Hilarie’s Favorite: Butternut Dal

This is one of those recipes that was a moment’s inspiration. It came about because Hilarie had scored a big load of fresh, locally grown butternut squash at the restaurant, and wanted me to make a dinner special using them. Now, we had already had butternut squash soup, which I had made a week and […]

Because Too Much Is Always Better Than Not Enough: Black Forest Cheesecake

When I found out that Kim, one of the servers at Restaurant Salaam, was going to have a birthday and that she loved cheesecake, I asked her if she would like me to make one for her as a gift. Her eyes lit up and she nodded avidly. Dan, the usual recipient of a different […]

Preserving The Chili Pepper Harvest: Chinese Chile-Garlic Sauce

This year, I planted a whiskey barrel with Thai chilies and basil; eight starts of Thai Dragon chilies, a dozen of Siam Queen basil. These relatively few plants kept us in fresh Thai ingredients for the entire summer and early fall. The rainy early summer resulted in lush growth but the first chilies were fairly […]

It’s Kimchi Time Again!

Yes. The nights have become crisp and cool, and the autumn harvest of Napa cabbage has begun. The Farmer’s Market is filled to bursting with locally grown goodness: garlic heads nearly as big as my palm, cayenne chilies longer than my hand, Japanese globe turnips, bok choy, Chinese bunching onions, crinkly violet and vibrant green […]

Tunisian Lamb, Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

Have I ever said how much I love the combination of eggplant with lamb? To me, it is a match made in heaven. The rich flavor and tender chew of the lamb goes perfectly with the velvety, melting quality and delicate scent of the eggplants, and the way in which eggplants soak up oils and […]

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