Sean Brock – Page 2 – Empires, Cannibals, and Magic Fish Bones

March 11, 2015

The Appalachian Book Of The Dead, Woodford Reserve, And How To Smoke A Pork Belly On Your Son’s Birthday (Part 1).

The “Weighing of the Heart” in The Egyptian Book of the Dead offers a moment we may live any day or minute on earth, and one we may believe judges all our actions and thoughts after we die. This particular Book of the Dead presents Ani, a royal scribe, descending to the underworld–a descent which transforms … Continue reading The Appalachian Book Of The Dead, Woodford Reserve, And How To Smoke A Pork Belly On Your Son’s Birthday (Part 1).

March 2, 2015

A Good Man Is Hard To Find, Jefferson’s Very Small Batch Bourbon, And Grits.

It’s late, cold and I’m drinking Jefferson’s Kentucky Bourbon Very Small Batch. Much spice and vanilla on the nose with citrus notes everywhere–green apples and rum in there as well. Taste? Very clean, refreshing, slightly sour with red-hot candy, anise, a bit of lemon, bit of grass, and cookie dough. A roll of nectar in … Continue reading A Good Man Is Hard To Find, Jefferson’s Very Small Batch Bourbon, And Grits.

February 23, 2015

A Rose For Emily, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, And A Lowcountry Seafood Boil

On March 25 at the Houston Country Club, I’ll sit at a white-cloth table, dine on a salad, a fowl perhaps, and some sort of pie, while drinking a few glasses of wine. This is the annual Great Conversation hosted by the august Honors College at the University of Houston–where I work. Along the way, … Continue reading A Rose For Emily, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, And A Lowcountry Seafood Boil

November 14, 2014

The Great Banquet: The Alchemy of Recipes

Here is a description of a food class I’m offering this mid-winter session at The Honors College at the University of Houston. More news to come. While reading, I suggest you listen to the Presentation for The Mystery Sonatas by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Von Biber. What is a recipe? It’s an All in One complex system … Continue reading The Great Banquet: The Alchemy of Recipes

September 9, 2014

Water, Water, Every Where, And Always A Drop To Cook

The final chapter of Harold McGee’s On Food and Cooking, in Moses-like fashion, declaims the basis of all cooking: “The Four Basic Food Molecules.” Water, fats and oils, carbohydrates and proteins. H2O, of course, makes up not only most of what we eat, but our own bodies as well. As McGee states, Leaving aside the … Continue reading Water, Water, Every Where, And Always A Drop To Cook

September 3, 2014

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

August 12, 2014

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