Category: Fish

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What Happens When A Dead Roman Cook Meets A Dead Gulf Coast Red Snapper? Let’s Find Out. Happy New Year!

Apicius’ eponymous cookbook dates from the first century to the fifth century CE as determined by the scholars who have translated and supplied a critical introduction to this 2006 CE edition of one of the ancient world’s great tomes of recipes. Quite a range of time–from let’s say Claudius, without forgetting Caligula, of course, onto … Continue reading What Happens When A Dead Roman Cook Meets A Dead Gulf Coast Red Snapper? Let’s Find Out. Happy New Year!

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A Taste Of Spring In Fall: Redzepi, Heaney and Vivaldi With A Dram Of Johnnie Walker Black

For Monday 16-Tuesday 17 May, Rene Redzepi writes the following in his journal, I went foraging, sinking into the forest, tasting things, hoping to clear my thoughts and take that deep, relaxing breath that allows me to shrug off the bustle of the kitchen.  I took a second and rested on my haunches, absentmindedly picking … Continue reading A Taste Of Spring In Fall: Redzepi, Heaney and Vivaldi With A Dram Of Johnnie Walker Black

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Protein Of The Soul

Francisco Goya’s still-life, A Butcher’s Counter.  A sheep’s head and sides of mutton.  Painted between 1810 and 1812.  Painted during the ano del hambre in Madrid when thousands starved to death.  This was the time of Napoleon’s invasion, time of Desastres de la Guerra. In our featured painting, protein is the key molecule, movement.  In … Continue reading Protein Of The Soul

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Chef’s Choice

Well, it’s another bright summer day.  Yes, I know it’s September, but trust me it’s still a blazing hot summer in Houston, so let’s take a look at wine recommendations for a season called “Indian Summer.”  I think I remember experiencing those in a mythical land called Michigan.  Thumbs up for the Oyster Bay Chardonnay … Continue reading Chef’s Choice

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Off The Menu

I’ve begun to read René Redzepi’s Work in Progress: Journal, Recipes and Snapshots.  One thing true about the Great Forager is his abundant use of flowers:  “A Light Stew of Broad Beans and Flowers,” “Spicy and Sweet Cucumber and Pickled Elderflowers,” “A Plateful of Flowers and Some Vinaigrette.”  His titles read like poems–“Steamed Dandelion Leaves and … Continue reading Off The Menu

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Coltivare–Pig Parts and Putrefaction Never Tasted So Good.

Down White Oak from Revival Market in the Houston Heights waits a trattoria-style dining experience combining fresh, local produce and engaging, delicious cooking–Coltivare.  Mr. and Mrs. MagicFishBones arrive at six, greet another couple, and fortunately are able to sit immediately at one of the last available tables–right near the front window.  Going out to dinner … Continue reading Coltivare–Pig Parts and Putrefaction Never Tasted So Good.

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Why A Food Blog? Roux And A Symposium . . . Or How I Dance, Talk, And Brown Butter At The Same Time.

Greenling has delivered okra!  Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking tells us that “Okra comes from the annual plant Hibiscus (Abelmoschus) esculentus, a member of the hibiscus family and a relative of roselle and cotton.  It originated in either southwest Asia or eastern Africa, and came to the southern United States with the slave … Continue reading Why A Food Blog? Roux And A Symposium . . . Or How I Dance, Talk, And Brown Butter At The Same Time.

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Sunday Fare

Above, the dining room at Ouisie’s Table.  Have I ever had a better crab cake?  No, probably not.  Today’s menu celebrates stone fruit, summer tomatoes, southern cuisine, Iberian recipes, Geoffrey Hill, trout, Colombia, figs and bourbon.  My, my.  Oh, waiter.  Let’s get started with a refreshing beverage from a Thug. Given the summer season, I … Continue reading Sunday Fare

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Food Of The Day

Sean Brock has an amazing menu and a clear creative and critical eye for Southern Cooking.  I’ve dined at Husk in Charleston, while the above image is from his new Husk in Nashville.  I’m watching him on The Mind of a Chef, narrated by Anthony Bourdain.  His mind clearly cooks within heirloom varieties, centuries-old traditions … Continue reading Food Of The Day

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The Dinner Party 3: “When Shall We Live If Not Now?”

How does the Culinary Institute of America teach hospitality?  This is what John W. Fisher has to say in At Your Service: A Hands-on Guide to the Professional Dining Room. To help bring the concept to life, I begin with an example that draws upon the students’ own memories and emotions.  I ask them to … Continue reading The Dinner Party 3: “When Shall We Live If Not Now?”