Monthly Archives: February 2011

The Anti-Depressive Dinner Party

Posted on February 27, 2011 by

I have the winter blues. There’s no way around it. I looked up what the experts have to say about it and they recommend Vitamins. Up your doses of B, C, and D, they say. Buy a natural-light lamp, get … Continue reading →

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The Joys of Couture Soda

Posted on February 25, 2011 by

My friend Nelle’s palate diverges from mine in ways that I sometimes find strange. While we love to cook and talk about food and eat together and are in agreement most of the time, she loathes lychees. How can that … Continue reading →

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The Interview: Manny Howard

Posted on February 23, 2011 by

Manny Howard is a force of nature. As brilliant a cook and generous a host as I’ve ever met, Manny is amazingly fearless about food, life, and writing. Never one to do things by halves, he turned his backyard in … Continue reading →

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Chicken Under a Brick (without a brick)

Posted on February 23, 2011 by

The method for cooking a chicken under a brick, the Cuban pollo a la plancha or the Italian pollo al mattone, turns out a seriously delicious chicken. Not having a brick to cook with, I’ve only ever had it at … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Sweet Life in Paris

Posted on February 21, 2011 by

If you like food blogs at all, then you no doubt like David Lebovitz’s one. Lebovitz, who worked for more than a decade at Chez Panisse, is a professional pastry chef and cookbook writer. His is one of the most … Continue reading →

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Schmaltz Roasted Chicken

Posted on February 15, 2011 by

Last night I had a friend and her young daughter over for dinner. We wanted a quiet night but we also wanted it to be a bit special. We don’t often get together just the three of us and it … Continue reading →

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Menu: An ode to Jacques Pepin

Posted on February 13, 2011 by

I have been watching Jacques Pepin’s Easter Celebration. When you really watch some of Pepin’s videos they have a strange, almost inchoate sense of sadness about them. There is Jacques cooking his heart out. He cooks completely, utterly and fully, … Continue reading →

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How to Survive a Dinner Party Fiasco: The Worst Case Scenarios Part I

Posted on February 10, 2011 by

When you find yourself in the middle of a dinner party related fiasco (which I most sincerely hope you never do) your mind keeps circling. ‘Is this really happening?’ turns into ‘This is really happening!’ on a deafening repeat cycle. … Continue reading →

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Jet Black Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 7, 2011 by

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who eagerly anticipate Valentine’s Day with its pink hearts, cupids, chocolate extravaganza, roses and candle lit ménage a deux and those who do not. I, most emphatically, fall into the … Continue reading →

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Sublime Chocolate Cake

Posted on February 6, 2011 by

If you are thinking about making a cake for Valentine’s Day –– even if you’re not –– this is an excitingly good cake to make. This cake is so luscious, so rich but not heavy, so full of chocolate but … Continue reading →

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