From Scratch

Think of this as a cousin to Spanish rice but with a kick, a high kick the Rockettes might envy. I love rice, I love hot stuff. Put ‘em together and I’m in heaven.
You can tone it down, of course. Most of the heat is from Tabasco sauce, not the jalapenos, which are mild. I […]

Finally it’s down to what the last three contestants call the meal of their lives, the challenge that will determine who wins Top Chef, Season 4.
We’re still in Puerto Rico and Richard says he has everything to lose, with a wife, a baby on the way (born a few weeks ago, darling!) and a new house, […]

The show has just ended on the East Coast and while this is a spoiler for those in other time zones, I know many seek out spoilers.
Stephanie Izard won the title of Top Chef in tonight’s finale, becoming the first woman to win. Congratulations!
Recap in a few hours. is here. I think it’s fun and […]

There’s nothing like a heat wave to make me crave fresh fruits and when it happens this early — it’s still officially spring — I search my recipes for something fast, light and refreshing. It was 94 degrees yesterday (34C) and even hotter in New York and Washington. More of the same is expected today.
This somewhat-unusual […]

The US Food and Drug Administration has expanded its warnings to consumers nationwide about the purchase and handling of tomatoes in the wake of a salmonella outbreak that has now sickened 145 people. The source of the outbreak is still undetermined. The FDA says the following are the only types of tomatoes consumers should buy […]

Where’s a fun Top Chef drinking game when you need one? Right here. Even when Top Chef makes me crazy, which is often, I watch it. (Exception: Season 2, which ought to be deep-sixed.) But the show has become too formulaic and predictable, with product placements everywhere, dumb editing and well duh moments such as — […]

This is the companion recipe to the gingered carrot soup I posted a few days ago. Like the soup, it’s fabulous and can stand on its own but they are better together; their flavors compliment each other perfectly. It’s fast, simple and tastes as if it required a lot more work. It epitomizes the wisdom of […]

It’s almost summer and bathing suit season here in the Northern hemisphere. That means no more excuses for being a couch potato, except on rainy days. Otherwise…

Photo blatantly swiped from raincoaster.

Sphere: Related Content

Roger Ebert, my favorite film critic and the only one to win a Pulitzer, once observed how rarely characters in movies talk about going to movies. Similarly, political cartoonists seldom reference artists and paintings, even very famous ones.
Mike Lane of Cagle Cartoons mixed political opinion with a painting I love and produced a very clever and […]

The federal Centers for Disease Control says an outbreak of salmonella, reported yesterday, has spread from Texas and New Mexico to 14 other states and authorities are trying to pin down the source of the raw tomatoes believed to be the cause. Texas now reports 56 cases of salmonella food poisoning and New Mexico 55. 
The […]

Whole Foods Market has halted sales of Roma and large, round field-grown tomatoes without attached vines or stems at all of its more than 270 stores after an outbreak of salmonella linked to raw tomatoes. In addition, stores are no longer using tomatoes in sandwiches and salads.
The voluntary recall follows a warning from the Texas Health Department […]

After two-and-a-half months of mind-numbing catering challenges, bitchery, backstabbing, melodrama and sometimes brief moments of real cooking, Top Chef Chicago comes to an end next week. The four finalists were whittled to three last night when Antonia was told to pack her knives and go, leaving Richard, Stephanie and Lisa (!) to fight it out […]

I’ve been cooking frequently with ginger the past few months. I love the depth it brings to a dish, even when used in small amounts. And I’m especially fond of Asian flavors, so when this recipe showed up in the Healthy Dinners widget, it went onto my “to try” list.
I made it in April with […]

NBC news has confirmed Hillary Clinton plans to suspend her campaign for the White House on Saturday and “express her support” for Barack Obama.
Aides say she will also congratulate Obama for winning enough delegates to clinch the nomination. At any other time, with nearly any other candidate, that would be assumed but after her arrogant, defiant […]

Mrs. Clinton:
First, please know I did not choose that form of address just because protocol dictates it, when not addressing you as Senator Clinton. I chose it because, for all your lip service to feminism, you quickly come to mind when I think of women whose success is tied to their husbands’. Without him and […]