Non-Purist Mincemeat
I Googled Mincemeat. Who would have thought I would stumble into some of the most condescending food blogs and forums ever created. A couple of people inquired as to whether or not it is possible to make mincemeat without suet. Suet is the fat located nearby the kidneys; it’s creamy white, dense and, when heated, melts into a clear liquid resembling vegetable oil. It’s the traditional animal fat used in mincemeat, and more importantly in steamed puddings of the (bread-base variety). It melts slowly and maintains tenderness and moisture in those puddings that are cooked for hours in a water bath. In mincemeat, it’s really more about the flavor the fat c

The Chinese Cure-All
Not unlike scores of Jewish mothers administering chicken soup to those with colds, Chinese cooks have long known of the healing properties of Hot and Sour Soup.  Chicken stock is therapeutic, plain and simple.  Add to it mushrooms (a good form of fungus) and lily buds which are good for the circulation, vinegar which is an antiseptic, and white pepper which helps to break up mucous (I was going to say phlegm but that word really bothers some people), and you have an excellent cold remedy. I got this recipe by way of Gourmet magazine and I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been tampered with too much.  Sometimes I have left out the pork or substituted a

Lemon & Rice Soup
The title pretty much says it all.  The ingredient are few, the instructions simple, and while it is a dish that is tasty to a point that far exceeds the sum of its parts, it’s not a recipe I want to wax poetic about for paragraphs.  I made is yesterday while chatting with Martha online (it’s that kind of recipe), and told her “It tastes like spring, but still it is comforting when the weather is chillier.”   I’m going to stick with that. It’s based on the Greek soup (often served at Easter) Avgolemono, but I just sort of winged it.  You can make it with or without the chicken; if you are serving it as a first

American-Made
As summer came to a close I wanted to get in at least one more party; I decided to serve hot dogs.  While many summer gatherings (frequently those which are last-minute) feature hot dogs on the menu, I had in mind a party that was not at all last minute, either in conception or execution.   I have been reading lately on regional American food in an effort to learn more about our culinary history.  I want to learn about the foods specific to each region but I am also intere

The Grief Buffet
This morning around 7:30 my aunt died after a long and difficult battle with Parkinson’s Disease. I’m sad for her children and her grandchildren and for friends she has had for decades, but I am glad for her. The last year had been very difficult for her and to be free of the burden of her broken body must be a joy, as is the chance to join the daughter she lost many years ago. When I was told her death would be soon my first thoughts turned to food. Some people hold a death watch for the ailing, some call relatives and friends, some make funeral arrangement: I cook. I thought about the dishes I prepared for funerals in the past, and of things the people att