Author: Steve Petusevsky
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A chef’s vegetarian awakening
When I started writing a vegetarian column almost 16 years ago, vegetarian food was hard to find, unless you made it at home yourself. It was clearly a sort of counter-culture admission to even talk about being a vegetarian to those who were not. There were many reasons for this clandestine sort of behavior.I so…
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Making it up on the spot yields delicious dinner
I had been in meetings all day and almost had myself talked into getting takeout for dinner. But I decide that I want to work with food. So I cracked open the refrigerator and pulled things out, making up the menu as I sipped a glass of Riesling.I’m glad I did. I often have some…
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Delicious winter veggies befit more than just holiday table
I don’t know why we are programmed to eat certain vegetables for such short periods of time.I’m not talking about specialty produce items such as asparagus, artichokes and cherries that have a short growing season.No, I’m talking about those foods we only eat when the holidays are here. In fact, there’s a whole host of…
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French technique makes food creamy
Making what chefs call a liaison is usually taught in French technique classes at culinary school. A liaison is nothing more than mixing a warm liquid with egg yolks so that the egg yolks coagulate slowly and thicken the sauce making it rich and creamy.The danger, of course, is that you add the hot liquid…
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RECIPE: Perk up sauce with tempting new apple varieties
When I was a kid, apples came in two varieties: red and yellow delicious. But now there are many more choices, and my favorites are pink ladies and honeycrisps.The honeycrisp is a hybrid of the macoun and the honey gold. It is super sweet, juicy and crisp.I also like the pink lady that originates in…
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RECIPE: Anything made ‘au gratin’ is good
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save One of the great pleasures of the dining table is anything prepared au gratin.As a kid, I longed for the evenings when my mother would make potatoes au gratin. For that matter, broccoli au gratin…
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RECIPES: Turn zucchini into a rock star veggie
When we think about summer ingredients, blueberries, cherries, melons and corn come to mind.But don’t forget zucchini. We think it’s boring but in Italy, Greece and throughout the Mediterranean, it’s a rock star.Summer squashes, both green zucchini and yellow squash, also called banana squash, are incredible when prepared with some thought. This is simple when…
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Cooking oils primer
Of all the ingredients on the supermarket shelves, I think oil is the most misused. Now that there are over 100 offerings, it’s confusing and even daunting.What makes it worse is that companies market their oils in confusing ways. Think of the term “light olive oil.” There really is no such thing; it’s a name…
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Cherries: A cook’s treasure
If fruits were jewels, then cherries would be the crown jewel of the produce world.After all, they are available for only about two months (June, July and early August) making them precious. And they scream seasonal, which are two of the most valuable attributes in today’s culinary world. A large, juicy dark red cherry has…
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Concoct a cooling gazpacho without tomateos
Warmer climates, including southern Florida, naturally lend themselves to uncomplicated and cooling recipes.Earlier this year, I was in the Mediterranean, where simple grilled foods are served with a splash of fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.In Greece, large chopped salads of cucumbers, tomatoes still warm from the garden and snipped oregano…