feel guilty. I used a little to make the sauce and then poured myself a glass. Talk about feeling decadent! The pasta was delicious and the Cava paired incredibly well, breaking through the salty, tangy and creamy sauce. Suddenly my mood lightened considerably.

Then I started thinking: Who decided Bubbly is only good for special occasions? What denotes a special occasion? Why can’t I celebrate that it’s Tuesday and I made it through the day? I’m not saying to break out a 1986 Veuve Clicquot Le Grande Dame, but there are so many inexpensive (and good!) options, that why shouldn’t we allow ourselves a little luxury, or at least perceived luxury. Haven’t we earned it?

If you’re concerned about being able to finish a bottle in an evening but don’t want it to go to waste (that’s just alcohol abuse!), there’s a contraption out there which will preserve the bubbles for up to 3 days. Seriously. It really works.

So the next time you’re in the wine shop, take a stroll through the sparkling section. You’ll be surprised at what you can find for under $20, if you’re willing to open your mind from traditional Champagne.

When Your Favorite Lunch Place Disappoints

It was just like any other day… food from the Favorite Lunch Place. It’s the hole-in-the-wall a few blocks away with the line around the corner.

“What are they selling, Crack?”
So we brave the line to see what the fuss was about.
It’s a tiny place that sells amazingly fresh, delicious sandwiches, brewed iced tea and possibly the most amazing cupcake I’ve ever had. Yes, you read correctly.
The BEST Cupcake EVER.

Every visit there was worth the 15 minute wait on line.

And then….

We decided to call in our order for delivery since so many of us wanted to eat from there today. This is how it went down:

“Please fax in your order”
We don’t have a fax machine on our floor, so we trek down 4 floors to our sister floor.
Order Faxed.
Then the call came “We need a credit card to confirm the order”
Um… Ok, here’s my credit card number.
We wait.
One hour and 15 minutes later our food arrives and we pay the delivery guy.
As we’re going through the list to see who gets what, my co-worker noticed a credit card receipt.
Wait a minute – didn’t I give them the number just to confirm the order? Like a restaurant takes a credit card to hold the reservation??
I frantically call the Favorite Lunch Place. Sure enough, they charged my credit card.
“Well, we just gave your delivery guy $52 in cash money.”
To her credit, the woman was very nice but said, “I told you I needed the credit card number..” (right, to confirm. That’s what I heard, to confirm!)
Ok, instead of arguing the small points, she credits the card.
Now she wants my fax number so she can send me the confirmation of the credit.
“DOES ANYONE KNOW OUR FAX NUMBER?”
The woman on the other end of the phone is stunned. “Um… I know you have a fax machine, you faxed your order to us!”
“Yes, I know we have a fax machine but it’s 4 floors down and I don’t know that number. See, they’re shutting down our office and taking away all of our equipment.”

Well, THAT’s a conversation stopper. Bet she hadn't heard that one today!

Moving on to the entire reason we order from there – the FOOD! And not a minute too soon. I’m hungry!

Today I chose a different selection than normal: Turkey, Cranberry and Pear on a baguette. Thanksgiving on a baguette! How good does THAT sound?

I unwrap my sandwich with gleeful anticipation…
hmm... my turkey is pink. And. Shiny. PROCESSED turkey!
A place that boasts freshly baked bread, quiche and incredible sandwiches serves processed, briney, salty turkey?
Really?
REALLY???

I guess all that’s left to do is drown my sorrows in one of those cupcakes.

Mmm… cupcakes.

When a Chef is Expected to "Bring Something"

There's nothing more gratifying to me than cooking for my friends and family. They are my biggest fans, amazing critics and the world's best guinea pigs. But the pressure is always on. I've got to top myself from last time, don't I?

When someone has a party or you go stay with someone for the weekend, you ask and always mean "What can I bring?"

Whatever you decide to bring has got to be GOOD. I mean, you can't bring storebought cookies or a cake when they KNOW you can make it yourself.

So you start to think through your arsenal, "nope, they had that last Easter. No, I made this for that party a few months ago." So then you think about what you can make that's new and fresh. But you realize:
a) you don't have time for a dry run**,
b) whatever it is needs to be mostly assembled and/or cooked ahead of time because their house probably won't have the right equipment
c) noone wants their kitchen taken over by someone else when it's their party.

