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  • spaghetti, tomatoes, garlic, basil, fresh fennel seed

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      More than just a vehicle for some wonderful late-season tomatoes, this simple pasta dish paraded every one of its ingredients. Setaro spaghetti from Buon Italia, mixed with a sauce of garlic, from John D. Madura Farm, heated in a large non-reactive pot with olive oil over medium heat until fragrant, about one quarter of a cup…

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  • tuna, 2 fennel seed forms; turnip greens; tomato

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    I wasn’t even going to buy tuna on Friday, but I was sort of taken by the rich color of the Albacore steaks at the fish stand in the Greenmarket. I decided to try it, because it was new for me.  I was I also interested in learning how it would differ from Yellowfin, which I think is what has always…

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  • sardines, tomato and olives; grilled zucchini, mint

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    We feel particularly virtuous about our dinner choice tonight. Sardines are (without question) very good for us all; they are also among the most sustainable  seafood species; they require a minimum of preparation and a fairly modest amount of cooking time; [The recipe, found in Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers’ ‘Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River…

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  • soppressata, minutina; artichoke ravioli, tomato

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    tomato solar system of sorts   antipasto   pasta   Simple again. I started with a package of Colamecos’ uncured soppressata which had been lying in the refrigerator, waiting, and I was once again reminded of how good this product is, and how well it keeps until called to introduce a meal.  The minutina, from…

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  • shishito, lemon; cod, parsley, tomato; minutina

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    In preparing of each of the elements of this meal I departed a bit from my usual treatment, but not always intentionally. I prepared the peppers, small shishito from Lani’s Farm just a little more elaborately than usual, but there’s not a lot to be gained in repeating the same formula over and over again, at least when it comes…

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  • lamb chops, fresh fennel seed; cavolo nero; tomato

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    four small loin lamb chops from 3-Corner Field Farm, cooked on a very hot grill pan for about 4 minutes on each side, finished with lemon, fresh fennel seed from Lani’s Farm, and olive oil cavolo nero, or black kale, from Bodhitree Farm, briefly wilted with olive oil and two halved Rocambole garlic cloves from Keith’s Farm, which had…

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  • basil-stuffed monkfish on arugula; peppers, tomato

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    two monkfish tails from Pura Vida Seafood, cut into medallions roughly the size of sea scallops, slit horizontally most of the way through, sprinkled with salt and pepper, each ‘scallop’ stuffed with a single leaf out of a package of Gotham Greens Rooftop basil from Whole Foods, very briefly sautéed in oil along with a smashed clove of…

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  • tortelli piacentini, butter, fresh fennel seed; arugula

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    I went down the street to Eataly this afternoon to fetch a good fresh pasta.  We had planned to entertain some friends earlier in the evening, so I knew in advance that there wouldn’t be much time to put together even a modestly ambitious meal. I had a number of ingredients at home which could grace an interesting…

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  • bluefish, tomatoes, leek, basil, parsley; cavolo nero

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    I suppose it should not really be surprising, but every time I prepare this dish, using pretty much the same recipe, it both looks and tastes differently than it ever did before.  This one may have been the best yet. Oh yes, I have to say again how sorry I am that some people haven’t…

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  • husk cherries, fennel; salmon, herbs; sweet peppers

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    Note to self: All elements combined to make this a terrific meal, and it looked dazzling as well.   I’m not really trying to serve fish almost every night, but I find that, for me at this time, having at least a small portion of either seafood or meat makes it easier to build a…

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