Mediterranean
Have you discovered how different olives are one from another? Or coaxed dried salt cod into a creamy bacalao? How long does it take for Parma or Serrano ham to cure? (As much as four years for the best) and how many liters of genuine balsamic vinegar are released for sale each year? Grab a slice of Manchego cheese or dip your spoon into fresh ricotta (how do they make that stuff?) while you consider how easy it is to bring the Mediterranean into your kitchen without getting your feet wet.
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Garlic - the stinking rose - 14 Nov 2008
Elizabeth David swore that swallowing an unpeeled clove of garlic whole before eating any garlicky food would prevent garlic smell on the breath. read more...
Broa de Milho - 13 May 2008
Broa de Milho is a corn bread much loved by the northern Portuguese. The harshness of the soil made wheat growing hard, so bakers made a loaf that is four parts corn to one part stone milled buckwheat. read more...
Balsamic vinegar - a sour note - 7 May 2008
If ever there was a food fad that didn't do the original product any good, it's balsamic vinegar. read more...
Mediterranean food web sites - 29 Apr 2008
Cornucopia* - 5 Mar 2008
Sicilian Ibraim ("Ibo") Selmy trained as a geologist. Luckily for us, his interest was more in people and food than in rocks. So in 2003, after 15 years in Washington, the Palermo-born Italian opened Cornucopia in Bethesda, a food store and cafe to sell the specialties of his native land. "It's about people, sharing time with them." read more...
Pasta e Fagioli - 5 Mar 2008
Cesare Lanfranconi, chef of Ristorante Spezie's recipe is one of Italy's classics. You can make it as a soup starter for a meal with other dishes or serve it with some warm crusty bread and a salad to produce a substantial meal on its own with a glass or two of wine and a rented old Sophia Loren or Gina Lollobrigida movie on TV. read more...
Cesare Lanfranconi - Chef of Ristorante Spezie - 5 Mar 2008
Cesare Lanfranconi, executive chef of Ristorante Spezie, was born near the mountains in Northern Italy, where his passion was skiing. He decided to cook instead of becoming a ski instructor like his mother as a means of seeing the world. read more...
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Fonduta - 27 Feb 2008
Although Stephen Scott serves this Fonduta as an appetizer, it makes a great Sunday supper for two served with a crisp green salad in front of a favorite TV movie or a lunch outside on a warm day. read more...
Gorgonzola Soufflé - 15 Dec 2007
Drew Trautmann, Chef of Sonoma Restaurant & Wine Bar's recipe - just what you need when you've had too much festive fare. read more...
Nora Pouillon - Owner-chef of Restaurant Nora - 8 Dec 2007
Chef Nora Pouillon has been a force in the sustainable-sourcing, organic and slow food movements. At Restaurant Nora, she keeps pushing for change. read more...
Mozzarella with the mostest - 27 Nov 2007
There's mozzarella and mozzarella. (And then there's bufala mozzarella, made in the authentic fashion of Southern Italy from buffalo milk.) read more...
Mushrooms - fresh - 27 Nov 2007
If you are traveling to or through Pennsylvania, include Chester County in your tour. Kennett Square is the self-styled 'Mushroom Capital of the World'. read more...
Pears - eating & cooking - 27 Nov 2007
Pears aren't limited to the Conference and the Bosc. read more...
Pizza - 27 Nov 2007
It hardly seems necessary, with all the home-delivery possibilities available, to make suggestions for pizza sources, but if you want to ignore those stuffed-crust, soft dough or crunchy crust confections with exotic topping combinations and tuck into the simple open sandwich style of the original Napolitan snack, there are some good home-made versions around. read more...
Lemons - 27 Nov 2007
When buying a lemon for its juice, choose those whose skin feels thin - the ones that respond to a slight squeeze in the palm of your hand. read more...
Portuguese delicatessens - 27 Nov 2007
There are a number of markets that are favorites with people shopping for Portuguese ingredients. But they sell a wider range of European products, too. read more...
Saffron - 27 Nov 2007
Though saffron is a quintessentially Spanish flavoring, it also shows up in the tajines and stews of parts of the African continent. It's one of the world's most expensive spices. This is because each stigma of Crocus sativa, the saffron crocus, has to be removed by the agile fingers of women and children, who can separate the three stigmas from each flower without bruising them. read more...
Italian delicatessens - 26 Nov 2007
The area is not short on good Italian delicatessens. read more...
