“Confit Duck Leg, Black Garlic, Pan Fried Farro Verde, Pear Kimchi, Embered Cabbage, Virginia Peanuts…” Honestly, when I hear a menu description like that I usually excuse myself (“Where’s the men’s room?”) and head for the hills. It is a chef in a thousand who can pull of a menu promise like that. As Flip...
Read MoreBest-of-the-Carolinas Barbecue Sauce Just because today marks the unofficial end of summer doesn’t mean that grilling should screech to a halt. There’s plenty of warm days ahead, and that means BBQ. This is my blend of the vinegary mop sauces, the mustard-based sauces and ketchupy sauces that hail from different parts of the Carolinas. All of...
Read More
Caramelized is a word that has been tossed around so often it has almost lost its meaning. Technically, the only thing that can be caramelized is sugar, all other foods get their rich brown crust from something known as the Maillard reaction. Caramelized onions are really Maillard-ized onions but that doesn’t sound so good on a menu. To put it very,...
Read MoreFilo is usually sold frozen in 1-pound boxes. A package of filo dough may be defrosted at room temperature (about 2 hours) or in the refrigerator (about 24 hours). Remove only remove the number of sheets called for in the recipe from the defrosted package. Immediately return the remaining sheets to the plastic bag they were sealed in and wrap the plastic...
Read More
Sounds like one of the summer party scenes from The Great Gatsby, but it’s not. These oven-toasted mixed nuts are probably the easiest thing you can make for your own party, poolside or not. They come together in a minute and toast at a pretty low temp, so if you overshoot by a little bit they won’t burn. There really is no recipe involved here, more like...
Read More
Mushrooms of one kind or another are always on my shopping list and sautéeing them is almost always on my Prep Day list. With sautéed mushrooms in the fridge I am halfway to a mushroom-spinach omelet or a grilled cheese and mushroom sandwich—two dinner-in-a-pinch ideas no one is ever disappointed to see. Makes about 2 cups 2 tablespoons unsalted butter,...
Read More