Guanciale (oh, oh)

(To the tune of “Volare”) Got my guanciale hung in the very sophisticated curing setup in my basement (the basement is 60F and 61% humidity, which isn’t too bad). Not pictured is the small, weak fan blowing a gentle breeze in the guanciale’s general direction. 

Water Buffalo Barbari Bread

Fresh zucchini blossoms and garlic flowers look pretty and belie this dish’s utter simplicity. Locally raised Nicky Farms water buffalo tastes to me like a slightly more iron-rich bison, making it a natural fit for bold Middle Eastern spices. Here I’ve browned it in a 

Pizza Bolognese

Sorry for the dead air for the past…oh, my. It’s been a month. I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire right now (including some projects for print), and this just fell off my radar. But it’s summer! And the garden is full! This 

Homemade Labneh

A month or so ago, I did a cooking demo for Stonyfield yogurt, and ended up with 4 quarts of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, with an aggressively impending expiration date. At first I tried just slipping it into everything: burritos! salad dressing! cornbread! But eventually 

Meyer limoncello

I know this isn’t quite the way the Italians do it,  but I reckon they might if they got their hands on a bushel of sweet Meyer lemons. I don’t have anything against Sorrento lemons, mind, I just think these smooth little globes of sunshine 

Spaghetti al Tonno con Limone

This is not your mother’s tuna-noodle casserole. Not mine, anyway. This is, though, a basic, easy thing: spaghetti with tuna and lemon. Perfect for a lazy weeknight dinner, easily accomplished between bouts of checking my Twitter feed, playing Words with Friends and other impatient, hungry 

Sopa del mezcolanza

…or, “hodgepodge soup”. Yeah, I’ve already failed at meeting my once-a-week blogging quota. And I don’t fucking care! God, it’s so liberating to just admit that instead of apologizing and making excuses. I have been cooking here and there, but nothing new or interesting. I 

Moroccan Chickpea and Carrot Stew

…or, Back in the Saddle Again Zephyr is now 8 weeks old, and I’m starting to get the hang of having him around. That said, cooking still takes me a bit of planning (unless I opt for yet another “pasta night” or “takeout night”). This 

Grilled eggplant and heirloom tomato panini with chevre and kalamata tapenade

Yay! Summery weekend weather started on Friday, and the lovely log of French goat cheese that’s been languishing in my fridge got its day in the sun. The first good heirloom tomatoes starting showing up in stores, and I was powerless. An eggplant and a 

Rigatoni Bolognese with olives and chiles

It’s been so hard to muster the energy or interest to cook, what with fatigue and nausea running the show. Pasta with red sauce seems to be accepted without a hitch, and requires nearly no effort, particularly when I have one last, treasured jar of