Today would have been his 64th birthday, and June 25th has come to be known as Anthony Bourdain day with those same chefs and friends paying tribute in their own ways. This is my attempt, not only to pay tribute, but to continue to understand why Bourdain was so special, and what I can continue to learn from him.
Read MorePassover is coming to a close which means soon I get to eat real bread again. I don’t care what you say, in my book, matzo does not count as bread. Calling matzo bread is like calling gravy a stew. Sure they are related, but anyone who ordered a stew and got a plate of gravy would be severely disappointed.
Read MoreSalad for breakfast is a wonderful way to start the day. It’s delicious, hydrating and can be incredibly satiating. You might be thinking, “salad for breakfast is crazy, I need eggs and carbs to get my brain pumping!” Well, when you have breakfast salad you get to put eggs and sure, carbs in your salad if you wish. My breakfast salads almost always have medium-boiled eggs, lots of greens, an extra tangy vinaigrette, and something salty like
Read MoreToday, Thursday, is farmers market day in North Berkeley. While I normally enjoy browsing the farmers market during regular life, these days I won’t miss it. Over the past several weeks everyone has probably experienced long lines at grocery stores, empty shelves here and there, and the creeping awareness that there are potential germies on every surface.
Read MoreSince coming home and quarantining, food has been one comfort that hasn’t yet let me down. I’ve been inspired by the amount of bread being baked, the creative ingredient swaps suggested online, and the ingenuity of the food community to adapt wherever possible to survive this crisis.
Read MoreOn two occasions this week I turned leftovers from dinner the night before into breakfast the following day and in each case the results far exceeded my expectations. The first time around, leftover polenta was cooked in sausage grease, and loosened with water to become
Read MoreI ate very well this last week and discovered some new tasty and surprising foods along the way. I ate a frittata with turnip and carrots in it that despite being unexpected fillers worked really well. I was also introduced to my new favorite…
Read MoreAccording to the Great China menu, Double Skin contains “mung bean noodle, carrots, cucumber, egg crepe, calamari, shrimp, sea cucumber, onions, mushroom, pork.” There are three main reasons I love this dish: it’s a showstopper, it’s refreshing, and it’s texturally fascinating.
Read MoreWhen you’re feeling icky and most foods are less appetizing, chicken soup is one of those comforts that can help merely by being delicious. But, it also is a perfect food because it is hydrating, anti-inflammatory, and incredibly nutritious. There’s a reason it’s sometimes referred to as “jewish penicillin”…
Read MoreCrispy browned mushrooms require patience but the flavor you get on the other end is worth the wait. The goal with this technique is to develop a deep meaty flavor by giving them long enough in the pan to cook out most of their water. Water is the enemy of browning which is why…
Read MoreI was visiting friends and family on the East Coast the other week and while I ate incredibly well, I didn’t have a chance to cook. My first night back home I was eager to get into the kitchen, but I hadn’t gone shopping yet. My mind immediately went to pasta (is anyone surprised at this point?) so I turned to my tried and true everyday tomato sauce…
Read MoreI guess I got carried away and claimed I could probably eat pasta for every meal and not get sick of it. That’s when the Great Noodle Challenge of 2018 was born. Chelsea was intrigued and together we laid out the ground rules…
Read MoreEver since Mind of a Chef I had bistro food on my mind. Simply put, bistro food is french comfort food. Think cassoulet and boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin and steak frites. The food is what makes a bistro a bistro but the atmosphere is what makes a bistro a good bistro. The best bistros are…
Read MorePasta dough is one of the most pleasing doughs to work with and also one of the simplest. Just flour and eggs, a pinch of salt and a bit of elbow grease and you’ve got yourself something special. The transition from shaggy clumpy flour to smooth, golden, pliable dough is magic.
Read MoreThe goal for a grilled cheese is to get a golden crunchy exterior on your bread with gooey cheese on the inside. If all goes well, you'll also get some crispy cheese bits around the edges where cheese spilled onto the pan. To do this we want plenty of butter which will help the bread brown nicely, a low heat on the pan so…
Read MoreThe more I’ve learned and the more I’ve cooked, the more I realize how little I knew. I just had a couple basic tricks up my sleeve that I used over and over. Turns out this was classic Dunning-Kruger…
Read MoreFood writing is something I’ve thought about doing for ages but never plucked up the courage, or will, to start. I never felt I could add anything to the cooking/eating/foodie community. How can I be original? Who even cares what I have to say? But here I am with a blog called Luce’s Noodz, for all the world to see.
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