In the spring of 2020 the world shut down confronted with an immense public health crisis. It meant I couldn't eat out, be fed by friends, or even go to the store more than once a week. I started a weekly newsletter to document my experience over the span of that unusual period in our history.
I've decided to continue that on a slightly different basis while slowly transitioning my paper notebooks into a digital format. Each month, I'll do a write up in the What's Cooking section, the latest just below. In the Recipes section, I'll slowly add and refine the formulas for what I cook and bake.
The weather is finally beginning to turn, though that’s yet to reflect itself in the produce I can get my hands on in a meaningful way.
There has also been much discussion of food prices, as we continue to fight with inflation above the levels we’ve gotten used to in the last couple of decades.
Newest Recipes
Chestnut Cream Cake
This is a paradoxical cake. It’s pretty easy to make from a technical perspective, but the key ingredient — the ingredient that makes the cake — is very difficult to find here in the United States....
Levain Pizza Dough
I started noodling with pizza made with a levain after trying Oobatz, a pizza place in Paris. They use a levain-based dough, and it adds a nice tang. I feed my levain with a relatively less refined flour (versus white all-purpose flour), which also adds a bit of extra flavor....
Entrecôte-style Steak Sauce
While I wouldn’t visit France just to eat there, it’s a lot of fun to go to a branch of L’Entrecôte. If you go, there are effectively no choices. You get a green salad, fries, and steak with sauce....
Weeknight Short Ribs
There are a million different ways to do a beef short rib braise. This is my go-to for a (somewhat) quick weeknight dinner that’s pretty good without needing a ton of effort....
Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
This is another great cake that I’ve had many times at the River Cafe.
Among the tweaks I’ve made to the recipe over the years, it’s a lot easier to start by whipping up the egg whites and then setting them aside....
