Category 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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Three Fowl Things

You don’t have to go far to find strange things these days – just browse your local main-line supermarket. I’m used to finding exotic ingredients and quirky imported products in ethnic markets, but here are three surprising things found in my local Harris Teeter and Giant Food. 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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As American as Beisbol, Elote, and Flan: Smithsonian Cooking Demo and ¡Pleibol! Exhibit

Who else remembers the old advertising jingle? (Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie…) The new Smithsonian exhibit and related virtual chef demo prove that Latinx fans are just as enthusiastic and voracious as any others. Continue reading

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My Wild Backyard

Well, it’s shaping up to be a banner year for wild things from my backyard.  Last year was something of a bust; hardly any pokeweed, and just a few handfuls of berries.  This year, however, is something else. Was it … Continue reading

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Rich, Filling, Delicious: Shrimp and Grits the Easy Way

Why, you may ask, is a Maryland market carrying these traditional products from places like Charleston, South Carolina? Continue reading

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Three Odd Things: The Chocolate Edition

Here’s an expeditious convergence: three dark brown delectable delicacies, each with a spin of strangeness. Continue reading

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