After our not-so-wonderful winter and spring, opening day of the North Main St. farmers' market in East Hampton was gratifyingly robust. Witness these gorgeous, freshly cut stalks of purple asparagus. And they're organic to boot! The violet hue is not the only difference between purple asparagus and its green brethren; the purple variety is sweeter and less fibrous. The … [Read more...]
GREEN GODDESS DRESSING
One of my food rules (and there are many) is always order the things with avocado when in California. The west coast seems to have a way with them, consistently butter soft and flavorful, enriching eggs, sandwiches, quesadillas and just about anything else you can think of. This rule was validated on a recent trip to San Fran and L.A. One of the highlights was a Green … [Read more...]
CUPOLA di BUCATINI / PASTA DOME RECIPE
Frequent readers will know that Spectacularly Delicious has a fondness for tall food. From croquembouche pyramids to kugelhopf ziggurats, the peaks of Mont Blancs to tumbling cascades of lobster, we take the "haute" in haute cuisine very seriously. That goes for alta cucuina as well. The arching swell of Spec D's Pasta al Duomo is joined by another architectural marvel: … [Read more...]
ASPARAGUS FESTIVAL / ASPARAGUS SALMON PENNE RECIPE
While the news from asparagus growers in the northeast might be grim, the forecast is sunny for asparagus farmers in California's San Joaquin Valley. The glory of the green stems was on full view at the recent 29th Annual Stockton Asparagus Festival. The festival celebrates all things asparagus from the educational (growing beds and long handled harvesting knives) to the … [Read more...]
Easter Egg Salad
Easter eggs - before and after. Here are my humble contributions to the egg salad canon: 1. Use olive oil mayonnaise, it as a little more heft. Hellman's makes it now, among others. 2. Sliced pickled jalapenos, and plenty of salt and pepper. Therefore, if neurological professional viagra disorder is the cause for such … [Read more...]
SALT LIBRARY
Flavored and specialty salts have been infiltrating the larder here for some time now. So much so that an inventory was in order. Here's what we found: SPANISH ROSEMARY SALT (The Filling Station) Nice rosemary aroma, nice rosemary taste, pleasing loose … [Read more...]
BROWN BUTTER MADELEINES
More tiny cake than cookie, these Madeleines get their toasty taste from browned butter. Sure you can skip this step but I wouldn't. Just take care to not burn the butter. It'll bubble for a minute or two before starting to brown, then take if off the heat when it starts to darken. It will continue to color in the hot pan so pour it out before it burns. This recipe calls … [Read more...]
“LOOKING” FOR PERI PERI CHICKEN
The season finale of Looking, HBO's new gay-boys-in-San Francisco show, left fans hanging. Was it a bad career move for Patrick (Jonathan Groff) to have sex with his boss? Can Agustin (Franki J. Álvarez) reverse his downward spiral of drugs, escorts and tacky art? (A unicorn!) What's up with Lynn (Scott Bakula) and Dom (Murray Barlett)? Are they just investor and protegé -- or … [Read more...]
DUBLIN LAWYER: LOBSTER IN WHISKEY CREAM SAUCE
Every time March rolls around the search for new Irish recipes commences. After all, corned beef only gets you so far. Even at its most creative (St. Patrick's Day sausages anyone?) it is still corned beef. That's not to say there aren't a lot of tasty Hibernian dishes. Witness General Vegetable Soup and the Sullivan family's soda bread recipe. A few notches up the gourmet … [Read more...]
Two Mustards
For some, myself included, condiments are a sort of food security blanket. As long as there's an abundance of little jars in the fridge all will be right in the world. Or at least all will be right with the next sandwich you make. Specialty mustards are well represented in any respectable condiment collection. The flavor combinations are endless and they are indestructible. … [Read more...]