Eggplant - 25 Nov 2007
There are so many different varieties of this beautiful vegetable. Which kind to use in which recipe? read more...
Anchovies - 23 Nov 2007
One of the most unpopular fishes, anchovies are nevertheless the culinary equivalent of the Wonderbra. They add body to any dish and most opponents don't even know they're there if they can't see them. read more...
Olive oil - 23 Nov 2007
Olive oil is expensive enough that it should be chosen with care and properly looked after. read more...
Tuna ventresca - 23 Nov 2007
Tuna ventresca is the Ferrari of canned tuna to the jalopy of regular canned tuna. read more...
Risotto - the grains of truth - 23 Nov 2007
You can't make risotto from any old rice. Certainly not from a Carolina short grain. That'll just make a rice pudding. If you buy the right rice, turning out a perfect risotto is not hard. read more...
Prosciutto & other cured hams - 22 Nov 2007
Prosciutto di Parma from Italy and Jamon de Serrano from Spain are among the most seductive of cured meats. read more...
Shrimp - 22 Nov 2007
Shrimp are ubiquitous, in every stage and form from fresh to cooked, whole and beheaded. read more...
Ricotta - 21 Nov 2007
Not so long ago in Italy, ricotta was delivered twice a day along with the milk. read more...
Sausages, plain and fancy - 20 Nov 2007
The humble sausage can now be bought in all international variations, filled with flavors representing every part of the globe. read more...
Pepper - 20 Nov 2007
Pepper, piper nigrum, comes from the tropical piperaceae family of climbing plants or shrubs. read more...
Offal - the funky bits - 18 Nov 2007
Country cooks across Europe and Asia respect and use every part of the animal. With meat costs soaring, it's time to learn to love offal. Great dishes have come from elements that can fill more delicate constitutions with horror. read more...
Fish - fresh or not so fresh? - 17 Nov 2007
Once upon a time, fishmongers would cut fish to order from whole fish, so the customer could be sure, by the clarity of its eyes, the firmness of flesh and the color of its gills, of the freshness of the fish. Not any longer. read more...
Stir-fried Scallops and Shiitake Mushrooms with Gingered Grits and Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette - 17 Nov 2007
When John Wabeck was chef of Firefly before moving on to New Heights, this was one of his most popular main courses. The Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette, which can be used as a dressing for other things, like a young-spinach salad, may be made ahead. Once you have the ingredients assembled, it's a smooth process to produce the dish. read more...
Basil oil - 17 Nov 2007
Though this recipe is only one element in Tony Conte, chef of The Oval Room's recipe for Maine Peekytoe Crab Salad with Pickled Peaches and Thai Basil, it's worth making alone for drizzling over white fish or summer tomatoes or as a sauce for angel hair pasta. read more...
Tony Conte - Chef of The Oval Room - 17 Nov 2007
Antonio Conte worked in four-star restaurants in Manhattan, but he got tired of New York City. read more...
Tomatoes - much ado about nothing - 17 Nov 2007
If there's one vegetable that should be eaten in season and gathered from the garden or fields, it's the tomato. Here's a cooking tip to get maximum flavor from those red balls masquerading as tomatoes in our supermarkets. read more...
Barry Koslow - Chef of Mendocino Bar & Grille - 17 Nov 2007
Before he took up cooking, Mendocino Grille chef Barry Koslow toured — casually — with a rock band. read more...
Trent Conry - Chef of Ardeo - 17 Nov 2007
Texas-born Trent Conry of Ardeo/Bardeo likes spicy foods, big talk and an ever-changing menu. read more...
Grilled Venison Chop with Polenta Corn Custard, Broccolini and Sun-Dried Tomato Demi-Glâce - 16 Nov 2007
Russel Cunningham, chef of Dupont Grille's recipe makes a soothing fall and winter warming celebration of a meal, with a less than common meat. The Polenta Corn Custards can be made ahead of time and reheated. read more...
Sautéed Shrimp with Cannellini Beans - 16 Nov 2007
Shrimp and cannellini beans make a surprising and successful combination in this quickly cooked recipe from Savino Recine, owner-chef of Primi Piatti, a man who believes in providing richness in taste without resorting to unhealthy dairy products. read more...
Savino Recine - Owner-chef of Primi Piatti - 16 Nov 2007
Chef and amateur magician Savino Recine says he helped introduce Washington to true Italian food. read more...
