tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59324752010-02-09T03:00:10.670-05:00<strong>Do not be afraid of cooking, as your ingredients will know and misbehave.</strong><br /> Fergus Henderson, <em>The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating</em>Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.comBlogger856125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-25116839563034457752010-02-09T03:00:00.000-05:002010-02-09T03:00:10.675-05:00

Please be MineLast year Valentine's Day was the big event on my About.com web site, Cooking for Two. The week before I had more hits than either the week before Thanksgiving or the week before Christmas. Not too surprising I suppose, even childless couples are more likely to spend those two holidays with family, but Valentine's Day is made for two. In the hope that this year will prove to be the

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-44241798160695785302010-02-08T03:00:00.004-05:002010-02-08T12:47:41.925-05:00

SerendipitySunday I ended my soup marathon by making Cioppino for my mother's birthday. It turns out "cioppino" is a Genoese term for "fish stew" and the dish, no doubt, originated with Italian fishermen. The Italians loved California and we have them to thank not only for cioppino, but for the olive oil and wine that are such key ingredients in the soup.Along with the soup I served a pear and

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-76199270315813607572010-02-05T03:00:00.000-05:002010-02-05T03:00:01.339-05:00

Brewpub BasicIt's odd how the lunch culture varies from workplace to workplace. I worked at one company where everyone would go out and get fast food then (usually) bring it back and eat it at their desks. At the next place I worked I got involved with a crew that went out to lunch every day. Sometimes there'd be six or seven of us, sometimes just two or three, but it was always the same basic

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-20867133893486870152010-02-04T03:00:00.001-05:002010-02-04T10:57:49.983-05:00

In 2009 Candied Bacon was all the rage. Ok, so in 2009 anything involving bacon was all the rage including bacon placemats and chocolate-covered bacon. But of the less-over-the-top ideas, candied bacon was a definite winner. It's easy to make, absolutely delicious, and good for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For that matter, it's an awesome snack at any time of day.Recipe here...

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-26013384487403277782010-02-03T03:00:00.001-05:002010-02-05T10:23:27.720-05:00

Recipe here...

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-84213183735001085792010-02-02T03:00:00.001-05:002010-02-02T11:07:09.589-05:00

Sardines and crackers, some cheese, and a shared bottle of beer — LaBatt's Blue, as I recall. I've had fancier and more interesting picnics, but in this case I was smitten with my traveling companion. There was something almost unbearably romantic about the two of us, perched on our respective guitar cases just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia sharing this simplest of meals before putting our

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-67373088801270717402010-02-01T03:00:00.001-05:002010-02-01T03:00:03.557-05:00

Enticing EdiblesWhen I was in Spain a few years back with my family celebrating my parents' 50th wedding anniversary, we had a lot of excellent restaurant meals in addition to the meals we fixed ourselves at the villa we stayed in. One thing we didn't eat in Spain was tapas. I'd been looking forward to trying tapas in Spain since my first visit to a tapas place in DC a couple of years earlier.

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-51680632386999053372010-01-29T03:02:00.000-05:002010-01-29T03:02:00.047-05:00

Sublime Thistle SublimatedThe height of artichoke season — March through May — is still a month away: although they produce year-round in California. But I ran across some beautiful chokes at the grocer's the other day and simply couldn't resist (artichokes are my second favorite green vegetable after asparagus). So I bought one.My mother discovered artichokes in France in the mid-60s and

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-40012742102750453092010-01-28T03:00:00.000-05:002010-01-28T03:00:00.375-05:00

A Lunch Counter FavoriteRecently (as I write this) I read an ode to the patty melt. You know the sandwich: hamburger patty, grilled rye bread, Swiss cheese, and (often) 1000 Island dressing. When done well it's crisp and juicy, sweet and slightly salty, rich and savory. It's the sort of sandwich I could order as a kid at Woolworth's or the drug store's lunch counter. But I probably haven't seen

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-9386794487792315502010-01-27T03:00:00.000-05:002010-01-27T03:00:07.314-05:00

Recipe here...

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-22845459497364098312010-01-26T03:00:00.000-05:002010-01-26T03:00:08.963-05:00

Although I suppose it's possible for me to be less interested in the Super Bowl than I am, but it's hard to imagine and this coming February 7 I'll probably watch a movie. Nevertheless Super Bowl Sunday is the second biggest "food consumption" event in the US - second only to Thanksgiving. So just in case you are a football fan or married to one I thought I'd offer some ideas for munchies to eat

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-21708590218614988472010-01-25T03:00:00.001-05:002010-01-25T03:00:03.964-05:00

Not at all TartI polished off the last bite of New Year's duck about 8:30 Sunday night, dumped the dishes in the sink, and made coffee to go with dessert: a pear tart. A few months ago I'd run across a recipe at myhouseandgarden.com that had immediately captured my taste buds. I'd been waiting for the right opportunity to try it and this seemed like the perfect meal for it.The recipe is simple

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-14624848861230284692010-01-22T03:00:00.001-05:002010-01-22T03:00:06.481-05:00

