Introduction: NORMAN VAN AKEN: There was no Internet and almost no cookbooks on the subject of Latin and Caribbean cooking so I began to go to the little restaurants that I’d known for a number of years – eating the food, enjoying the food but now “food sleuthing.” (Laughs). MARION…
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The Jacques Pépin Foundation New Cookbook Debuts!
Exciting news All! The @JacquesPepinFoundation has just released Cook with Jacques & Friends: Volume 2 and I’m proud to have a recipe featured in the Video Recipe Book. For many chefs, Jacques is a mentor who is generous beyond compare. His foundation supports free culinary and life skills training to…
A Word On Food: Greens
Such a small word. Such a simple word. Love is like that too. I didn’t grow up knowing and loving greens like so many in our American South. In Northern Illinois where I tromped, crawled, ran, ambled, slid, skidded and stumbled through childhood greens were not bubbling in a black…
A Word On Food: Choclo
We went to a restaurant that has history in Miami but a new story in that they have moved to a more permanent and spacious location. For now all of the seating is outside in a lovely courtyard. My wife Janet and I met up with our son Justin for…
A Word On Food: Roti
There are clusters of ethnicities in every city. Immigrants, encouraged by pioneers find a home within many urban centers in close proximity to others from their shared homelands. Chinatowns are the most obvious examples of them. Oftentimes when things turned threatening in ones home country people … wanting better for…
Forever Oceans Interview
Recently I was interviewed by Forever Oceans. They are a group intent on helping people have delicious and sustainable seafood. I first came to know of them via my friend and long time Chef Rick Moonen. Many know of Rick’s work already but if you don’t he’s become famous for…
A Word On Food: Heart
Naturally due to the pandemic, we take many measures to be as safe as we can. But we are happy that our son, Justin, daughter-in-law Lourdes and granddaughter Audrey have returned to the mainland after a few years of living in Key West. Now we can now visit with them…
A Word On Food: Barbacoa
We can argue on what is and what is not ‘real’ barbecue. We have and will continue to .. forever. It is one of those things so core to our identity and personal provenance. If a person from Texas says he or she is making barbecue likely you will be…
A Word On Food: Meatballs
We had a bit of a cool weather pattern last week. My hungers turned back to earlier times in my life as weather can do. Our minds are switched in different directions with things as transformative as weather can be. It is funny to watch the foodies of South Florida’s…
A Word On Food: Carnitas
The first time we tried to check out the place that inspired me to write this show it was closed. But that made sense in that it was New Year’s Day. I was prepared for that possibility. Heartbroken but prepared. I’ve long been a proponent of ‘word of mouth’ recommendations…
A Word On Food: Curry
Several years ago. Okay… Many … we were sitting on the verandah of a hotel overlooking Waikiki beach resting. The mighty Pacific Ocean purred like a Lamborghini in the shimmering distance. Earlier my wife, Janet and I had spent hours walking in Honolulu’s incredible Chinatown. A keen hunger was rising….
A Word On Food: Menus
My friend Denny and I have been talking about menu collecting as of late. I love conversing with him about food and music. It might be fun to take the titles of the almost 400 ‘A Word On Food’ shows I’ve done, put them in one of those lotto spinners,…
Cigar Snob Magazine: “If Hemingway Were a Chef”
“Between the cable networks and the blogs, the Instagram accounts and the YouTube channels, the cookbooks and the magazines, food is everywhere, and there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of opportunity to become a food celebrity. All it takes is a bit of personality, a cell phone camera, access…
A Word On Food: Birthday Cakes
It is the beginning of a New Year. The hopes we have for 2021 might be as wishful we’ve had for any year in our lives. I think it has been nearly universally acknowledged that last year was the toughest. And we are not out of the woods yet. But…
A Word On Food: Champagne
People of all faiths have woken today and know it is the day after Christmas. It is such an impactful holiday. The moments of hope for humanity touch deeply at times like these. It is a time that calls for the most magnificent celebrations and gratitude for life. As far…
A Word On Food: Dégustation Menus
As we now are ending the longest year of our collective lives it is time to end a number of things. Of course there are loftier things to ditch. Discrimination, bullying, science haters and others. But one has to do with the particular field of work I chose to till…