Did you know that Queen Elizabeth the first was the genesis of the gingerbread man? She commissioned that little “cakes” flavored with a heavy dose of ginger were to be made in the likeness of her familiars, (probably not to scale). This is one of the many fascinating facts that I found in my research…
I’ve always been a curious person, probably what makes it easy for me to be a cook. I’m always asking questions. The simple ones range from how it tastes, to what would I use this for? The tougher ones are about background and heritage, searching through my own family history or some obscure recipe book…
The mention of fall and winter fruit conjures images of apples, pumpkins, and cranberries. Fruit vibrant in both color and flavor, and well suited to the dishes that provide warmth and comfort at a family get-together or a chilly night at home. Of the three, apples are probably the most utilized during these seasons, not…
Pay no attention to the hype surrounding the holidays, turn your phone off, light the holiday candles, and curl up with a warm bowl of soup and a good book. That used to be the way to decompress, but with 24-hour access, the need and the urge to interact is incredibly strong. Beginning even before…
The holidays are coming fast and furious for the next month and a half, and I’m not ready. I like that I’m not ready because it adds an element of suspense to the next few weeks, but it does wreak havoc at home. We’re heading north for Thanksgiving, back to New York to see my…
At last, peace in the house. Both boys gone to make their way in the world, leaving us (without counting 1 dog and 5 cats) empty nesters. That word evokes such images, propels thoughts to places best reserved for later in life. But it does impact what, and how we eat even to the point…
Christmas is coming!! No really, it is. I heard my first Christmas music this week and some of my neighbors still have their decorations up from last year. You want more proof? Black Friday sales which used to be advertised for the day after Thanksgiving are now the subject of a race to see who…
Culinary midterms arrived this week, darkening the mood of the students, just in time for Halloween. To say that some of my students were not prepared is an understatement and should rightfully be attributed to my lack of delivering a real-world wake-up call these first few weeks of class. We tend to ease them into…
Last week I wrote about the strange and wonderful tidbits you can find in the corners and crevices of the farmers’ markets around town. It’s just such an adventure that keeps drawing me back each week to see what else might have popped up. But there is also a practical reason for my weekly visits…
Ever wonder about some of the strange things you see at the market? The odd little basket of this or that that never fills a table, because very few people will even know what it is much less purchase it. The colors are different, the shape is strange, sometimes the smell drives people away. Your…
The pumpkins are coming and with them all sorts of recipe and menu ideas to incorporate pumpkin into your October events. No other food item elicits such a specific response as pumpkin and October. I suppose a close second would be turkey and November, but that bird owns only 1 or two days, pumpkins are…
And just like that the gateway to the summer slams shut. No, it goes out not with a whimper but in a deluge of rain and dark clouds, spiraling from 60-degree weather and falling leaves to 85 and mosquitoes. Keeneland waits at the end of the week, and beyond that, there is already talk of…
I just finished reading an article about robots making food and I must confess that I’m a bit freaked out. I like the idea of consistency as much as the next chef or restaurateur but the thought of gleaming, sleek machines pumping out food at an accelerated rate with very little human involvement blurs the…
As I write this, Sullivan University is on break. I find myself at a loss for what to do as my work often dictates what I do with myself when I’m on break. I know I’ll be at work in the restaurant tonight, but what to do with the rest of my day? The answer…
Hard to remember that a few weeks ago I was writing about cooler weather and the change of seasons. It’s hot and steamy, and not much fun to eat and cook in. The bugs have been much worse than in the past so grilling out has become a test of our willpower versus theirs. We’re…
The rains have been coming fast and furious for days now, somewhat against what most August weather is like in Kentucky. Usually, around this time of year, the sprinklers are going non-stop and the farmers are struggling to maintain their thirsty fields through extensive irrigation. Not so this year as most of what I hear…
I saw my first pumpkin of the season in a neighbor’s front yard and the realization hit me that fall is coming. One of my farmers delivered an order to me this weekend with the warning that they would probably not have any more squash and zucchini this season. Sitting out on my porch this…
There comes a time, in every school quarter, when the culinary students slow, and then stop. Some reset, some stagger through, and some never get started again. It’s the same thing in every school, but in a technical school such as culinary, it can mean the difference between embracing the career or walking away. Sometimes…
I’ve never been much for the watermelon, cantaloupe buzz. It starts to build this time of year, like the cicadas in my magnolia tree, but by most standards, it doesn’t last as long as most summer produce. People are passionate about it, and the advent of the melon season sure does stir people up. Don’t…
I blame it on the canned peaches of my childhood, the soft grey masses of syrupy, sugary fruit that tasted of metal and stale water. With the texture of dense, soggy bread and the viscosity of 10W40, there was an overwhelming feeling of queasiness every time I heard a can being opened and slid into…
If your garden is like mine, your basil is at this point more of a bush than a plant! Mine started producing early and hasn’t let up. After a brief lull in the very hottest part of the late spring, I thought we might get burnt. But basil is incredibly resilient and like most near…
Things are a bit unsettled right now. The summer season seems to have accelerated, we’re back in school, and I can’t seem to get my head around events like Burger Week, closely followed by Restaurant Week. Don’t get me wrong, I love to be busy, I can’t stand too much puttering around, (probably not a…
