Category Archives: Eating

Here we celebrate the best kind of food enjoyment: eating somebody else’s cooking, whether it be in a fine dining establishment or a hole in the wall.

Food for Thought: Prunes for Epicures

1933 was a big year for the United Prune Growers of California. After exhaustive scientific study, it was revealed that prunes are a natural laxative! In celebration, the Prune Growers published Prunes for Epicures: 20 Intriguing Recipes and then, in … Continue reading

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Recipe: Prune Bacon Salad

Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it! I bought a huge bag of prunes on sale from Bella Viva Orchards, my favorite source of dried fruit. Then I happened on Prunes for Epicures, a 1933 publication of the United Prune … Continue reading

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Recipe: Ployes (Buckwheat Pancakes)

Ployes (rhymes with “boys”) Buckwheat Pancakes are a specialty of the Acadian region of Maine and eastern Quebec. I was lucky enough to bring back a mix made with fresh buckwheat flour from my Maine Kneading Conference, but you can … Continue reading

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Recipe: No-Bake Chocolate Cookies with Oats

I ran into No-Bake Chocolate Cookies with Oats at a bake sale at my physical therapist. They’re mighty good and will give my Cashew Coconut Clusters some competition as a quick-energy snack. Makes maybe 2 dozen cookies depending on the … Continue reading

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Recipe: Fennel Cucumber Salad

Half moons of fennel and cucumber have similar form factors, so seemed like a good idea to combine them in a fennel cucumber salad. A bit of sugar balances the astringency of the fennel. Thanks to this from NYT Cooking. … Continue reading

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Recipe: Melissa Clark’s Red Lentil Soup

In one of his weekly recipe roundups, the New York Times’ Sam Sifton mentioned Melissa Clark’s Red Lentil Soup as the only recipe she follows to the letter every time. Which got us wondering: what is so magical about this … Continue reading

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Let’s talk about Saratoga County Restaurant Week

Restaurant weeks are promotional periods during which local establishments offer a special menu at a fixed price to attract more business. To us the fixed price is key. If it’s $35 for dinner, let’s say, I want to see what … Continue reading

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My grape jelly secret

Actually I have two grape jelly secrets. The first is that it is a surprising ingredient in our Mystery Mayo, the doenjang dressing in Koreatown A Cookbook and in this collection which aptly describes it as “bright, lightly colored and … Continue reading

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What’s the best city for pizza?

What’s the best city in the USA for pizza? According to this source it’s Detroit, for the second year in a row. Diving into details: Detroit is America’s best city for pizza, with low prices and the highest online search … Continue reading

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Taste test: How to keep bean sprouts fresh

In the frozen tundra where I live, it’s a half hour drive to the nearest Asian market selling fresh bean sprouts. Consequently, I always buy more than I need. And the unused portion slowly turns into a sad puddle in … Continue reading

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