I read a great short essay in the New York Times today by food columnist Eric Kim, in which he calls himself a “Food Network Baby” who, along with others of his generation, learned to cook–and to enjoy food as culture–by watching Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, and other TV chefs in the late 90s andContinue reading “PBS Cooking School”
Category Archives: blackbird
Capsule Pantry
I’ve done a couple of extended stays abroad for research and community work, and as I love to cook, this has presented me with the problem of how I can do so without investing in an expensive pantry that I am likely to have to throw out (or rehome with friends/neighbors). So, I’ve come upContinue reading “Capsule Pantry”
Winter Harvest
No, this is all of it…. And those carrots are about 3 inches long. I can’t blame this on the RBQ, so I think it’s official that I’m a terrible gardener 🤣
Friday Favorites: “Foodly” Clean-up
Hope you’re not reading this week’s list hungry! I’ve wanted this for so many years: How to scale cake recipes for any size pan from the redoubtable Stella Parks. Also, the Serious Eats guide that taught me at least a few of my Unauthorized Uses for the microwave. This is a priceless project: an onlineContinue reading “Friday Favorites: “Foodly” Clean-up”
Makgeolli Round 2
This time around I’m using a recipe from kimchimari and adding chestnuts! Day 1 already looks really different–a lot dryer. I can hear it bubbling, though, and it smells nice and yeasty! Update: It turned out really well–better than the first recipe. Sweet, full-bodied, and fizzy at 10.5 days. Strong, too: I had to waterContinue reading “Makgeolli Round 2”
Winter Soups: Sundubu Jjigae
I’m using the excuse of cold weather to broaden my repertoire of soups: in addition to being warming, they’re filling, comforting, economical and healthy, which is probably why everyone starts making them in the New Year. My favorite discovery this winter has been sundubu jjigae, the Korean soft-tofu stew that features a delicious contrast betweenContinue reading “Winter Soups: Sundubu Jjigae”
Los Angeles
I had to go to LA to apply for a visa at the German consulate for my upcoming research residency in Berlin, and even though I was only going to be there for a little over 24 hours, I planned to eat some good food and learn a bit about the area where I wasContinue reading “Los Angeles”
Chestnuts and Champagne (or Armagnac, or Ginger Tea)
One of my favorite ways to ring in the New Year is to light a fire in the backyard, roast some chestnuts, watch the fireworks downtown, and have a champagne toast at midnight. If you want to try it, try to get chestnuts that are plump and still feel a bit pliable/moist. Score the paperyContinue reading “Chestnuts and Champagne (or Armagnac, or Ginger Tea)”
Last Makgeolli update
It tastes good! Pictured here with asparagus and shrimp pancakes with soy-vinegar dipping sauce adapted from Maangchi’s Big Book of Korean Cooking. The makgeolli is mild and sweet and tangy. I maybe watered it down a bit too much as the alcohol is really low, but it has good body and flavor. Not bad forContinue reading “Last Makgeolli update”
Happy Christmas Eve
My decorating theme this year, as I think I’ve mentioned, was Scottish Hunting Lodge. I kind of modeled it on the Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye, an old MacDonald clan hunting lodge that now receives guests and has a wonderful restaurant hung with ancestral portraits, and a sitting room positively swathed in tartan.Continue reading “Happy Christmas Eve”
The Rookery 