The Well-Seasoned Cook

Maybe I'll Come Home in Spring

2012-01-30T05:39:00.006-05:00

Dear all. I'm afraid I've suffered another relapse of my December illness, and will need to recede from the blogging world at least until mid March. This, unfortunately means that BWW will be on hiatus until the spring equinox. It pains me to disappoint you, but I've not slept at all last night, and expect what is at issue will take many weeks for me to recover from.You've all been wonderful,

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #27

2012-01-25T23:24:00.002-05:00

Finally. Many apologies for the late publishing of BWW #27. I'd been having problems with Blogger for weeks already, but this post, with all the photos which it obvious must have, really crossed swords with me. Every. Single. Piece. of. Data. had to be done through HTML. Thank you for your extreme patience and your lovely contributions.And another gentle reminder that if you want your photos

How to Shoot Tabletop Photography without Shooting Yourself in the Head - Tips for the Greenest Beginners

2012-01-25T10:05:00.012-05:00

A photographer went to a socialite party in New York. As he entered the front door, the host said 'I love your pictures - they're wonderful; you must have a fantastic camera.' He said nothing until dinner was finished, then: 'That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove.' - Sam Haskins (South African photographer, 1926 - 2009.)You've heard it all before: it's not the camera; it's

Breaking Bread in the New Year

2012-01-24T16:31:00.004-05:00

On January 24, I am absurdly late in the tradition of the long look back at 2011 while gliding forward on a magic carpet ride into a future of resolutions and hopes. My life in 2011 can be charted on the sensitive stylus of a zig-zagging seismograph. In the spring, I was lying on my belly, on damp and cold ground, entranced by a wiry thatch of Siberian squill, of a blue so rarely found in nature

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #26

2012-01-18T23:07:00.015-05:00

Welcome to Week #26 of Black and White Wednesday. I hope you enjoy viewing your culinary comrades' stylish photos as much as I enjoy pulling together your talented contributions every week. I don't know about you, but weeks have never blurred by so quickly since I launched this get-together exactly six months ago. Where did the time go? Why, with clicking, of course.Do let me know if any

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #25

2012-01-11T19:18:00.007-05:00

Welcome to Week #25 of Black and White Wednesday. It is well past the new end time of 9:00 p.m. New York time. Thanks for making this week another success. I appreciate the time you took to read the new guidelines along with refreshing some other points in the original announcement. Both posts are now combined into the announcement and can be found on my sidebar. If you ever have any

Black and White Wednesday - A Bit of Fine Tuning for the Weekly Event

2012-01-08T02:29:00.017-05:00

As Black and White Wednesday approaches its six-month milestone, it has become necessary for me to implement a few small changes and gentle reminders to improve my efficiency so that I can post the weekly galleries somewhat sooner without breaking my stride in the very specific series of tasks I must do. With this saved time, I can get back to visiting your photo posts, where I can linger and

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #24

2012-01-04T21:46:00.059-05:00

Happy New Year and welcome to the nearly six-month point of Black and White Wednesday - Week #24. Thank you for your wonderful explorations in black and white culinary photography. There's plenty here to contemplate and enjoy despite the fact that we are all returning and adjusting to the natural rhythms of life after the holidays. I do not anticipate another hiatus from hosting this event

Black-Eyed Pea Tabbouleh with Pomegranate Molasses Dressing

2012-01-02T22:24:00.010-05:00

The New Year is the only holiday in the United States when you get to extend well wishes to everyone for more than a week, which is about the time it takes to stop writing your checks and correspondence incorrectly with the previous year. This is a very generous custom, since it cuts me a break to post a recipe today that was due on December 31, 2011, the very first day those well wishes

SEASON'S GREETINGS

2011-12-24T17:00:00.008-05:00

Whether in Cold or Warm Clime, May December's Joy, Peace, and Love Extend Your Whole Life Long ~

Rava Uttapam - A Guest Post for Sia of Monsoon Spice

2011-12-22T15:40:00.015-05:00

Albeit red and green, it's beginning to look a lot like Indian around here. Yes, there is an unadorned mixed-conifer wreath on the door; a safe, candled light in every window; and a scripted font of smoke, as damp and dark green and indescribable as forest floor, dragging its finger across my face every time I light my fake fireplace, a coveted slim punk of Parisian joss stick, no longer in

Desaturated Saturday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #23

2011-12-17T18:38:00.062-05:00

Black and White Wednesday came a little late this week. Thanks so much for your great photos and patience while I endured a rather nasty bit of the flu. It's quite possible that given my delirium that I have made errors or omissions. If that is the case, please drop me a comment, and I will make the correction/s. For the moment, though, I'm pleased to present this last gallery of 2011 until we

Crustless Coconut Custard Pie - December Bake-A-Thon Day 4

2011-12-09T15:38:00.005-05:00

Yes, I know I am very late running, five days behind, for Champa's challenging December Bake-A-Thon, but if the gods are in my corner, I should have every post up to speed before the next BWW. BWW is very dear to me, and I know that it is growing on you, too, but it is a major commitment which is just starting to show chinks in my armor (more about that in the next post. No, I'm not giving it

