When was the last time you felt fearless? I remember full well as the truck ambled up the long mountain road in Costa Rica. Up we drove, passing black shadows working their way from branch to branch in the slender tall trees. Sometimes the shadows wore smug scrunched up faces that peered out from the… Continue reading On being fearless outside & in the kitchen
Category: Notes from the Kitchen
Breaking up: a sweet rant
Breakups are never fun, right? Usually they involve detaching statements of “it’s not you, it’s me”, emotional responses and the like. With Tony and Mark, both times it was me doing the breaking. Both times it was them doing the tissue-passing. I always felt horrible that things weren’t working out, but what was the alternative?… Continue reading Breaking up: a sweet rant
Begin again.
The clean page. An apron with no smudges or stains. A fresh start. Welcome to la vie en route. There was a marriage. A boy and a girl with two rings and a promise. A new beginning at hand. Life is like that- new beginnings (and we tend to like them more than the endings).… Continue reading Begin again.
Artist to Artist
I appreciate how struggle and suffering are the chisel to the marble so to speak- or they can be hammer to chisel. The story of Grant Achatz is well known in culinary circles. Chef creates new restaurant experience, Alinea in Chicago, for Americans, wins accolades and recognition from peers only to find out he has… Continue reading Artist to Artist
Cooking through the Pantry- a Communal Experiment
I’m moving in a month. Instead of packing the random ingredients and what-nots from the pantry, I’ve chosen to whittle it down to the basics- spices and accoutrements. Here’s where you come in: I took several photographs of the items in question and I would love your suggestions of how you think I can cook… Continue reading Cooking through the Pantry- a Communal Experiment
Long Live the Tongue
Today I spent four hours using my tongue in new ways. A small group of us at work have been selected to take “Sensory Training” classes and I could not wait to continue expanding the knowledge of my palate. I love tasting and I love creating. Knowledge of the tongue intrigues me as much as… Continue reading Long Live the Tongue
Mexico: Mole Ole
What part of mole do you not understand? Let’s just say during the short stint in Mexico, it became my raison d’etre. We had it green (made with pepitas), we had it red (made with pecans). Sometimes it was more sweet, other times, salty, and another time richly smoky. I could eat my way through… Continue reading Mexico: Mole Ole
Quickfire Challenge
I must admit it took me a little while to get into “Top Chef.” All the ingredients are right, but I had just come off of my “Project Runway” semester and didn’t know if I immediately wanted to select Bravo a second time in a row for my one TV show per semester. Tonight clinched… Continue reading Quickfire Challenge
Puerta de la Panza
Venture back with me if you will to a kitchen in the Southwest and you will see a wee child with one perfectly coiffed ringlet bouncing in a pony tail behind a serious face filled with glee. On this particular occasion, she’s in the kitchen, next to her mother stirring a just set pot of… Continue reading Puerta de la Panza