Category Archives: Cooking

Here you’ll find everything about cooking that isn’t actually a recipe. Tips, techniques, gripes, whatever.

My other cookbook is a Kindle

Some chef friends had an online discussion about how they like to read recipes. Almost everybody said they preferred physical cookbooks because they like to look at the pictures and see how the food is plated. Number of people who … Continue reading

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The surprising truth about kouign amann

I hungered for a sugary, buttery kouign amann (pronounced QUEEN followed by “almond” in which the “d” is silent) before I knew such a thing existed. I had recently moved to Saratoga Springs, NY and discovered the excellent croissants at … Continue reading

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Test driving the Misen nonstick skillet

The promotional period for the Misen Nonstick Skillet has ended, but if you click the link to this checkout page you will get a pop-up offering the same 20% off for new customers in return for your email address. I’d go for … Continue reading

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Bacon vs Pork Belly

Bacon vs pork belly… which is better? You’d think pork belly is the superior product because of the recent climb in prices. Thanks to its popularity as an appetizer and in ramen, pork belly has risen in price from a … Continue reading

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Let’s just put oregano on everything!

If you order the magnificent Italian Mix sub at Roma Imports in Saratoga Springs, the last thing they’ll do is shake on some dried oregano. Likewise with the surprisingly good #2 regular ordered “Mike’s Way” at the Jersey Mike’s chain. … Continue reading

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New Years Taste Test: Tomato Pie

We have long wanted to do a recipe test for Utica-style tomato pie. With New Years upon us, we realized a suitable competitor to Utica pie would be Sfincione, a Sicilian street food that is especially popular when the calendar … Continue reading

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Last minute kitchen gifts

If you have Amazon Prime, there’s still time to order some last minute kitchen gifts for the chef or gourmand who, like you and me, has become obsessed with Fuchsia Dunlop’s Land of Plenty and all things Sichuan: Lao Gan … Continue reading

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The secret to baking with steam in a home oven … at last!

I have previously written of my attempts to steam baguettes in a home oven. Steam produces nice “ears” and a glossy, caramelized crust similar to what you’d get from a professional bakery. You can closely replicate the effect for batards … Continue reading

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Cheap non-stick cookware… is it any good?

Every household has a running kitchen battle, and ours is non-stick cookware. My wife considers it an abomination. It’s a cheat, plus surely the coating will come off and kill you. I like it on occasion. A non-stick skillet is … Continue reading

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Chasing Khachapuri

Did you know that the Soviet Union once shut off electricity to what is now Georgia, plunging the region into stone age darkness for 14 years? Or that the country’s current leader is an oligarch who has built an enormous … Continue reading

Posted in Cooking | Tagged | 5 Comments