Robert Weland - Chef of Poste - 16 Nov 2007
Chef Robert Weland makes his own charcuterie — and more — at his Penn Quarter restaurant, Poste. read more...
Hearty Crab Bisque - 16 Nov 2007
So much of this soup/stew dish from Alcione Vinet, owner-chef of Park Cafe can be prepared ahead of time, it's a useful and seductive recipe for entertaining. Mop up its juices with a crusty loaf of bread. read more...
Flour - 15 Nov 2007
Which flour bakes the best bread? First, know that a grain of wheat has three parts: the endosperm which is the central source of the starch, accounting for 85 percent of the grain. Next to it lies the germ, accounting for only 2 percent. But it's the most positive element. It's the 'seed' that grows new wheat plants and it contains most of the whole grain's protein, vitamins and oil. Plus, pretty much all the flavor lies in the germ. Both of these are covered by the protective outer layer of bran. read more...
Bottarga - 15 Nov 2007
Bottarga is the salty, fishy, compressed dried roe of the mullet, a Sardinian specialty. read more...
Figs - fresh - 15 Nov 2007
One of the best treats of the fall, they don't come cheap. So it's a disappointment when you open your wrapped box and find some of them rotten. read more...
Salamis & charcuterie - 15 Nov 2007
In 1927, Italy suffered a dreadful outbreak of swine fever. Since then, by law, imported salamis, cotecchinos, even some cured hams must be pasteurized. Europeans would argue that this diminishes their flavor quite considerably. read more...
Bacalao - 15 Nov 2007
Reconstituted dried salt cod may not sound like much in English, but call it, in Spanish, bacalao, in Portuguese bacalhau, or bacalà in Italian, and you have a highly prized dish. read more...
Ice creams & gelati - 14 Nov 2007
In Russia, even in the depths of winter, queues of people form around the ice-cream carts stationed on street corners and down the iced-over paths of Moscow's Gorki Park. The world over, it's a seductive cold comfort. read more...
Parmigiano-Reggiano & Grana Padano - 11 Nov 2007
Never buy 'Parmesan' ready grated in those cardboard tubes. It tastes like vomit. read more...
Flambéed Figs with Goat Cheese and Proscuitto - 10 Nov 2007
Janis McLean, chef of The Morrison-Clark Inn, turns dried, not fresh, figs into an appetizer or something to pass around with cocktails that's a little out of the ordinary. It's a good recipe for the holiday season. read more...
Wild Mushroom Risotto with Spring Asparagus - 10 Nov 2007
A good deal of fear surrounds the making of risotto. But as Geoffrey Tracy, owner-chef of Chef Geoff's and Lia's recipe makes clear, the prime technique to pull off this favorite dish is twelve to fourteen minutes of calm and patience. read more...
Geoff Tracy - Owner-chef of Chef Geoff's and Lia - 10 Nov 2007
In December 2006, Geoffrey Tracy opened a third restaurant. Five months later, his wife was due to give birth to twins. read more...
Panzanella - 10 Nov 2007
For this simply prepared Italian salad from Ruth Gresser, owner-chef of Pizza Paradiso, it's worth waiting for the tomatoes of high summer and using a good loaf of bread. But sometimes you need a reminder of summer in the dead of winter, and this recipe will deliver it. read more...
Ruth Gresser - Owner-chef of Pizza Paradiso - 10 Nov 2007
Pizzeria Paradiso’s Ruth Gresser helped popularize Italy's favorite pie using a wood-burning stove to cook pizza in D.C. read more...
DC's wholesale/retail market unscrambled - 10 Nov 2007
Shop fresh produce, meat and groceries retail where DC's store and restaurant owners go to buy wholesale. read more...
Grilled Watermelon Salad with Country Ham, Pine Nuts and Watercress - 10 Nov 2007
This is a stunningly pretty summer salad, pitching the raspberry red of the watermelon against the deep green of the watercress, from Tom Green, chef of the Kennedy Center. And it's refreshing, unusual and easy to make. read more...
Peter Pastan - Owner-chef of Obelisk and 2Amys - 10 Nov 2007
Peter Pastan fell in love with Italy traveling across the country by train. It shows in the two different styles of his two very different Italian restaurants. read more...
Red Beet Salad - 9 Nov 2007
When Fabrizio Aielli, was the owner-chef of Teatro Goldoni, this recipe was one of his most popular appetizers. It's easily made. So though he and his wife Ingrid have moved down to Miami, he left it behind for us. read more...