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #22

2011-12-07T23:49:00.004-05:00

Welcome to Black and White Wednesday Week #22. I regret that I have run late this week since there are so many fabulous photos to enjoy, but I'm also juggling a baking marathon for the entire month of December. In between sorting through your talented images, I have been setting up and shooting four different recipes for baked goods. While I go crawl into bed now, those who are up on the other

Yorkshire Parkin with Lemon Neufchâtel Frosting - December Bake-A-Thon - Day 4

2011-12-04T23:40:00.003-05:00

Yorkshire Parkin with Lemon Neufchâtel FrostingA sturdy, oatmeal gingerbread of northern England,Yorkshire parkin is a warming treat even if you aren'tin the neighborhood to watch the burning of the Guywhose yearly commemoration was a month ago.Traditionally served without frosting, it is bestcut with a very sharp knife after it cools, but youwill want to tear into it fresh from the oven.

Molten Chocolate Mint Ramekin Cakes - December Bake-A-Thon - Day 3

2011-12-03T23:56:00.005-05:00

Little lava cakes have been around for a while now, with at least two chefs claiming these sybaritic brownies as their creations. Although Jacques Torres and Jean-Georges Vongerichten can cross swords all they like, I prefer to dip and scoop with a demi-tasse spoon into these voluptuously hot cups of too-much melted chocolate and butter with the seasonal zip of natural mint extract. Such

Coconut and Lychee Flaugnarde - December Bake-A-Thon - Day 2

2011-12-02T23:52:00.002-05:00

The French have a word for it. Don't they always? They call it a flaugnarde, although you might think it is a clafoutis. No dice. The famed black cherry-studded flan pancake from the Limousin cannot be properly called a clafoutis unless it is baked with cherries. All other similarly battered fruit recipes are assigned the flaugnarde moniker. But let's leave these wise and romantic linguists

Brown Sugar Spiced Shortbread Stars - December Bake-A-Thon - Day 1

2011-12-01T22:43:00.022-05:00

December has always been my favorite month. Not only does it make official the winter solstice, but it's cramped with the celebrations of Christmas and New Year's Eve, as well as my birthday and that of my brother. It's a busy month. So, of course, I've taken on more with a December Bake-A-Thon, the brain child of Champa of Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen, a friend who spends far more time baking

Warm Buttered Black Beluga Lentil and Pasta Salad

2011-11-30T23:46:00.003-05:00

Although chickpeas are at the top of my list of legume favorites, there is something particularly homey, easy, and comforting about lentils. They cook up in no time, are effortlessly versatile in menu planning, and are wildly high in protein and iron. Ancient in origin, and with nearly as many varieties as there are rices, a bag of lentils is as essential in my cupboard as coffee beans.Of

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #21

2011-11-30T18:17:00.086-05:00

Welcome to Week #21 of Black and White Wednesday. There are many fine photos for your viewing pleasure. The event is now closed for the week with a count of around forty. I hope you will enjoy the creative work of your comrades in the kitchen and behind the camera as much as I do. Thanks so much for your wonderful contributions. See you next week!Rosemary by Siri of Cooking with Siri~~~~~~~~~

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #20

2011-11-23T20:10:00.091-05:00

Welcome to Week #20 of Black and White Wednesday. Your talented contributions always inspire and delight week after week. It's been five months already, and you never run out of steam. Today's gallery presents a wonderful array of whimsy, glamor, temptation, hominess, geometry, stillness, minimalism, street life, and surrealism. I value each and every one of your photos and thank you for the

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #19

2011-11-16T15:02:00.094-05:00

Welcome to Black and White Wednesday Week #19. As usual, there are so many very fine photos for you to enjoy scrolling through. Thanks to all who have joined with your very talented and beautiful work. See you next week!~~~~~~~~~~"Life is like a good black and white photograph, there's black, there's white, and lots of shades in between." - Karl Heine by Lubna of Yummy Food~~~~~~~~~~A

No-Hassle Hasselback Blue Potatoes for Novel Food

2011-11-13T23:18:00.022-05:00

Some old tins and a few shriveled potatoes occupied a shelf and some vaguevegetable refuse the window.It reads like a sentence out of Dickens, and in more than one way, the thirty-seven page account of John (Joseph) Merrick in The Elephant Man and Other Reminiscences by Dr. Frederick Treves reveals just as much about the dreadful poverty, social ignorance, cruelty, and compassion of Victorian

Miso Shirataki Noodles with Edamame and Shichimi Togarashi Seasoning

2011-11-12T22:35:00.006-05:00

This was our Saturday night slurpy supper, a classically healthy Japanese broth-based bowl filled with innumerable soy-based ingredients that take it over the top for legume-centrity. Easy, naturally vegan and gluten-free, as well as very low in carbs, it warms the bones and soothes the hackles after a long day of obligations and futile attempts to squeeze more minutes out a clock that can only

Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Gallery - Week #18

2011-11-09T19:14:00.087-05:00

Welcome to Week #18 of Black and White Wednesday. I am very pleased to present another amazing gallery of deliciously talented photos in marvelous shades of monochrome. All photos, this time, are presented in the order they were received. The final count is around fifty. Thank you so much for sharing. I have read many a kind word about how this event nicely breaks up and brightens what would