In The Idler, Samuel Johnson wrote, “Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.” And you know, he was right. So many of life’s memorable moments come about due to some type of coincidence, happy accident, or just dumb luck. I’m chalking this one up as happy accident, a casual mention ofContinue reading “Elements of Surprise”
Tag Archives: chef robert church
Cold Chinese Sesame Noodles Who can resist the deep earthy flavor of sesame noodles? Perfect for summer, they’re cooling, filling, and easy to make. Probably Szechuan in origin, this dish became very popular in New York City around the 1960’s as Chinese chefs, fleeing Mao’s tyrannical rule, began opening restaurants all over town. These noodles have since become a mainstay in the city’sContinue reading
An amuse bouche.
“You never hear anybody talk about mad tofu disease." Robbins
Potaje de Garbanzos I love this stuff! It’s a potaje, a thick Spanish stew that originated around Madrid but can also be found in various permutations in Cuba and the Canary Islands. Some versions call for sausage (usually chorizo), lentils, spinach, and a variety of vegetables. My version is true to its Spanish origins, and consists of cooked garbanzo beans andContinue reading
Tonight, Mujaddara, which translates to “Nails of the Knees”. A traditional breakfast of Middle-Eastern origins intended to steel one for a long day of arduous labor. You’ll find variations of this dish in Lebanon, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Palestine, and Jordan. Peasant food in every good sense of the term, filling, nutritious, and delicious. I make mineContinue reading
I like just about everything that originates in Spain, be it passionate flamenco music, a glass of sublime ruby-hued tempranillo, or dark-eyed chestnut-haired señoritas. And tapas. I could easily live on tapas, accompanied by Spanish wine and Portuguese sherry, for the rest of my life. What a great idea tapas are! You order some rioja, or whatever you’re drinking at the time, andContinue reading
Tagine bil Hummus. In my tagine. Tagine, also spelled tajine, is widely considered to be the national dish of Morocco. Tagine is cooked and served in a vessel called a tagine, which simplifies things considerably. That’s my tagine up there, a simple imported terra cotta reddish-brown version, which contains my version of tagine bil hummus, tagine of chick peas. Tagines are availableContinue reading
Thanksgiving in the Round
When I was a kid, in my pre-vegetarian days, Thanksgiving was our big deal. My family always overdid the gifts at Christmas, my grandmother Gerard giving me everything that I placed my imprimatur on in the old Christmas Triple-Threat toy catalogs. Remember Sears, J C Penney, and Montgomery Ward? I do, vividly. I couldn’t restContinue reading “Thanksgiving in the Round”