What to make of Baltimore's Wallis Simpson, better known as the Duchess of Windsor? Well, if you happen to be Diana Mosley (née Mitford, yes, one of those Mitfords), there's very much to make of her indeed. Spectacularly Delicious concerns ourselves today with one of the Duchess's signature dishes, Shrimp and Corn pie, via a circuitous … [Read more...]
GRILLED PEACHES AND HONEY ICE CREAM
The big Fourth of July block parties in Webster Groves' Park neighborhood featured many spectacular meals: the 300 lb. roast pig, the 10' foot pizza (true, with St. Louis Post Dispatch newspaper coverage to prove it), outdoor deep fat fryers bubbling away all afternoon while Gerry Rust churned out flocks of crispy fried chicken for the annual gathering of our … [Read more...]
MARIO BATALI’S PANINI PAN
Weighing in at a hefty 16 pounds, this panini pan gave me pause when I saw it piled with various other detritus of questionable value on a clearance table at Bed Bath & Beyond. I figured it was probably a returned item because there was no packaging, just a hastily scribbled price tag. An orphan left on the door step … [Read more...]
SAGAPONACK BLUE CRAB SAUCE
This recipe for Sagaponack blue crab sauce reminds me of summer trips to the beach growing up. For as long as I can remember, growing up we always headed to the beach every summer. From Prince Edward Island's surprisingly warm waters (wow, the Gulf Stream works!) down to our grandparent's home in Jupiter, Florida, we decamped in rented cottages and … [Read more...]
A FABULOUS SEAFOOD CENTERPIECE
Here's a yard sale winner -- this Italian ceramic ...decorative sculpture? Object? Souvenir? It will certainly make an arresting centerpiece next time fish is on the menu. Spilling out of overflowing white basket base I counted seven fin fish, two crabs, two lemon halves, one lonely mussel and the of course the crowning glory, the spiny … [Read more...]
PASTA AL DUOMO: BAKED PASTA MOLD
In setting out to write this recipe for Pasta al Duomo, an architectural marvel of baked pasta with summer vegetables named in honor of Florence's famous cathedral, my mind strays to snippets of lyrics attributed to another Catholic icon, Evita Peron. "It won't be easy, you'll think it … [Read more...]
AN ELEGANT ANCHOVY SERVICE DISH
How much do you love this? A life-like porcelain reproduction of an anchovy can. While the colorful imported cans are iconic and pretty in their own humble manner, they are not table-ready. What's a host to do? This little white cache is just the thing to bring to table when serving Caesar Salad, Steak Tartare, pizza and any number of other dishes that could benefit with a … [Read more...]
10 RULES FOR SPECTACULAR PAELLA
Once you get the hang of paella, which won't take long if you heed these simple guidelines, you will be able to spread your wings and fly with any combination of tasty enhancements that strike your fancy. After years of academic study (reading tons of recipes) and hands-on trial and error (lots of trial, minimal error -- I said … [Read more...]
FORAGED AND ORGANICALLY-FARMED MUSHROOM BOLOGNESE WITH HUMANELY RAISED, LOCAL, FREE RANGE, GRASS-FED BEEF OVER HAND-MADE ORGANIC HERB PASTA
What could be easier than this luxurious celebration of all that is good and right and honorable in the world of food? Well, pretty much anything, really. Still this recipe for an earthy Bolognese laden with the flavors of the forest floor, tossed with silken strands of pasta of impeccable integrity, brightened by sprightly herbs grown just as God … [Read more...]
THE PERFECT HOT DOG RECIPE
Consider, if you will, the ingredients in my recipe for perfect hand-crafted hot dogs: fresh beef chuck, fresh pork, fresh garlic, kosher salt, paprika. Now, please take a moment to review the ingredients in Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs, a New York favorite: beef [unspecified], water, salt, sorbitol, sodium lactate, "natural flavorings" [?], sodium … [Read more...]