Offal
Country cooks across Europe and Asia respect and use every part of the animal.
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A festive 'Special': Foie Gras Creme Caramel - 12 Dec 2011
This is one of those glamorous recipes you pay a fortune for in high end restaurants which, according to Christophe and Michelle Poteaux, owners and chefs of Bastille, who make it, turns out not to be too difficult to do. (And no objections to the foie gras, if you please, until you address how battery chickens that are eaten far more frequently are raised.) read more...
Foie gras and confits - 6 Nov 2011
I've just come across this video of Dan Barber of the Blue Hill Farm complex and restaurant in upstate New York. Please give it a look, whether you're a foie gras fan or violently opposed. read more...
Starters: Chopped Organic Chicken Livers - 17 Jun 2010
Okay. This is not the most photogenic way to present a chicken liver pate that is wonderful in summer with a crusty baguette. But make it. It's easy and delicious. Daniel Bortnick, chef of Firefly, gives this Jewish classic a contemporary twist with apple. Make it a day or two ahead to mellow the flavors. read more...
Plaza Latina - one of my favorite markets - 13 Apr 2009
The mother of BLT Steak chef, Victor Albisu, owns this Latino market that used to be in Alexandria, on Pickett Street. Now you'll find it in the Idylwood Plaza, behind Whole Foods on Leesburg Pike. A Peruvian, she makes her own sausages and chorizos, from Guatemalan, Argentinian picante, Mexican and Salvadorean recipes, along with morcilla. And there's a range of meats at remarkable prices from the cheerful butchers behind the counter. read more...
Halalco - 25 Nov 2008
While some of us may back off from offal, those who like a good steak and kidney pie can find the necessary lambs' kidneys at Halalco. If that sounds like a forkful too far, choose the Halal duck. This Halal supermarket is like a holiday to somewhere south of the Bosphorus. read more...
Le Market/El Mercado - one of my favorite markets - 19 Nov 2008
I may just be about to betray my favorite market - H Mart in Merrifield. Just up from it where Gallows Road meets Route 50 is Le Market/El Mercado, a clean and shiny recent arrival stocked with treasures from South East Asia and Latin America. read more...
Maxim's Supermarket - one of my favorite markets - 31 Mar 2008
There's no shortage of Oriental and Asian markets in the area. But some of them offer a little extra. At Maxim's, it's the take-out food counter. It's packed with dishes some of which you need to be a little adventurous to try, like tripe, and various parts of the inner pig that look like Captain Davy Jones' face in 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. But there's also a wonderful stewed pork picnic cut that's been marinated and slow-cooked until it's almost purple which wouldn't upset the most conservative eater. And there are noodles and vegetable dishes, along with fried fish and chicken dishes that would frighten no-one. $4.25 buys you your choice of three dishes for a take-out meal in a box. read more...
Oriental & South East Asian markets - 26 Nov 2007
There is no shortage of Oriental and South East Asian supermarkets in the area. But some offer a little extra. read more...
Derma, or 'Kischkes' - 18 Nov 2007
Derma, or in Yiddish "kischkes", is a traditional dish often served at bar mitzvahs and weddings. read more...
Frogs' legs - 18 Nov 2007
A kind of comic French joke among the faint hearted, frogs' legs do taste a bit like chicken and certainly look like chicken wings. 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...