Stinky Cheese and PotatoesI don't do New Year's resolutions — in fact that resolution is the only one I've ever kept. However, a year ago I decided to eat less meat. I was prompted by a couple of factors, first I wanted to simply eat less meat simply because I decided I was eating too much meat and second because when I did eat meat I wanted to take more care in sourcing it from local producers —

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-72294662809183002172010-01-21T03:00:00.001-05:002010-01-21T03:00:05.156-05:00

At the moment, my liquor cabinet is a bit bare, having been depleted by the holiday cooking season. We had bourbon cake and rum balls, plum pudding and fondue — and let's not forget the eggnog. In addition to wine, I have some rum, vodka, Amaretto and Triple Sec left. But not long ago, the cabinet was packed with tequila, bourbon, Calvados, brandy, vermouth, Scotch and even more wine — all of it

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-36402297110945646382010-01-20T03:00:00.000-05:002010-01-20T03:00:03.523-05:00

Recipe here...Technorati: Food | photo | kevin d weeks | seriously good | wordless wednesday

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-74670937792464037542010-01-19T03:00:00.001-05:002010-01-19T03:00:01.005-05:00

A Match Made in HeavenI've already confessed my love for sandwiches on several occasions. And it's true that a sandwich alone can be a complete meal depending on what's on it. But sandwiches have a natural co-partner: soup. A good match between soup and a sandwich can result in an extraordinarily good meal, for example, a grilled cheese and a bowl of tomato soup is something most of us remember

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-68202067031281343922010-01-18T03:00:00.002-05:002010-01-18T09:41:17.154-05:00

PrecedentIt is my firm belief that the most important meal of the year is what one eats on New Year's Day. I'm not referring to the multitude of traditional foods served in various parts of the world such as Hoppin' John in the South, Vietnamese banh chung, 12 grapes in Cuba, or stewed mushrooms in Russia. My belief is it doesn't matter what one eats so long as one eats well. You are, after all,

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-37407226101156998462010-01-15T03:00:00.001-05:002010-01-15T03:00:04.430-05:00

CollectionsI have three collections that I've pursued over the years with relatively little vigor — meaning lackadaisically. The first was a collection of boxes that I collected prior to adulthood. I was never interested in ordinary boxes so my collection only has 10 members and my favorite is the first, a box handmade and intricately carved with a geometric motif by my father's father, a man who

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-56789360819071687432010-01-14T03:00:00.001-05:002010-01-14T03:00:06.520-05:00

Roux is a French word and refers to a combination of a lipid (fat or oil) and flour and is a key ingredient in, probably, thousands of dishes involving some sort of sauce. Roux is the thickening agent in Mornay sauce (the basis for mac-n-cheese), brown sauce (beef or turkey gravy), and, though it isn't obvious, beef stew.Read more...Technorati: Food | essay | kevin d weeks | cooking for two |

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-6960508168763858882010-01-13T03:00:00.000-05:002010-01-13T03:00:07.388-05:00

Recipe here...Technorati: Food | photo | kevin d weeks | seriously good | wordless wednesday

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-84388658151238432262010-01-12T03:00:00.001-05:002010-01-13T11:42:19.408-05:00

East Tennessee, like most of the rest of the country, has been frozen solid for the past 8 days. It's only been above freezing once and it was 15 when I got up this morning. Which makes it perfect weather for soups and stews. I made a big pot of each during the week, and it wasn't easy deciding what to make. Soups and stews are among my favorite foods and it's especially hard to beat the smell of

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-43201933237366858682010-01-11T03:00:00.001-05:002010-01-11T03:00:06.023-05:00

Don't PanicA friend of mine celebrated his 6th Annual 42nd birthday this past fall. For those of you unfamiliar with Douglas Adams and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, 42 is the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Bill, having achieved answerhood, decided to continue to be 42 forever — or at least until the Earth is destroyed to make way for a pan-galactic bypass.Each year,

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-25444841784725561202010-01-09T03:00:00.000-05:002010-01-09T03:00:02.746-05:00

Pulchritude and PoultryI pulled the pot of stock from the fridge and it shimmied. It didn't wobble. It didn't shudder. It didn't ripple. It didn't sashay. Nor did it undulate, shake like a bowl full of jelly, or shiver. No. It shimmied like a skinny 15-year-old girl doing a hula dance on a Polynesian island for her boyfriend.A few weeks back I wrote an article for NPR's Kitchen Window on cooking

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-29740147077819954172010-01-07T03:00:00.001-05:002010-01-07T03:00:06.634-05:00

The odds are you hate anchovies. I don't have a formal survey, but anecdotally I suspect about 80 percent of Americans do. I did. When we think anchovy we think salty, salty, salty and fishy, fishy, fishy. And usually you're right. Salt is used to cure them and they tend to have a fishy — in the worst sense of the word — flavor and, when eaten alone, they're pretty bad. Or, at least those

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5932475.post-47397590681079047262010-01-06T03:00:00.000-05:002010-01-06T03:00:08.253-05:00

Recipe here...Technorati: Food | photo | kevin d weeks | seriously good | wordless wednesday

Kevinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385923797403540154noreply@blogger.com2