Category Archives: Vegan

Cianfotta

Simple cooking is often the best.  Summertime and the abundance of fresh vegetables call out for dishes like Cianfotta — a Southern Italian country-style vegetable stew.  The launching point was a fine cookbook from my library by Viana La Place … Continue reading

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Recalling July and August….

The past six weeks have been a blur — did lots, wrote very little, as you know.  But, I am back home, rested and ready to recall some of the highlights of my food and other adventures.  This post will … Continue reading

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Bitter, Sweet and Hot & a 19-Year Old American Pinot Noir

Two of the principal ways to organize a meal are (a) thematically, i.e. Venetian cuisine, or (b) based solely on the ingredients and their inherent qualities.   Tonight I chose the latter method, and I find it incredibly freeing of … Continue reading

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Home Alone….and Paella!

When I’m not teaching or preparing for class, one of the big advantages of having a few days home alone — on my own — is that I can do things in the kitchen that are totally impractical at other … Continue reading

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Viva Taggiasche e Aleatico!

Sometimes the simplest meals are the best, and also the most instructive.  With that in mind, I dedicate this post to three different people who have been a strong influence in recent years on my culinary knowledge and enjoyment, Laura … Continue reading

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Homemade Ravioli and Dynamite Italian-Style Vegetables

Tonight’s dinner falls under the little-known category of “mostly-vegan-Italian-eclectic”.  It began last night when I got it in my mind that it was time to make ravioli again.  This impulse was triggered by a lovely bag of fresh spinach leaves … Continue reading

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Curried Vegetables and Tofu with Major Barbara’s Chutney

Sometimes, when I want a great dinner, one of the smartest things I can do is to stay out of the kitchen and let Barbara invent.  Tonight was one of those times. Since I had cooked last night (a Ligurian … Continue reading

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Brooklyn Revisited: Zen, Then and Now

When I was a kid (think late 1940’s, early 1950’s) growing up on East 14th Street in Manhattan, Brooklyn was just a subway stop or two away on the Canarsie Line.  It didn’t matter; Brooklyn was another country, another world … Continue reading

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Focaccia Tartine

This is a short post but long on flavor.  It’s all about the first focaccia I ever made with Tartine bread dough — and in fact, the best focaccia I have made yet. Yesterday was baking day.  Monday night I … Continue reading

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Rome — and especially Testaccio

After Puglia, we capped our trip with time in Rome.  Aaron had only one full day before he had to return home, so following a tour of two very good wine bars with the guidance of Katie Parla, we spent … Continue reading

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