There is no real American cuisine. This is what I’ve heard from numerous people, and when I say that there is I’m challenged to provide examples. Well, instead of just listing off something like cioppino this time around I’d back up my assertion that America has great original cuisine by making a classic myself. more…

So what does a person do for dinner when they have a Sunday off and free? The first Sunday in around 6 months where they can do and or make whatever they want? The answer came to me immediately as I came across an organic free range chicken while picking up late night snack foods after service last evening. It being fall, and a Sunday there could only be one option: roast chicken! more…

I’ve long been a fan of fennel. Freshly cut fennel in a salad is such a great thing that I can’t see any home going without. So when walking through Wegmans this week I couldn’t resist buying just one fennel bulb. I had no idea what it would be used for, but there it was and I had to have it. more…

We’re slowly approaching my favorite food time of the year, spring and summer. I love the hearty dishes of the winter, but after months of enduring snow and cold weather I’m ready for light and summery dishes. Lots of fish and cold salads await us. But for now we stay entrenched in the hearty meals. So what better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than to bring together two of my favorite items: cheddar cheese soup and the infamous BLT. more…

Pasta isn’t as revered in America as it should be. Consider how much pasta we actually eat, and then think about how we mistreat this most basic of dishes. We smother it in sauce, over cook it to the point of mush, and generally have no clue what to do with it. I’m here to tell you it’s a simple matter of taking back pasta. Make pasta that is heartbreakingly delicious, and do it all with the easiest recipe you’ve ever tried. more…

So here it is, in all its unglamorous glory: my cheap meal. Not just a cheap meal, but the ultimate one. This is the dinner or lunch I turn to constantly when money is tight. The great thing about it is it’s simple to adjust the flavor to match what you feel like at the moment. Basically it’s just rice, some frozen veggie you have on hand, and as an option some old frozen protein. Toss those three items in a bowl with some sort of flavor profile that you find appealing and you have yourself a meal fit for a king, but paid for from the pockets of a pauper. more…

I’ve got special things planned coming up soon. Hopefully they work out, and all the hard work I’m about to put into it is worthwhile. At the least I hope it’s tasty. That time is not now though. I think over the months it’s become clear that I like to make simple dishes that taste good. As much as I enjoy a good soufflé, or fussing around making a yam puree, I still just want to sit and eat. What faster and more convenient food is there than ramen noodles? more…

“Scuba? What’s for dinner tonight?” That’s a common mantra here at home when I’m actually around to make dinner. Tonight I was going to enjoy the menu’s announcement, and everything worked out as planned. One of the best things about being a cook is cooking an item that you know the person eating it has no interest in. So with a smile I stated, “Fish cakes.” It got the rolling eyes and disgusted face I hoped for. Strange reaction to be happy about before setting on the journey of a homemade meal. more…

Stuffing pork in some fashion is possibly my most favorite way to eat pig. I think I even like it more than bacon, which is saying a lot because I’d put bacon in my lemonade if I could. An apple walnut stuffing smeared over a loin, then wrapped in puff pastry, is absolutely drool worthy. Then there’s the classic pairing of pork with apricots. My wife declared her love of the fruit yesterday and I decided to do my own version of a stuffing. more…

Phew. Even though I’m not currently cooking all of the recipes that have gone up for our Thanksgiving coverage it is still a tiring process getting all of that info out to you. What that means is the easiest dinner possible. Matt, one of the managers at the restaurant, has been asking me to do more salad recipes. I’m of a similar mind to Tom Colicchio in that I don’t necessarily consider making a salad actual cooking. What I do think a salad can be is an easy way to cobble together dinner with nary a thought. more…