**Side note on the dry run: Most people, especially most chefs no matter how famous or experienced, are a bit insecure. So a dry run is essential for the chef to actually enjoy themselves at the event instead of watching every face as they take a bite.
"Are they gagging?" "Did they just spit it out or were they wiping their mouths?" "I KNEW there was too much pepper."

I'm going to stay with some family who I adore this weekend. I normally bring a bottle of wine and something edible. Here's what I decided on this time; a dessert, an appetizer and something a little different from a bottle of wine:

* My famous Peppermint Patty Brownies. Time tested and approved. They come out great, even when I vary the brownie recipe slightly. A chewy brownie, with a layer of peppermint frosting and topped with ganache. Best served cold, near frozen.
* A salad of cubed watermelon, sliced feta cheese, fresh mint and a dash of sea salt. Sweet, salty, and couldn't be more stress free.
* Tarragon infused Vodka. I did a small test a few weeks ago and it came out delicious! I'm doing it on a larger scale today, with the intention of mixing the concoction with lemonade and served straight up. The combination of the slightly anise flavor with the sweet, tangy lemonade makes this a really refreshing summer drink. I'm a little nervous about the infusions, but since I've done it once, we should be ok. It's infusing now - I'll let you know how it turns out.

A Haiku to a Soft-shell Crab

Dribbling down my chin
Only here for a short while
Sweet lovely soft-shell

What’s For Breakfast?

When was it decided that Breakfast in this country should be a) sweet and/or b) egg-laden? Was it the early settlers who relied on farming to sustain? From what I know, some chickens lay their eggs early in the morning. Does that get factored in? Where did sugary syrup with pancakes or waffles come from? What is the deal with the bagels that could feed a small village in Tanzania?

It is widely understood that breakfast is the “most important meal of the day” and should contain more calories than lunch or dinner. What I have a tough time wrapping my head around is the extremely limited options we are provided should we choose to eat our breakfast outside of our own homes in the grand U.S of A.

Personally speaking, I do not like eggs for breakfast (Sam I Am). For whatever reason, if eggs are consumed before 3:00pm, I’m doubled over in pain. So, for years I’ve been looking for alternatives.

Working in NYC, I often buy my breakfast, trolling each corner deli and take-out joint in a 10-block radius of my office for some tasty morsel around 8am. In every one, it’s the same:

Option 1: Baconeggandcheese on a roll (yes, it is one word)
Um… How about a grilled cheese with bacon on whole wheat?
“No egg?” I get asked, every time.
“No egg,” I reply.
"No egg" they repeat, stunned, as if I just said, "kill the puppy." Then they take another look at me, as if memorizing my face in case I turn up on a 10-most wanted list. Shaking their head, they turn to pull the par-cooked bacon from the case that will never get any crisper than a wet noodle.

Option 2: Hot Oatmeal
A little better, but what do most people put on their oatmeal? SUGAR! I do not need to start my day loaded down with sugar that will cause a crash around 10am.

Option 3: If you're lucky, you'll find some soggy pancakes and syrup on the hot salad bar that a) have been sitting on the simmer table for hours and b) that contain 3 times the recommended daily allowance of sugar. I'll pass, thanks.

In other areas of the world, you may find breakfast items such as:
Cheese
Ham
Croissants or baguette (always a reasonable portion size)
Yogurt
Fish (small anchovies, smoked whitefish or salmon)

I would consider any one of these a delicious and tasty breakfast.

Years ago, I created a fictional (a.k.a. potential) restaurant including location, ambiance and of course, the menu. I went with a breakfast/brunch place that had something to offer for everyone. The menu included omelettes (e.g. sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts), quiche and Belgian waffles.

But it also included a section for people like me – people who like something a little lighter and more savory for their morning meal. I called it “International Breakfasts.” This is the more unusual, often more European, selection: baguette with goat cheese and olives; a platter of fresh fruit with a croissant, a selection of imported ham and cheese; and even a dish with Italian small white anchovies served with a ½ baguette and farmer’s cheese.

To clarify, I have nothing against waffles, pancakes or eggs! But for my breakfast, please pass the anchovies.

It's About Thyme

**Ring** "Hello?" "Hi ChefD', I have a cooking question for you"

If I had a dollar for every time the above phone, email or IM conversation started like that, I would be richer than Emeril.

They're always telling me I should start a blog. Considering food is almost always on my mind, awake or in slumber, it seemed like the right outlet for my ramblings.

If you choose to sit at my table, you'll be treated to a multi-course meal of dreams, thoughts, rants and ideas; all on my favorite topic. FOOD!