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.

15 Church shows how to make a good restaurant great

Had Mother’s Day dinner at 15 Church in Saratoga Springs, NY, a place that’s been open just about a year and has recalibrated our definition of fine dining in this amiable but touristic destination. The pre-opening expectations were high: a … Continue reading

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How to steam bread in a home oven

Every home baker tries to get more steam into his/her home oven, and most always we fall short. I’ve tried spraying water on the oven walls, pouring water into a cookie sheet in the bottom of the oven, dousing the … Continue reading

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Why nitrites are so bad for you. (Or ARE they?)

A while back we examined “uncured” meat products and how they actually are cured, just with different methods than the traditional curing salts. We also talked about how those products can contain just as many nitrites as a package of … Continue reading

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How to rate suburban sushi

I live in a town of 30,000 that has five restaurants specializing in sushi. Can a community our size really support that many establishments providing a top quality dining experience? My suburban sushi tour aims to find out. I go … Continue reading

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Jake’s Famous Barbecue Sauce… good enough to pour on my meat!

Of the hundreds of products I tasted at last month’s Winter Fancy Food Show, Jake’s Famous barbecue sauces really stood out. His Asian-inspired Blue Oak reminded me of the complex espresso sauce provided at the legendary Franklin’s in Austin. It … Continue reading

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The burger rant (it’s all about the bun)

Behold the perfect burger*, from Jack’s Burger House on Hillcrest in Dallas, TX. Notice how the meat is a thin yet cohesive layer that curves around a much thicker strata of condiments (sliced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, coarsely chopped onion and … Continue reading

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Eating Local (ish) in Saratoga Springs, New York

When my family moved from San Francisco to upstate New York in 2008, we tried to ease the transition by visiting a few farms. It was disconcerting to meet farmers who drove from Washington County or Columbia County straight down … Continue reading

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Uncle Steve’s Arribiata Sauce

I have a soft spot for celebrity pasta sauce. First, I think jarred sauce is pretty generic so most any attempt to dress it up is likely to yield positive results. Second, I totally buy the notion of the pressured … Continue reading

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The truth about nitrites and “uncured” meat products

Go to your local Whole Foods or other source of virtuous and carefully vetted nutrition, proceed to the deli or meat section, and you’re likely to find a label that says something like UNCURED DELI HAM NO NITRATES OR NITRITES … Continue reading

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Hotel room kale salad

So I’m staying in a hotel room and needed to bring a dish to a potluck. The solution was a variation on my Wilted Kale Salad using the following improvisations: Step 1: purchased a 1 lb bag of chopped kale … Continue reading

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