Along the way I have tried to share my love of the sensory. I have written hundreds of articles about food and drink for consumers as a syndicated columnist for the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, Restaurant Hospitality magazine, Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Wine & Spirits, and now Huffington Post. Raw chestnuts are harvested in spiny pods, shown above in the Campo di Fiori market in Rome.  They are roasted and sold by street vendors in Rome... |
576 Comments | Posted November 25, 2011 | 08:43:04 (EST)
What I want to know is why is there not a booming outcry about the creeping of "Black Friday" into Thursday by the bloviators, especially the super patriotic types on FOX? Why are we letting greedy merchants steal this unique national family valued event from their clerks, stockboys, cashiers, and...
79 Comments | Posted November 17, 2011 | 10:58:23 (EST)
The question is: Brine my bird or not? The answer? Maybe.
Turkey that is labeled "enhanced" or "flavor enhanced" or "self-basting" or "basted" has been injected with a salt solution at the packing plant. Kosher meat...
23 Comments | Posted October 28, 2011 | 15:19:28 (EST)
I'm a big football fan -- an undersized high school linebacker who even did spring training with the University of Florida as "Paper Gator" when I was sports editor of the campus paper (click the link to read about my dubious record at the Swamp). I'm the guy...
Posted October 17, 2011 | 12:35:06 (EST)
Read more reports from Meathead's kitchen and grill deck at AmazingRibs.com
My garden is heaving its last breath. The tomatoes are green and show no inclination toward joining my salads. But they will not go to waste! A few will become fried green tomatoes for Sunday breakfast,...
76 Comments | Posted September 30, 2011 | 13:18:29 (EST)
The Stall. The Zone. The Plateau. It has many names and it has freaked out many a barbecue cook. I know because they email me right in the middle of their cook. Panicky.
You get a big hunk-o-meat, like a pork...
Posted September 28, 2011 | 14:36:58 (EST)
Among all the creatures on earth, only humans cook -- and barbecue is the world's oldest cooking method. Barbecue may even be the world's second oldest profession.
It has been said by anthropologists that mastery of...
Posted August 31, 2011 | 17:45:03 (EST)
Caprese salad is the world's best use of tomatoes and possibly the world's best salad. This classic summer dish from the Island of Capri off the west coast of Italy is the essence of August on a plate. It is the...
Posted August 19, 2011 | 14:10:22 (EST)
Earlier this week Oscar Mayer and Ball Park found themselves before a judge in Chicago accusing each other of false advertising. One battle in the wiener wars is over Oscar Meyer's claim that their frank is the best.
Apparently
Posted August 5, 2011 | 13:59:52 (EST)
Bazillions of pounds of ground turkey were recalled this week because a man died in California and scores more are puking up their guts and crapping blood. Dozens were killed in Germany by cute little sprouts and scores more had their kidneys destroyed. Fer...
Posted July 27, 2011 | 18:01:58 (EST)
This month Oscar Mayer is celebrating 75 years of the Wienermobile. The first Wienermobile was the brainchild of Oscar's nephew Karl Mayer, and on July 18, 1936, the 13 foot hot dog built by GM started cruising the streets of Chicago...
Posted July 15, 2011 | 09:15:14 (EST)
The first thing to do is close your eyes and say "I am smarter than my grill. I will not let it ruin meals and make me look like a fool or make my family sick." - Meathead
Remember, when you close the...
Posted June 29, 2011 | 19:42:25 (EST)
More Authentic Regional BBQ Sauce RecipesTo most Americans, barbecue sauce is red and sweet and it comes from a shelf near the ketchup. To those who travel... |
Posted June 24, 2011 | 11:20:04 (EST)
In Chicago, where hot dog stands far out number hamburger joints, there is one and only one classic recipe, and very little variation from it. It is the perfect hot dog.
Ask foodies around the world what makes the great city in the middle...
Posted June 16, 2011 | 13:05:18 (EST)
As a hot dog aficionado my heart leapt when I read all the headlines about the rising interest in the New York Weiner. All I can say is, it's about time that the rest of the country comes face to face with the charms of this liberally condimented showpiece clad...
Posted June 11, 2011 | 14:30:08 (EST)
Everybody knows that undercooked ground beef is risky. But there is one innocent looking food that is probably riskier: Raw sprouts. Mike Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia has been quoted as saying "I consider sprouts to be among the most...
Posted June 6, 2011 | 10:53:27 (EST)
According to multiple news reports, on Saturday German scientists identified the source of the deadly E. coli O104:H4 outbreak around Hamburg, Germany, as bean sprouts not hamburgers, lettuce, tomato, or cucumbers. No surprise to anybody who pays attention to food safety issues.
Posted June 3, 2011 | 13:50:24 (EST)
It's the time of the year for Dad to go out and immolate his paycheck, turning succulent pieces of meat and crunchy fresh veggies into hockey pucks and piles of ash. With Father's Day coming up on June 21, it's also time for...
Posted May 26, 2011 | 10:58:21 (EST)
On Tuesday the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), with much fanfare, finally changed its cooking temp recommendations which were waaaay out of...
Posted May 13, 2011 | 12:06:14 (EST)
"Why is it that one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a barbecue?" Anonymous
 Starting charcoal... |
18 Comments | Posted December 5, 2011 | 13:23:01 (EST)