Paella - 9 Nov 2007
Herbert Kerschbaumer, owner-chef of Jack's Restaurant & Bar's recipe can be increased in multiples to feed a crowd. And you don't have to watch over this version. Allter the balance of the first six ingredients, if you wish, according to taste. read more...
Herbert Kerschbaumer - Owner-chef of Jack's Restaurant & Bar - 9 Nov 2007
Herbert Kerschbaumer opened his Dupont bistro, Jack's, after returning from a two-year honeymoon. read more...
Gazpacho - 9 Nov 2007
Terri Cutrino, chef of Jaleo's recipe for that refreshing and pretty soup perfect for summer soup which you can prepare well ahead of sitting down to eat it. read more...
Terri Cutrino - Chef of Jaleo - 9 Nov 2007
Chef Terri Cutrino first got to know Jaleo as a faithful customer when she worked at the AARP, located across the street. read more...
Sopa de Chocolato Blanco con Compota de Frutos Rojos - 9 Nov 2007
This is one of those recipes we all hunt for: a dish, in this case a dessert, that is impressive to taste and to look at, that can be whipped up with little effort and time. It comes from Santi Zabaleta, chef of Taberna del Alabardero. read more...
Santi Zabaleta - Chef of Taberna del Alabardero - 9 Nov 2007
The Spanish government has dubbed Taberna del Alabardero "the best Spanish restaurant outside Spain." This interview was with its executive chef, Santi Sabaleta, who has recently been replaced by Dani Arana. read more...
Massimo Fabbri - Chef of Ristorante Tosca - 8 Nov 2007
Massimo Fabbri went through a tourist visa and two work visas en route to his post at Tosca. read more...
Cheeses unpasteurized - forbidden gems & others - 6 Nov 2007
The FDA prohibits the import and sale of raw milk cheeses under 60 days old, to the chagrin of Europeans. Trying to protect us from the very real ravages of E.coli and other bacteria means we're unable to taste some real gems from other countries.
Are the French and Italians falling like flies from their consumption of young unpasteurized milk cheeses? Click the link to my article for The National Interest and find out where the dangers really lie. read more...
Rapini - 5 Nov 2007
Rapini are an under-rated green. Peter Pastan, owner-chef of Obelisk and 2Amys' recipe gives these leafy stalks a chance to star - on their own or as a mildly bitter side vegetable that would go well with grilled meat. read more...
Olives - 3 Nov 2007
All olives begin life green. After that, it gets complicated. With so many varieties available, here's a breakdown of the most common to help you avoid the pits... read more...
Yeast - 2 Nov 2007
Fresh yeast makes a better home-baked loaf than dried. But where to find it? read more...
Pesto - 1 Nov 2007
One taste of pesto is an instant ticket to Italy. And it isn't hard to make, with no really precise amounts. It's worth making yourself because pre-packed pesto too often tastes like damp lawn clippings. read more...
Mike Isabella - Chef of Zaytinya - 9 Oct 2007
In March 2007, Mike Isabella started at Zaytinya. In June, the restaurant won a RAMMY award. read more...
Barton Seaver - Owner-chef of Hook - 9 Oct 2007
Chef Barton Seaver has opened his own place, Hook, to serve seafood bought directly from fishermen. No fishermen? No food. read more...
Todd Gray - Owner-chef of Equinox - 9 Oct 2007
Todd Gray is chef at Equinox, and his wife, Ellen Kassoff Gray, is co-owner and general manager. They are one of just a few family teams in all of D. C's fine-dining establishments. read more...
Poached Lobster and Heirloom Tomato Salad - 9 Oct 2007
This is an elegant recipe from Massimo Fabbri, chef of Ristorante Tosca that's simple to achieve. And you can always buy your lobsters ready-cooked. read more...
Jamie Leeds is rare among chefs. First, she owns two Hank’s Oyster Bars, one in Dupont Circle and the other in Old Town, Alexandria, with CommonWealth, a gastropub set to open in summer 2008. Plus, she’s a woman. And then there’s the fact that she has no formal culinary training.
Garlic - the stinking rose
Licorice
Ramadan pastries explained
Broa de Milho
My favorite markets: Thai Market
Korean hot pots
Korean markets
What is gluten?
Sticky Pecan Buns
Farmers' markets - food for health and flavor
Share Our Strength chefs' cook out!
Asparagus - just so much grass...
Chinese restaurants: Kosher, vegan, organic
Gastropubs - eating cheap in Britain
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