It was very kind and considerate of the organizers of the all-women BlogHer to invite celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito as a guest presenter. Most of the women here were purring his name Rrrrrroco, and I must agree, he is pretty easy on the eyes.
If you were an attendee, and can’t remember what he cooked [...]

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You’ve had a long hard day, haven’t you? You’re hungry, you’ve worked your tail off, and the last thing you want to do is slave over dinner. I know the feeling. It’s days like this when all I want to do is veg out in front of the evening news with a nice glass of [...]

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Have you ever gotten disapproving looks at parties for eagerly scooping up too much of the caviar? That’s never happened to me per se (I’m much too sneaky to get caught), but if you have then you will enjoy this scoop-worthy roe.

Tarama is cod or carp roe that is salted, dried and sometimes smoked. [...]

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When we heard that drastic cuts in wild chinook salmon fishing were being taken I admit I freaked out a bit. I live in the Pacific Northwest. Salmon is a staple food up here! We need it like we need fresh air to breathe (well, that’s a bit of a stretch, but I will miss [...]

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This year several U.S. states and Canada suspended salmon fishing and are having major trade talks over fishing quotas. There is generally a wild salmon crisis in the Pacific Northwest, the world’s richest salmon fishery. For more, read the Seattle PI story: “U.S., Canada agree to cuts in 2 major salmon fisheries: Pact hopes to [...]

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I worked as an Oyster Shucker at Taste Catering during college. One particularly memorable gig was an Apple Computer party held at the California Academy of Sciences aquarium. Our bar, complete with 6 foot dolphin ice sculptures, was setup in front of the alligator pit and next to Huey Lewis and the News. It was [...]

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After graduating from high school I went to Madrid, Spain. I’d studied Spanish for 4 years and spent a summer living with a family in Mexico. When I arrived to attend the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, I had a great language base, but was totally unprepared for a whole new food world that greeted me. [...]

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Takoyaki is one of many Japanese foods that make average Americans cringe. Literally translated as “fried octopus,” I love these little snacks that hail from Osaka. Made primarily of eggs, flour and octopus, Takoyaki are cooked in a specially designed pan and resemble Dunkin Donuts’ Munchkins. Covered in a sweetish sauce, mayonnaise and typically served [...]

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Barnaby has the uncanny ability to look into the fridge and be able to whip up some fabulous gourmet meal. I, on the other hand, will take a look and immediately say, “We have nothing, nothing at all. We need to go to the store.”
Last night was one such night. I saw nothing and Barnaby [...]

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“Pssst! Hey, man, you got any of the good stuff? I ask sotto voce. No, I am not looking to buy controlled substances on a seedy street corner. The good stuff I’m looking for are fresh halibut cheeks. I guess you could say it is an addiction of sorts. This delicacy is quite hard to [...]

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