Tag Archives: cooking

Indistinguishable From Magic: Koji Up Close

Although far less familiar in the West, koji has been the foundation of Japanese cuisine for centuries.  It’s rice (or another starch) inoculated with the fungus Aspergillus oryzae, and it’s the basic ingredient for soy sauce, sake, miso, rice vinegar and many other products.  Now koji has become the trendy plaything of chefs all over the world. Continue reading

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My (Partial) Week of Italian Food in Washington, DC

The Embassy of Italy’s Istituto Italiano di Cultura – Washington celebrated the Week of Italian Food in America.  That week also saw the opening of the Carpaccio exhibit at the National Gallery of Art.  Continue reading

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Happy International Stout Day!

Celebrate International Stout Day! Continue reading

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Wild Backyard: Spring-Summer 2022 Edition

Wineberries and shiso in my backyard. Continue reading

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This Year’s Mid-March Madness: Ides, Pi Day, Guinness, Guinness Pie Day

Once again, a convergence of events conspire to produce cognitive dissonance and tasty culinaria!

It’s March, and the wonderful folks at Taylor Strategy, on behalf of Guinness, sent me a couple of cans to cook with. Last year I made Guinness Potato Cheese Soup, but this year I decided to honor Pi Day by making a round baked good with filling and crust. With Guinness, of course.
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News Flash: Redbud Flowers Are Edible, And So Are Hon Tsai Tai

Yes, I have recently learned that the redbud tree’s flowers, like many others, can safely be consumed.  I’ve been meaning for a few years now to try my hand at pickling cherry blossoms, but have been unable to source flowers … Continue reading

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Israeli Soul Food: Event and Review

Event: Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy Presents Nourish Your Soul: Featuring Michael Solomonov & Steven Cook, in conversation with Joan Nathan Review: Israeli Soul: Easy, Essential, Delicious, by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook It’s déjà vu all over again.  Another knockout cookbook from … Continue reading

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The Last Rational Regional Book Festival

There was a time, back in the Golden Age (five years or so ago), when there were at least three book festivals in this area with food/cookbook tracks, but lately, in an alarming trend, two of them have all but … Continue reading

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Who Eats, Who Dines, Who Tells Your Story – Review

The Hamilton Cookbook: Cooking, Eating, & Entertaining in Hamilton’s World by Laura Kumin At the time of this writing, I have failed to win the ticket lottery to the Washington, DC production of Hamilton for about a week now.  This … Continue reading

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More Wisdom from Joan Nathan – Review: King Solomon’s Table

In her last book, Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France, Joan Nathan discovered the breadth of international influences on the cooking of one ethnic group in one country.  Now, she has expanded her range to … Continue reading

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