Frequent readers here know that we have an unhealthy obsession with this creation known as Hoppel Poppel (read more on our earlier post here). Quick synopsis of the required ingredients: Basic Hoppel Poppel - Diced, par-boiled potatoes cooked until browned and crisping, sauteed with diced onion, and diced "salami" (see comment below), topped with egg, [...]
Of Fire, Water and the Ego of the Chef
Watching the third episode of the inaugural season of Chef's Table on Netflix I was in awe, in love, and then a bit uncomfortable. The series by David Gelb, who created the sublime documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, uses stunning cinematography and slowly unfolding stories to create a tension between personalizing the chefs and venerating them. [...]
The Treachery of Origins – or – Ceci N’est Pas Une Salade Niçoise
Origins of a dish are an ephemeral thing, full of nuance and speculation.And as debates rage about the invention of many dishes in the modern pantheon, those dishes morph and change to accommodate modern tastes or based on ingredient availability so the current incarnation may bear little resemblance to the original dish. The Salade Niçoise [...]
Irish Food versus French Cuisine
Discussions of cuisine are fraught with historic, ethnic, and racial overtones which are impossible to avoid. Unavoidably, discussions of cuisine, such as this one, are a bit more academic than singing the praises of farm-churned butter, but they are important. We have touched on the larger discussion of defining a cuisine in reflecting on the [...]
In Praise of Smoked Trout
I have a special fondness for trout. They are a beautiful jewel of a fish, found in some of nature's most pristine and precious settings. On a mountain lake at Colorado twilight, nearly silent but for the light ripple of the lure hitting the mirrored surface of the water, anticipating, feeling for the pull, completely [...]
Great Lakes Cuisine 