Author Archives: dgourmac

Tapas. Merende. Meze. Merienda. Antipasto. Whether it be Spain or Portugal, Italy or Greece, France or Turkey — throughout the Mediterranean, these countries have the delightful tradition of small plates and in-between meals. More and more I’m finding that I … Continue reading →

This is an adaptation of a Ranch Gordo recipe, substituting “Marcella” cannellini beans for the cranberry beans in the original post. I love cannellini beans, and especially the “Marcella” dry beans from Ranch Gordo, named in honor of Marcella Hazan. … Continue reading →

Back in mid-July I shared my experience restoring the ability to make sourdough breads with good “oven spring” and appealing crumb structure. You can find the story in my post: Repeat Performances. I’m delighted to report that I just repeated … Continue reading →

Rich, flavorful, and easy-to-make vegetarian risotti are not so common. Here is one, and it’s another of the superb recipes from Judith Barrett. I did not have Fontina cheese available, so I used mozzarella instead. The results were absolutely delicious. … Continue reading →

Here are some of my favorite dishes from recent home cooking. Toasted Sourdough Bread with Hummus, Lebanese Za’atar and Quail Eggs Sautéed Peppers with Arugula and Black Olives Toasted Halloumi with Barley and Vegetables Tuna Salad with 2007 i Clivi … Continue reading →

As much as I enjoy cooking, there are times when I go out to eat. This is especially true in the Fall, when I am teaching. Monday nights are often a good time, because I finish work at 5 PM, … Continue reading →

Food & Wine magazine this month featured a recipe for Sweet Plum Focaccia. My wife was attracted by it, and yesterday she set out to make it. It was pretty time consuming, involving several periods of rest and rising for … Continue reading →

When I don’t know what to make for lunch, I usually decide to do a tuna salad. For me, tuna salad means lots of flavor and no mayonnaise.  The only tricky part is that I invent the tuna salad every … Continue reading →

“Nage” was a new word for me until very recently. The authoritative Michelin Guide provides a good description: Combining steaming and poaching, the French method of cooking ‘à la nage’ partially submerges seafood in flavorful broth. If you love seafood, … Continue reading →

I’ve never been a huge fan of Butternut Squash. Perhaps that’s because it was usually puréed, and I found the flavor too bland and sweet, and the texture sort of yucky. That view has been changing for the past few … Continue reading →